LG Elec to open heat pump research laboratory in Alaska

LG Electronics Inc. plans to open LG Advanced Cold Climate Heat Pump Laboratory in Alaska, the US for the development of heating, ventilation, & air conditioning (HVAC) that performs in extreme low temperatures.

The company announced on Monday it launched the Consortium for Advanced Heat-pump Research with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) in Anchorage, the US.

HAVC products with heat pump techs perform poorly in severe cold because the pressure to compress refrigerant is reduced, resulting in less refrigerant circulating.

In the polar regions of Alaska, new experiments can be conducted that take into account environmental conditions and variables such as snow, rain, and extreme low temperatures that cannot be reproduced in traditional laboratories.

LG Electronics is setting up a laboratory on the campus of UAA and UAF to develop a heat pump that can run at 100% performance. The interior of lab is like a real home complete with a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. In this lab, the company will test heat pump heating and cooling systems and heat pump water heaters.

Starting with LG Advanced Cold Climate Heat Pump Laboratory, the company plans to increase its global R&D units for HVAC solutions to enhance its home appliances business competitiveness.

"As we are developing our own compressors and motors, which are core components of home appliances, we will continue to invest in R&D to take our heat pump technology to the next level," an LG Electronics source said.

Write to Ik-Hwan Kim at lovepen@hankyung.com