Evaporator heat exchanger

Abstract

An evaporator heat exchanger for evaporating a liquid working medium may include a housing, in which at least one first flow channel for conducting the working medium and at least one second flow channel for conducting a gas may be arranged, where heat may be transferable from the gas to the working medium. The evaporator heat exchanger may also include a plurality of cover plates and a profiled fluid plate arranged in between two of the cover plates. The at least two cover plates and the profiled fluid plate may form the at least one first flow channel, and at the same time may delimit at least one of at least one leakage channel and a leakage space that is separated from the at least one first flow channel and at least one second flow channel.

1 . An evaporator heat exchanger for evaporating a liquid working medium, comprising:
 a housing, in which at least one first flow channel for conducting the working medium and at least one second flow channel for conducting a gas are arranged, heat being transferable from the gas to the working medium; and   a plurality of cover plates and a profiled fluid plate arranged in between two of the cover plates;   wherein the at least two cover plates and the profiled fluid plate form the at least one first flow channel and   at the same time delimit at least one of (i) at least one leakage channel and (ii) a leakage space that is separated from the at least one first flow channel and the at least one second flow channel.   
     
     
         2 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of (i) the at least one leakage channel and (ii) the leakage space is arranged laterally at least one of next to and at a periphery of the at least one first flow channel. 
     
     
         13 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 a strength of a material of the profiled fluid plate is less than a strength of a material of at least one of the cover plates arranged on the profiled fluid plate; and   the profiled fluid plate has a smaller wall or material thickness than at least one of the cover plates arranged on the profiled fluid plate.   
     
     
         14 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein two cover plates with a profiled fluid plate arranged in between form at least one plate pack, said plate pack having at least one leakage channel encircling at least partially in a peripheral region of the plate pack. 
     
     
         15 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of plate packs stacked on top of one another with a second flow channel arranged between adjacent plate packs, the profiled fluid plate in each plate pack having a first opening in at least one of a leakage channel and a leakage space, wherein cover plates of adjacent plate packs opposite one another each have a second opening between which a leakage bushing for forming an outlet duct is arranged. 
     
     
         16 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 15 , wherein the first opening is connected directly to the leakage bushing. 
     
     
         17 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 15 , wherein the cover plates each has a third opening for conducting the working medium through the first flow channel, the third openings being connected together, between mutually opposite cover plates of two plate packs arranged adjacent to one another, by a fluid bushing, the fluid bushing having an at least partially encircling fluid bushing annular channel that is separated from the first flow channel, said fluid bushing annular channel being connected to the at least one of a leakage channel and a leakage space in the profiled fluid plate of the plate packs. 
     
     
         18 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 15 , wherein the housing has a housing opening which is connected via a housing leakage bushing to at least one of the first opening and the second opening in the cover plate of the plate pack arranged adjacent to the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 18 , wherein the housing leakage bushing and a plurality of leakage bushings between the cover plates of adjacent plate packs form the outlet duct for conducting the fluid, wherein a line into external to the housing is attachable to the housing leakage bushing, said line having a sensor configured to measure at least one of a pressure, a flow rate, and a chemical composition of a fluid in the line. 
     
     
         20 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of:
 a rib structure is arranged in each of the second flow channels between adjacent plate packs; and   for each plate pack, the profiled fluid plate is at least one of soldered and welded between two cover plates.   
     
     
         21 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 19 , further comprising a control device configured to evaluate a signal detected by the sensor for the control of at least one of a pump delivering the working medium and an exhaust gas recirculation valve depending upon the signal detected. 
     
     
         22 . The evaporator heat exchanger of claim  2 , wherein at least one of:
 a strength of a material of the profiled fluid plate is less than a strength of a material of at least one of the cover plates arranged on the profiled fluid plate; and   the profiled fluid plate has a smaller wall or material thickness than at least one of the cover plates arranged on the profiled fluid plate.   
     
     
         23 . The evaporator heat exchanger of claim  2 , wherein two cover plates with a profiled fluid plate arranged in between form at least one plate pack, said plate pack having at least one leakage channel encircling at least partially in a peripheral region of the plate pack. 
     
     
         24 . An evaporator heat exchanger for evaporating a liquid working medium, comprising:
 a housing; and   a plurality of plate packs arranged in the housing one on top of another, each plate pack having two cover plates with a profiled fluid plate arranged in between to form a first channel for conducting the working medium, and at the same time delimiting at least one of at least one leakage channel and a leakage space separated from the first flow channel;   wherein a second flow channel for conducting a gas is arranged in between adjacent plate packs.   
     
     
         25 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 24 , wherein each plate pack has a first opening in at least one of a leakage channel and a leakage space, and the cover plates of adjacent plate packs opposite one another each have a second opening between which a leakage bushing for forming an outlet duct is arranged. 
     
     
         26 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 25 , wherein the cover plates each has a third opening for conducting the working medium through the first flow channel, the third openings being connected together, between mutually opposite cover plates of two plate packs arranged adjacent to one another, by a fluid bushing, the fluid bushing having an at least partially encircling fluid bushing annular channel that is separated from the first flow channel, said fluid bushing annular channel being connected to the at least one of a leakage channel and a leakage space in the fluid plate of the plate packs. 
     
     
         27 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 25 , wherein the housing has a housing opening which is connected via a housing leakage bushing to at least one of the first opening and the second opening in the cover plate of the plate pack arranged adjacent to the housing. 
     
     
         28 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 25 , wherein the housing leakage bushing and a plurality of leakage bushings between the cover plates of adjacent plate packs form the outlet duct for conducting the fluid, wherein a line into external to the housing is attachable to the housing leakage bushing, said line having a sensor configured to measure at least one of a pressure, a flow rate, and a chemical composition of a fluid in the line. 
     
     
         29 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of:
 a rib structure is arranged in each of the second flow channels between adjacent plate packs; and   for each plate pack, the fluid plate is at least one of soldered and welded between two cover plates.   
     
     
         30 . The evaporator heat exchanger of  claim 28 , further comprising a control device configured to evaluate a signal detected by the sensor for the control of at least one of a pump delivering the working medium and an exhaust gas recirculation valve depending upon the signal detected.