Patent ID: 7721796

Claim:
A heat exchanger, comprising: a first collecting tank having an opening trough a wall of said first tank; a second collecting tank; at least one row of tubes extending between said collecting tanks, said tubes having spaces therebetween, with said tubes and tanks adapted to carry a first medium and a second medium adapted to flow through the spaces between the tubes; an inlet in one of said collecting tanks; an outlet in one of said collecting tanks; a first partition dividing said first collecting tank, said partition defining an opening therethrough; a second partition dividing said second collecting tank, wherein said first and second partitions define separate loops for said first medium when said first partition opening is closed; a discharge device having a first state in which fluid flow through the first collection tank opening and the first partition opening is closed by the discharge device, and a second state in which the first collection tank opening and the first partition opening are opened to fluid flow therethrough.