Heat exchanger for a thermal management system

Abstract

Heat exchanger (1) for a thermal management system, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a plate stack (2) with at least two cooling circuit plates (4) and at least two refrigeration circuit plates (3), which are arranged in a stacking direction perpendicular to a plate surface of the cooling circuit plates (4) and refrigeration circuit plates (3) in the plate stack (2), wherein a refrigerant can be guided through a refrigerant path (5) formed on the refrigeration circuit plates (3) and a coolant can be guided through a coolant path (6) formed on the cooling circuit plates (4), wherein at least one collector device (11), in particular for outgassing gaseous refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant, is integrated into the plate stack (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a heat exchanger for a thermal management system, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a plate stack with at least two cooling circuit plates and at least two refrigeration circuit plates, which are arranged in a stacking direction perpendicular to a plate surface of the cooling circuit plates and refrigeration circuit plates in the plate stack, wherein a refrigerant can be guided through a refrigerant path formed on the refrigeration circuit plates and a coolant can be guided through a coolant path formed on the cooling circuit plates.

[0002] Heat exchangers for thermal management systems, especially for motor vehicles, which comprise cooling circuit plates arranged in a plate stack and refrigeration circuit plates stacked in the stacking direction within the plate stack, are generally known from the prior art. The heat exchanger is used to exchange heat between the cooling circuit plates and the refrigeration circuit plates, particularly in the refrigerant circuit of a heat pump, in order to heat or cool at least one device integrated into the coolant circuit. Depending on the temperature difference between the refrigerant and the coolant, the coolant is either heated or cooled by the refrigerant.For this purpose, the refrigerant circuit plates provide a refrigerant path and the cooling circuit plates provide a coolant path, so that the refrigerant can flow along the refrigerant path and the coolant can flow along the coolant path along the plates, which are in thermal contact and thus enable heat exchange.

[0003] In the operation of such thermal management systems, it is also known that a collector device can be used to collect the refrigerant, for example, to remove gaseous refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, particularly before it is fed to an expansion valve. Such a collector or such a collector device therefore requires additional installation space. Furthermore, the collector device must be integrated into the refrigerant circuit by appropriate lines, such as hose lines, so that a correspondingly higher number of sealing points, diffusion points, and the like is required or created.

[0004] The invention is based on the object of providing an improved heat exchanger for a thermal management system in which the expenditure for the collector device is reduced.

[0005] The object is achieved by a heat exchanger having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the subclaims.

[0006] As described, the invention relates to a heat exchanger for a thermal management system, in particular for a motor vehicle. The heat exchanger can in principle be used as any heat exchanger in the thermal management system, specifically as a heat exchanger of the condenser of a heat pump of the thermal management system. Alternatively or additionally, the heat exchanger can also be designed as a heat exchanger of the evaporator. In other words, the heat exchanger establishes the transition between the condenser in the refrigerant circuit and a coolant circuit. As already described, the heat exchanger comprises a plate stack having at least two cooling circuit plates and at least two refrigeration circuit plates.The cooling circuit plates and refrigeration circuit plates can be arranged in the plate stack, in particular alternately, so that a cooling circuit plate is arranged adjacent to a refrigeration circuit plate, in the core region of the plate stack, particularly surrounded by two refrigeration circuit plates in the stacking direction, and vice versa. Heat exchange can occur between the cooling circuit plates and the refrigeration circuit plates, namely between the refrigerant flowing along the refrigerant path and the coolant flowing along the coolant path.

[0007] The invention is based on the finding that at least one collector device, in particular for outgassing gaseous refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant, is integrated into the plate stack. The invention thus proposes that the heat exchanger itself have a collector device integrated into the plate stack, which is otherwise formed from the cooling circuit plates and the refrigeration circuit plates. This advantageously eliminates the need to provide an external or separate collector device, which requires additional installation space and must be spatially arranged in the thermal management system and connected to the heat exchanger or the refrigerant circuit, in particular by means of lines. Instead, the collector device is integrated into the proposed heat exchanger and thus forms a component of the plate stack.Consequently, pipe connections, sealing points, and diffusion points can be eliminated or avoided. The integrated header unit is therefore mounted together with the heat exchanger, thus reducing additional assembly and provision costs. Since refrigerant is routed in the header unit, particularly between two cooling circuit plates, the header unit can also function as a cooling circuit plate or be considered as such.

[0008] When the term "temperature control" is used in this application, the description of the present invention refers to both cooling and heating. A "thermal management system" refers to a system that controls the temperature of at least two consumers. A consumer, in particular a thermal consumer, is therefore a device to be cooled or heated. One consumer may be cooled and another may be heated. These consumers may even be located in a single cooling circuit, as explained further below.

[0009] Preferably, a load can be an electrical machine. Furthermore, a load can be an inverter. Additionally or alternatively, a load can be a passenger compartment. Advantageously, a load can be a battery.

[0010] The thermal management system has at least one coolant circuit. Preferably, the thermal management system has at least one refrigerant circuit and one coolant circuit. At least one cooling device is arranged in the refrigerant circuit. This cooling device cools the refrigerant. The cooling circuit is cooled by the refrigerant and is in direct communication with at least one consumer.

[0011] Furthermore, the thermal management system can have at least two, in particular exactly two, coolant circuits and one refrigerant circuit. At least one cooling device is arranged in the refrigerant circuit. This cooling device cools the coolant. The cooling circuits are cooled by the refrigerant and are in direct communication with the consumers. The coolant circuit, which can also be referred to as the "warm circuit," can also dissipate heat to the environment and thus be additionally cooled.

[0012] Preferably, one of the coolant circuits can be arranged as a high-temperature circuit and the other coolant circuit as a low-temperature circuit. The high-temperature circuit is thermally connected to the refrigeration circuit at a first location, and the low-temperature circuit at a second location. The first location has a higher temperature than the second location. In particular, the high-temperature circuit can be connected downstream of a compressor. Preferably, the low-temperature circuit can be connected downstream of an expansion valve via an evaporator.

[0013] The temperature to which the high-temperature circuit is cooled can be, for example, 40°C. This temperature can be used simultaneously to heat a consumer, such as the passenger compartment, and to cool another consumer, such as an electrical machine.

[0014] The low-temperature circuit is cooled to a lower temperature than the high-temperature circuit. This allows the cooling capacity to be concentrated on the low-temperature circuit, to which the largest consumer in terms of cooling capacity, such as power electronics, is connected. This optimizes the provision of cooling capacity and allows, for example, the compressor to be downsized. A radiator can preferably be installed in the low-temperature circuit.

[0015] Advantageously, a passenger compartment and / or an electric motor and / or a battery can be arranged as consumers in the high-temperature circuit. Furthermore, a power electronics arrangement, in particular an inverter, can be arranged in the low-temperature circuit.

[0016] The cooling device can be designed as a heat pump. The heat pump comprises at least two heat exchangers and a compressor. One of the heat exchangers can be designed as a condenser, and the other as an expansion valve.

[0017] Preferably, the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is a natural refrigerant, in particular propane. Furthermore, the coolant in the cooling circuit(s) can be a water-glycol mixture.

[0018] The thermal management system preferably has a distribution unit. The distribution unit can be used to control which circuit is connected to which circuit and to which consumer. The distribution unit is also referred to as a fluid control unit ("FCU"). The distribution unit advantageously has a valve unit with at least one valve. The valve can be designed as a slide valve, in particular an axial slide valve or a rotary slide valve. In particular, the valve unit can have at least four, preferably exactly four, valves.

[0019] The distribution unit can have at least two housing parts. Channel structures and / or valve receiving areas can be formed on the adjacent sides of the housing parts. Alternatively, one housing part can be designed as a cover without structures, and only one housing part can have channel structures and / or valve receiving areas. It is also conceivable to provide only valve receiving areas in one housing part and only channel structures in the other housing part.

[0020] Furthermore, the thermal management system comprises a pump arrangement with at least one pump. The pump arrangement can preferably comprise at least two, in particular exactly two, pumps. At least one pump can be designed as a gerotor pump. At least one pump can be designed as a vane pump. Alternatively, the thermal management system can also be arranged stationary, for example, in a building.

[0021] In a further development of the heat exchanger, it can be provided that the at least one collector device is designed as a collector plate in the plate stack, in particular between two cooling circuit plates. The embodiment therefore proposes that one of the plates in the plate stack is designed as a collector device. The collector device can thus be integrated into the plate stack. The collector plate differs in particular from the other plates in the plate stack, for example with regard to its form factor. Nevertheless, the collector plate can act - at least partially - as a cooling circuit plate and can also be understood as such, albeit different from the other cooling circuit plates.

[0022] The described heat exchanger can be further developed such that the at least one collector device defines a collecting chamber that has a larger volume than the at least one coolant path and / or refrigerant path. As already described, the collector device can be designed, in particular, as a collector plate, wherein the form factor of the collector plate can differ from the cooling circuit plates or refrigeration circuit plates. In particular, the collector plate is designed to be larger, "higher," or "thicker" in the stacking direction than the refrigeration circuit plates and / or the cooling circuit plates.

[0023] The collection chamber of the collector device can, in particular, serve as a settling chamber for the refrigerant, ensuring that gaseous refrigerant, especially in the form of bubbles, can outgas, allowing only liquid refrigerant to be removed from the collection chamber and fed into the further refrigerant circuit. For example, the removal of liquid refrigerant from the collection chamber can be achieved by gravity, so that, for example, an outlet for the liquid refrigerant is positioned further downstream in the direction of gravity, opposite a collection chamber inlet.

[0024] In principle, the collector device can be arranged anywhere within the plate stack. According to one embodiment of the heat exchanger, the at least one collector device can be arranged in an end region of the plate stack, in particular as the last or penultimate plate in the flow direction of the refrigerant toward a refrigerant outlet to an expansion valve of a heat pump or a thermal management system. In principle, the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is known. Driven by a compressor, the refrigerant is guided from the condenser to the expansion valve, where the refrigerant expands and is fed to the evaporator. After passing through the evaporator, the refrigerant is returned to the compressor.

[0025] By arranging the collector device in the end region of the plate stack in the direction of the expansion valve, it can be ensured that the upstream region of the heat exchanger has already led to a certain cooling of the refrigerant. According to this embodiment, the heat exchanger is designed in particular as a heat exchanger of the condenser, with thermal energy being extracted from the refrigerant as it passes through the condenser. In particular, this happens isothermally in the two-phase region. The refrigerant cools down in the superheated region, where pure gas is present, and in the liquid phase region, where pure liquid is present. Therefore, if the collector device is arranged in the end region of the plate stack in this flow direction, the refrigerant is already largely liquid and can be cooled or subcooled when the boiling point is exceeded, so that operation of the collector device leads to outgassing and further release of thermal energy or cooling orSubcooling of the temperature control medium can be carried out even more efficiently. When arranging the collector device, it can be located at least in the half of the heat exchanger or plate stack that is closer to the expansion valve in the refrigerant circuit in the direction of flow. For example, the collector device can be located closer to the expansion valve than the majority of the remaining plates in the plate stack. In particular, the collector device can be arranged as the last or second-to-last plate in the plate stack.

[0026] According to an additional or alternative embodiment, the heat exchanger can be designed, in particular, as a heat exchanger of the evaporator, wherein the collector device, preferably in a part of the evaporator on the refrigerant outlet side, is designed as a separator. The collector device is designed, in particular, to specifically superheat the refrigerant in order to provide the compressor of the heat pump with a pure gas phase.

[0027] The at least one collector device can be arranged further adjacent to at least one cooling circuit plate in the plate stack. Through contact with the coolant path provided by the cooling circuit plate, the liquid refrigerant collected in the collector device can be further subcooled. This makes the operation of the collector device even more efficient, since the cooling or outgassing, in particular the transition of the remaining gaseous components of the refrigerant into liquid form, can be improved. For example, viewed in the conveying direction, the rear side of the collector device can be designed as a subcooling path, which can be provided by the last plate in the plate stack, which is designed as a cooling circuit plate.

[0028] According to a further embodiment of the heat exchanger, it can be provided that the at least one collector device is arranged in the plate stack between two cooling circuit plates, in particular a plate surface of the collector device oriented perpendicular to the stacking direction runs parallel to a coolant path. In this embodiment, the collector device forms, in particular, the penultimate plate in the plate stack in the previously described conveying direction of the coolant, wherein said plate is directly surrounded on both sides in the stacking direction by a cooling circuit plate. This means that coolant can flow around the collecting space on both sides through the coolant paths in or on the cooling circuit plates, and thus particularly efficient cooling of the coolant in the collecting space can be achieved.

[0029] In other words, the refrigerant, which enters the heat exchanger from the compressor at high pressure and elevated temperature, is cooled or isothermally extracted from the heat energy through heat exchange with the cooler coolant and condenses. After passing through the condenser, only liquid refrigerant should be present in the remaining refrigerant circuit, which is then fed to the expansion valve. Targeted cooling of the collection chamber further improves the cooling / subcooling of the liquid refrigerant, particularly in the end region of the heat exchanger. This ensures, in particular, that no gas bubbles remain in the refrigerant.

[0030] The collection chamber can also be used for other functions, such as drying the refrigerant, for example, by integrating a desiccant tablet. Since the collection device can be fully integrated into the heat exchanger, piping can be completely eliminated, resulting in a compact system. Eliminating the piping reduces the number of sealing points, allowing the system to be hermetically sealed, for example. This reduces diffusion distances, which further prevents water from diffusing into the refrigerant. Furthermore, it can prevent the refrigerant from accumulating, for example, at the coldest point in the piping.

[0031] According to a further embodiment of the described heat exchanger, at least two collector devices can be arranged in the plate stack. The collector devices can, for example, be arranged one behind the other in the end region of the heat exchanger or distributed at any desired locations in the plate stack. The collector devices can, if necessary, be designed differently, for example, have different dimensions, particularly in the stacking direction. For example, the first collector device can achieve an initial outgassing of the still gaseous refrigerant. The second collector device can then ensure that the refrigerant is completely liquefied.

[0032] According to a further embodiment of the heat exchanger, the at least one collector device can have a guide device, in particular a baffle surface and / or a riser, and / or it can be provided that the collector device, in particular in an embodiment of the heat exchanger as a heat exchanger for a condenser, has a refrigerant inlet which is arranged higher in the direction of gravity than a refrigerant outlet of the collector device, and / or that the collector device, in particular in an embodiment of the heat exchanger as a heat exchanger for an evaporator, has a refrigerant inlet which is arranged lower in the direction of gravity than a refrigerant outlet of the collector device. In an assembled state of the collector device in the thermal management system orIn the motor vehicle, the collector device can therefore be arranged such that the refrigerant inlet, through which the refrigerant enters the collector device, is higher than the refrigerant outlet. This separates gas bubbles that are still present in the refrigerant when it enters the collector device from the liquid refrigerant, counter to the direction of gravity. The fact that the refrigerant outlet of the collector device is arranged lower than the refrigerant inlet ensures that only liquid refrigerant is removed from the collector device. In the case of a collector device in a heat exchanger of an evaporator, this can also be referred to as a “separator device” or “separator” for short. Accordingly, the collector device in the condenser is intended to collect liquid refrigerant, in particular as a compensation function for different fill levels and / or outgassing function and / or a subcooling function.In particular, purely liquid refrigerant should exit. For this purpose, the outlet is positioned lower than the inlet. The separator device is intended to separate liquid refrigerant, especially when insufficient thermal energy is transferred into the refrigerant to safely overheat it. The separator device should be designed to allow the purest possible gas phase to exit. For this purpose, the outlet is advantageously positioned higher than the inlet. A guide device, in particular a riser pipe, can also be provided in the separator device, but arranged at the outlet, whereas in the collector device it can be arranged at the inlet.

[0033] This can also be achieved, for example, by designing a guide device as a riser through which the refrigerant entering the collector device is specifically introduced into the collection chamber. For example, the riser creates a higher refrigerant inlet than the refrigerant outlet. Alternatively or additionally, the guide device can be designed as a baffle and arranged in the collection chamber in such a way that refrigerant entering the collection chamber through the refrigerant inlet is guided by the baffle onto a path that deviates from the direct connection between the refrigerant inlet and refrigerant outlet. This ensures that the refrigerant is first distributed in the collection chamber and can outgas / cool there in a targeted manner before the refrigerant reaches the refrigerant outlet.

[0034] Furthermore, in the described heat exchanger, it can be provided that the at least one collector device has an expansion chamber for refrigerant. As described, the form factor of the collector device, in particular as a collector plate, can be selected to be larger than the refrigerant plates and coolant plates. In this case, an expansion chamber for the refrigerant can be specifically integrated into the collector device so that excess refrigerant is collected in the expansion chamber for the current operating state or the expansion chamber stores refrigerant like a reservoir. This means that, depending on the operating point or ambient parameters, a comparatively larger or smaller proportion of refrigerant can evaporate, so that correspondingly less or more liquid refrigerant is present in the refrigerant circuit. For example, under lower ambient conditions, a larger proportion of liquid refrigerant can be present in the refrigerant circuit.Since the expansion valve must always be supplied with liquid refrigerant, but at some operating points there is more liquid refrigerant and at others less, the charge quantity must be designed so that at a minimum there is still liquid refrigerant upstream of the expansion valve, and the difference or excess can be temporarily stored in the receiver at other times. Otherwise, the condenser will flood, resulting in a loss of efficiency.

[0035] In addition to the described heat exchanger, the invention relates to a heat pump for a thermal management system, which has a previously described heat exchanger. The heat exchanger can, in particular, be the heat exchanger of the condenser of the heat pump. Furthermore, the invention relates to a thermal management system, in particular for a motor vehicle, which has a previously described heat pump or a previously described heat exchanger. Furthermore, the thermal management system has a distribution unit and a compressor. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle having a previously described thermal management system and / or a previously described heat pump and / or a previously described heat exchanger.

[0036] The invention also relates to a building with such a thermal management system and / or such a heat pump and / or such a heat exchanger. The building is characterized in that the thermal management system and / or the heat pump and / or the heat exchanger are designed as described.

[0037] All advantages, details and features described with regard to the heat exchanger are fully applicable to the heat pump, the thermal management system, the motor vehicle and the building.

[0038] The invention is explained below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. The figures are schematic representations and show: Fig. 1 a schematic diagram of a perspective exploded view of a heat exchanger for a heat pump for a thermal management system, and Fig. 2 a schematic diagram of a sectional view of the heat exchanger.

[0039] Fig. 1 shows a heat exchanger 1 in a perspective exploded view, for example, for a thermal management system, specifically for a motor vehicle. The heat exchanger 1 comprises a plate stack 2, in which, purely by way of example, two cooling circuit plates 3 and three cooling circuit plates 4 are arranged. The plate stack 2 is formed by the successive plates arranged next to one another in the stacking direction, i.e., their plate planes extend parallel to one another and thus perpendicular to the stacking direction.

[0040] In the plate stack 2, the refrigeration circuit plates 3 provide refrigerant paths 5 and the refrigeration circuit plates 4 provide coolant paths 6, or these are formed by the corresponding flow of coolant along the refrigeration circuit plates 4 and refrigerant along the refrigeration circuit plates 3. For example, the coolant enters the heat exchanger 1 from a coolant inlet 7 at a lower temperature than the coolant leaving the coolant outlet 8. The heat exchanger 1 can therefore be designed in particular as a heat exchanger 1 for a condenser.

[0041] Accordingly, refrigerant entering the heat exchanger 1 through the refrigerant inlet 9, for example, introduced into the refrigerant inlet 9 by a compressor of a heat pump to which the heat exchanger 1 is assigned, is warmer or hotter than the refrigerant leaving a refrigerant outlet 10, for example, in the direction of the heat pump's expansion valve. Purely by way of example, the cooling circuit plates 4 and the cooling circuit plates 3 are arranged alternately in the plate stack 2. In other words, the refrigerant flows along the refrigerant paths 5 and is in thermal exchange with coolant flowing along the coolant paths 6 along the cooling circuit plates 4.

[0042] Furthermore, a collector device 11 is integrated into the heat exchanger 1, in particular into the plate stack 2, which differs from the other plates in the plate stack 2. The collector device 11 is clearly designed as a collector plate, which has a greater extension in the stacking direction and thus also has more volume than the cooling circuit plates 4 and the refrigeration circuit plates 3. For example, the sectional view in Fig. 2 that refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit enters the collector device 11 and can initially be collected there in a collection chamber 12. The collector device 11 advantageously provides a guide device 13, which is designed purely as an example as a riser pipe. Alternatively, the guide device 13 can also be designed as a baffle and / or intermediate wall. Advantageously, the guide device 13 prevents the refrigerant from flowing directly through the collector device 11 and prevents backflow and thus flooding of the remaining plates of the condenser. Instead, the refrigerant is first deflected, in particular from a higher in the direction of gravity, which in Fig. 2, for example, acts downwards, inlet point is introduced into the collecting space 12, than the refrigerant can leave the collecting space 12.

[0043] This allows gaseous refrigerant to be separated from the liquid refrigerant and allows only liquid refrigerant to be removed from the collector device 11, in particular the collection chamber 12. As shown in Fig. 1, Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the collector device 11 is arranged in an end region 14 of the plate stack 2, which end region 14 faces the expansion valve in the refrigerant circuit. The collector device 11 ensures, in particular, that the gaseous refrigerant is completely degassed from the liquid refrigerant, and thus only liquid refrigerant is removed from the collection chamber 12 and fed to the expansion valve.

[0044] Further in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 shows that the collector device 11 is arranged between two cooling circuit plates 4 and is thus specifically surrounded by two coolant paths 6. Optionally, the collector device 11 can also be adjacent to only one cooling circuit plate 4, particularly when the collector device 11 forms the last plate in the plate stack 2. As a result, the refrigerant introduced into the collecting space 12 is specifically cooled to one side or to both sides, further promoting cooling and thus condensation of the refrigerant in the collecting space 12. Although only one collector device 11 is shown, it is also possible to provide more than one collector device 11 in the plate stack 2.

[0045] The collecting space 12 can also be dimensioned so that it acts as an expansion space. This means that the volume of the collecting space 12 is designed such that refrigerant can be stored like a reservoir, so that sufficient liquid refrigerant is available at every operating point of the heat exchanger 1 or the refrigerant circuit of the heat pump. Depending on the operating conditions of the heat pump, more or less refrigerant can evaporate. For example, at higher operating temperatures, more refrigerant is present in the vapor phase than is the case at comparatively lower operating temperatures. Since it is intended to ensure that the mass flow of the refrigerant can remain constant across all operating points, the collecting space 12, in the embodiment in which it also acts as an expansion space, is intended to form a reservoir in which excess refrigerant can be absorbed.

[0046] As described, the heat exchanger 1 is, in particular, a component of a heat pump for a thermal management system, specifically the heat exchanger of the condenser. Such a heat pump therefore comprises a heat exchanger 1. Likewise, a thermal management system, for example, for a motor vehicle or a building, can comprise a heat exchanger 1, for example, as a component of the described heat pump. Likewise, the heat exchanger 1 can form a component of a motor vehicle, for example, as a component of the heat pump or the thermal management system. All of the above statements are therefore also applicable to the motor vehicle, the thermal management system, and the heat pump.

[0047] The information relating to the individual embodiments, in particular Fig. 1, Fig. The advantages, details and features described in section 2 can be combined with each other as desired, are interchangeable and transferable to each other. Reference symbol 1 heat exchanger 2 stacks of records 3 refrigeration circuit plates 4 Cooling circuit plate 5 Refrigerant line 6 Coolant line 7 Coolant inlet 8 Coolant outlet 9 Refrigerant inlet 10 Refrigerant outlet 11 Collector's facility 12 Assembly room 13 Guide device 14 End area

Claims

[1] Heat exchanger (1) for a thermal management system, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a stack of plates (2) with at least two cooling circuit plates (4) and at least two refrigeration circuit plates (3) arranged in a stacking direction perpendicular to a plate surface of the cooling circuit plates (4) and refrigeration circuit plates (3) in the stack of plates (2), wherein a refrigerant can be guided through a refrigerant path (5) formed on the refrigeration circuit plates (3) and a coolant can be guided through a coolant path (6) formed on the cooling circuit plates (4), characterized by , that at least one collecting device (11), in particular for collecting liquid refrigerant and / or outgassing gaseous refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant, is integrated into the stack of plates (2). [2] Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, characterized by, that at least one collector device (11) is designed as a collector plate in the stack of plates (2), in particular between two cooling circuit plates (4). [3] Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the at least one collector device (11) defines a collection space (12) which has a larger volume than the at least one coolant section (6) and / or refrigerant section (5). [4] Heat exchanger (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the at least one collector device (11) is arranged in an end region (14) of the plate stack (2), in particular as the last or penultimate plate in the direction of flow of the refrigerant towards a refrigerant outlet (10) to an expansion valve of a thermal management system. [5] Heat exchanger (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the at least one collector device (11), preferably in a refrigerant outlet-side part of an evaporator of a heat pump having the collector device (11), is designed as a separator to selectively superheat the refrigerant in order to supply the compressor of the heat pump with a pure gas phase. [6] Heat exchanger (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one collector device (11) is arranged adjacent to at least one cooling circuit plate (4) in the plate stack (2). [7] Heat exchanger (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one collector device (11) is arranged in the stack of plates (2) between two cooling circuit plates (4), in particular a plate surface of the collector device (11) oriented perpendicular to the stack direction runs parallel to a coolant path (6). [8] Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 7, characterized by, that the at least one collector device (11) forms a subcooling section, in particular for subcooling a liquid phase of the refrigerant, by means of the arrangement between two cooling circuit plates (4). [9] Heat exchanger (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least two collector devices (11) are arranged in the stack of plates (2). [10] Heat exchanger (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the at least one collector device (11) has a guide device (13), in particular an intermediate wall and / or a baffle surface and / or a riser, and / or that the collector device (11), in particular in an embodiment of the heat exchanger (1) as a heat exchanger (1) for a condenser, has a refrigerant inlet which is arranged higher in the direction of gravity than a refrigerant outlet of the collector device (11), and / or that the collector device (11), in particular in an embodiment of the heat exchanger (1) as a heat exchanger (1) for an evaporator, has a refrigerant inlet which is arranged lower in the direction of gravity than a refrigerant outlet of the collector device (11). [11] Heat exchanger (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one collector unit (11) has an expansion space for refrigerant. [12] Heat pump for a thermal management system, characterized by , that the heat exchanger (1) is designed according to one of the preceding claims. [13] Thermal management system, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a heat pump, a distribution unit and a compressor, characterized by that the heat pump is designed according to claim 12. [14] Motor vehicle comprising a thermal management system according to claim 13 and / or a heat pump according to claim 12 and / or a heat exchanger (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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