Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger block, a first collector box arranged on a first end face of the heat exchanger block and a second collector box arranged on a second end face of the heat exchanger block opposite to the first end face of the heat exchanger block. The heat exchanger block has multiple process channels arranged parallel to one another and connecting the first collector box to the second collector box for the through flow of a process medium, and also multiple coolant medium channels for the through flow of a coolant medium. The coolant medium channels are arranged between the process channels. Adjacent process channels have different material masses, heat-transferring areas of different sizes, and/or structural flow resistances of different sizes, and/or coolant medium channels have different material masses and/or heat-transferring areas of different sizes, so that in operation, in the event of a cyclic temperature change of the process medium, an equal or nearly equal material temperature gradient results between adjacent process channels and lateral parts in the heat exchanger block.

1 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a heat exchanger block;   a first collector box arranged on a first end face of the heat exchanger block;   a second collector box arranged on a second end face of the heat exchanger block opposite to the first end face of the heat exchanger block;
 wherein the heat exchanger block has a plurality of process channels arranged parallel to one another and connecting the first collector box to the second collector box for through flow of a process medium, 
   wherein the heat exchange block has a plurality of coolant medium channels for through flow of a coolant medium,   wherein the plurality of coolant medium channels are arranged between the plurality of process channels,
 wherein adjacent process channels of the plurality of process channels have different material masses, heat-transferring areas of different sizes, or structural flow resistances of different sizes, or the plurality of coolant medium channels have different material masses, or heat-transferring areas of different sizes, so that in operation, in event of a cyclic temperature change of the process medium, an equal or nearly equal material temperature gradient results between adjacent process channels and lateral parts in the heat exchanger block. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein process channels of the plurality of process channels having higher heat transfer rate than process channels of the plurality of process channel adjoining them have an up to three times greater material mass, an up to three times smaller heat-transferring area, or an up to five times greater structural flow resistance than the adjoining process channels. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of coolant medium channels adjoining a process channel of the plurality of process channels having a higher heat transfer rate than the process channels of the plurality of process channels adjacent thereto have an up to three times smaller heat-transferring area than other coolant medium channels in the heat exchanger block. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein coolant medium channels of the plurality of coolant medium channels and which are between edge process channels and lateral parts have an up to three times smaller heat-transferring area than other coolant medium channels of the plurality of coolant medium channels in the heat exchanger block. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the lateral parts have an up to five times smaller material mass than a material mass of the edge process channels.