A lower structure for a hybrid automobile in which a high-voltage battery is disposed in a lower surface of a floor panel includes an engine exhaust system component which is disposed in front of the high-voltage battery in the lower surface of the floor panel and on one vehicle-width-direction side of a center in a vehicle width direction and high-voltage devices which are disposed in front of the high-voltage battery and on another vehicle-width-direction side of the center in the vehicle width direction. In-vehicle equipment is disposed between the high-voltage battery and the high-voltage devices, and the in-vehicle equipment is in an inclined state where an upper surface of the in-vehicle equipment is inclined in a front-rear direction such that the in-vehicle equipment has a shorter dimension in the front-rear direction than a dimension in a horizontal state where the upper surface becomes horizontal.

A motor incorporating a power converter including a printed board on which a semiconductor module (an inverter IC), which converts a voltage of an external power supply into a high-frequency voltage and supplies the high-frequency voltage to a stator, is mounted, wherein a high-voltage circuit ground, which is a power ground of a high-voltage main circuit system of the inverter IC, and a low-voltage circuit ground, which is a ground of a control circuit system, which is a low-voltage circuit, of the semiconductor module, are provided on the board, and the high-voltage circuit ground and the low-voltage circuit ground are connected at one point via a resistor.

A motor incorporating a power converter including a printed board on which a semiconductor module (an inverter IC), which converts a voltage of an external power supply into a high-frequency voltage and supplies the high-frequency voltage to a stator, is mounted, wherein a high-voltage circuit ground, which is a power ground of a high-voltage main circuit system of the inverter IC, and a low-voltage circuit ground, which is a ground of a control circuit system, which is a low-voltage circuit, of the semiconductor module, are provided on the board, and the high-voltage circuit ground and the low-voltage circuit ground are connected at one point via a resistor.

A method for killing pests in an affected area of a structure, comprises positioning a heat pump unit within an affected area of the structure, coupling a first end of an inlet hose to a faucet, and coupling a second end of the inlet hose to an inlet port of the heat pump unit. The inlet port supplies a flow of water received from the faucet to an evaporator component of the heat pump unit. The evaporator component transfers heat from the flow of water to a refrigerant and communicate the refrigerant to a condenser component of the heat pump unit. The condenser component generates heated air by transferring heat from the refrigerant fluid to air flowing through the condenser component. The heated air i emitted into the affected area in order to raise the temperature of the affected area to a target temperature greater than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

A method for killing pests in an affected area of a structure, comprises positioning a heat pump unit within an affected area of the structure, coupling a first end of an inlet hose to a faucet, and coupling a second end of the inlet hose to an inlet port of the heat pump unit. The inlet port supplies a flow of water received from the faucet to an evaporator component of the heat pump unit. The evaporator component transfers heat from the flow of water to a refrigerant and communicate the refrigerant to a condenser component of the heat pump unit. The condenser component generates heated air by transferring heat from the refrigerant fluid to air flowing through the condenser component. The heated air i emitted into the affected area in order to raise the temperature of the affected area to a target temperature greater than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

A co-fired generator for use in a continuous-cycle absorption heating and cooling system may provide heat to the interior of an annulus chamber from a first heat exchanger, such as a firetube heat exchanger, supplemented by heat to the exterior of the annulus chamber from a second heat exchanger containing fluid heated by an external source. Some embodiments may circulate fluid heated in a solar-heated collector through the second heat exchanger. Other embodiments may route exhaust gas from a combustion engine through the second heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger may be provided with a plurality of fins to increase the surface area available for thermal transfer between the heated fluid and the annulus chamber.

A co-fired generator for use in a continuous-cycle absorption heating and cooling system may provide heat to the interior of an annulus chamber from a first heat exchanger, such as a firetube heat exchanger, supplemented by heat to the exterior of the annulus chamber from a second heat exchanger containing fluid heated by an external source. Some embodiments may circulate fluid heated in a solar-heated collector through the second heat exchanger. Other embodiments may route exhaust gas from a combustion engine through the second heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger may be provided with a plurality of fins to increase the surface area available for thermal transfer between the heated fluid and the annulus chamber.

A gas heat-pump system is provided. The gas heat-pump system may include an air-conditioning system including at least one compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expander, an indoor heat exchanger, and a refrigerant pipe; an engine configured to provide power for an operation of the at least one compressor, and in which a mixed fuel, in which a fuel and air are mixed, is burned; a cooling water pump which pumps a flow of cooling water that cools the engine; a cooling water pipe connected to the cooling water pump, and configured to guide the flow of the cooling water; an auxiliary heat exchanger in which heat exchange between the cooling water flowing through the cooling water pipe and a refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe is performed; a hot water heat exchanger, in which heat exchange between the cooling water flowing through the cooling water pipe and a fluid supplied from a hot water supply tank is performed; and a plurality of flow switches installed at the cooling water pipe, and controlled so that the cooling water discharged from the engine is guided to the auxiliary heat exchanger or the hot water heat exchanger.

A hydronic space heating system including a buffer tank defining upper and lower chambers in fluid and thermal communication with one another, the upper and lower chambers being separated by a baffle having passages formed therein to allow fluid flow from the lower chamber to the upper chamber to facilitate heat transfer therebetween in a controlled manner, a heat pump associated with the lower chamber of the buffer tank and having an output for heating water in the lower chamber of the buffer tank to a temperature within a predefined temperature range, and an auxiliary heat source associated with the upper chamber of the buffer tank having an output for increasing the temperature of water in the upper chamber of the buffer tank to conditionally supplement the output of the heat pump.

A hydronic space heating system including a buffer tank defining upper and lower chambers in fluid and thermal communication with one another, the upper and lower chambers being separated by a baffle having passages formed therein to allow fluid flow from the lower chamber to the upper chamber to facilitate heat transfer therebetween in a controlled manner, a heat pump associated with the lower chamber of the buffer tank and having an output for heating water in the lower chamber of the buffer tank to a temperature within a predefined temperature range, and an auxiliary heat source associated with the upper chamber of the buffer tank having an output for increasing the temperature of water in the upper chamber of the buffer tank to conditionally supplement the output of the heat pump.