Heat exchanger, particularly exhaust heat exchanger

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat exchanger, particularly an exhaust heat exchanger ( 1 ) for an internal combustion engine. The heat exchanger ( 1 ) has a tubular housing ( 2 ) a housing section of which is surrounded on the outside by a duct housing ( 9 ) with an annular duct ( 10 ) being formed. The duct housing ( 9 ) has a coolant connection (connecting branch 12 ) and, in the housing section which is covered by the duct housing ( 9 ), passage openings ( 13 to 16 ) which are distributed over the circumference and via which a uniform distribution of the coolant in the interior of the housing ( 2 ) is obtained. It is advantageous, in the case of a heat exchanger ( 1 ) with an expansion element ( 18 ), to use the annular duct ( 10 ) and the passage openings ( 13 to 16 ) at the same time in order to form the expansion element ( 18 ).

1 - 9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . A heat exchanger for cooling gaseous or liquid media, particularly an exhaust heat exchanger for an internal combustion engine, with a tubular housing which has at least one inlet opening with an adjoining annular duct for the distributed flow of a cooling medium into the interior of the housing, the annular duct ( 10 ) being formed on the outside of the housing ( 2 ) by a duct housing ( 9 ) surrounding a housing section at a distance and the annular duct ( 10 ) being connected to the housing interior via passage openings ( 13  to  16 ) distributed over the circumference of the housing ( 2 ), characterized in that the passage openings ( 13  to  16 ) are designed as slots which extend at an axial distance from one another over part of the housing circumference and, together with the duct housing ( 9 ) having a corrugated tube section ( 20 ), form an expansion element ( 18 ).  
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein next to the corrugated tube section ( 20 ) the duct housing ( 9 ) has a cylindrical housing part ( 19 ) which adjoins in the axial direction and on which the inlet opening ( 11 ) with the inlet branch ( 12 ) is arranged.  
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the housing ( 2 ) is provided at the ends on the longitudinal sides with a respective flange ( 3 ,  4 ) for the connection of an exhaust pipe, and in that the expansion element ( 18 ) is provided at that end of the housing ( 2 ) which lies on the exhaust gas inflow side ( 5 ).  
   
   
       13 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the duct housing ( 2 ) is designed as a sheet-metal part which is connected tightly at one end to the housing ( 2 ) and at the other end to the flange ( 3 ) on the entry side.  
   
   
       14 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the expansion element ( 18 ) is surrounded by a protective covering ( 21 ).