Patent ID: 7451808

Claim:
An apparatus for exchanging heat in motor vehicles to raise or lower the temperatures of vehicle components comprising: a pump to pump coolant through at least one cooling circuit; a first cooling circuit that includes at least two heat exchangers and at least one heat reservoir; a second cooling circuit that exchanges thermal energy with at least a first vehicle component, wherein the second cooling circuit comprises a second pump to pump coolant through the second circuit; a third cooling circuit that is selectively connectable with the second cooling circuit and that exchanges thermal energy with at least a second vehicle component, wherein the third cooling circuit comprises a third pump to pump coolant through the third circuit; and a plurality of control elements that selectively connect the first cooling circuit with at least one of the second and third cooling circuits, and further independently selectively connect the second and third cooling circuits to each other; wherein the apparatus is capable of operating in at least two operating modes, and wherein in a first operating mode the second and third cooling circuits are connected to each other and only one of the second and third pumps is operating, and in a second operating mode the second and third cooling circuits are separated from each other and both of the second and third pumps are operating.