Patent ID: 7536998

Claim:
A drive unit of a motor vehicle, wherein said drive unit is provided with an internal combustion engine ( 10 ), with a combustion air supply having a low-pressure compressor ( 11 ), a high-pressure compressor ( 12 ), and a combustion air cooling unit ( 13 , 14 ), and with an exhaust gas withdrawal by means of which exhaust gas formed in said internal combustion engine ( 10 ) is withdrawn, wherein at least one exhaust gas cooler ( 9 ) is integrated into said exhaust gas withdrawal, comprising: a combustion air cooling unit ( 13 , 14 ) that is provided with a combustion air intercooler ( 13 ) and a main combustion air cooler ( 14 ); a cooling system having at least one first cooling circuit ( 20 ) and at least one second cooling circuit ( 21 ), wherein said at least one exhaust gas cooler ( 9 ) is disposed in said cooling system, and wherein said combustion air cooling unit ( 13 , 14 ) is disposed in said cooling system and said combustion air intercooler ( 13 ) and said main combustion air cooler ( 14 ) are thermally coupled to said first and second cooling circuits ( 20 , 21 ) in such a way that in a direction of flow of combustion air, said combustion air intercooler ( 13 ) is disposed between said low-pressure compressor ( 11 ) and said high-pressure compressor ( 12 ), and said main combustion air cooler ( 14 ) is disposed downstream of said high-pressure compressor ( 12 ); and at least one heat exchanger disposed in said cooling system and adapted to be cooled by atmospheric air, wherein a working medium is adapted to flow through said heat exchanger, further wherein said first and second cooling circuits ( 20 , 21 ) are hydraulically uncoupled by means of said at least one heat exchanger, via which said first and second cooling circuits ( 20 , 21 ) are in thermal contact, and wherein the second cooling circuit ( 21 ) is configured for producing useable heat, whereby the working medium contained in the second cooling circuit is heatable during an operating phase of the cooling assembly by heat produced by flowing the working medium through a plurality of heat sources ( 13 , 14 , 9 , 25 ), whereby an at least partial phase transition of said working medium into a gaseous or vaporous state is adopted to be brought about, and wherein energy made available in the working medium in such a manner is deliverable to at least one consumer ( 19 ) integrated in the second cooling circuit ( 21 ) for use by said at least one consumer ( 19 ).