South Korean firm LG Electronics has opened a research facility in Alaska to develop HVAC technology that can handle extreme cold.

The research lab comes under the newly formed Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research (CAHR), a collaboration between LG and local universities. The company anticipates the joint effort will enhance the competitiveness of its HVAC products through delivering innovations in cold-climate technology.

LG will operate the facility with the College of Engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ HVAC laboratory.

Improving the heating performance of heat pumps operating in regions with very low temperatures – such as Alaska – is difficult due to the reduction in refrigerant circulation caused by the cold. LG recognises the need to develop and validate products in extreme cold conditions, which led it to establish the research lab in Alaska. The jointly-run lab will facilitate the collection of operational data at low temperatures, hastening the development of technology that can reliably produce top-tier performance in the harshest climatic conditions.

The CAHR aims to foster HVAC innovation through undertaking specialised R&D, providing access to resources, and creating a culture centred on learning and problem-solving. LG will conduct research in two dedicated facilities: a university-owned building on the Anchorage campus and a site in Fairbanks, Alaska, that will be constructed like a real-world home.

The Fairbanks facility will be equipped with a diverse range of LG HVAC products, including ducted and duct-free indoor and outdoor units as well as the company’s inverter heat-pump water heater.

LG and its university partners will oversee various tests designed to assess performance under different environmental conditions, such as snow, rain and extremely low temperatures, and by introducing different variables that have not previously been considered in testing heat-pump efficacy. LG believes the results of the research will contribute to better product heating performance, quality and reliability.

“Collaboration in research is the cornerstone of UAA’s mission, and our partnership with LG advances climate solutions in the HVAC industry and beyond,” said Sean Parnell, chancellor of University of Alaska Anchorage (www.uaa.alaska.edu). “UAA is proud to lead this collaboration with LG to further innovation across industry and our communities.”

Lee Jae-seong, head of LG’s air business unit, added: “For LG, the ultimate goal of creating the Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research is to lead the global heat pump industry and provide a differentiated customer experience. LG will raise the industry bar and push the limits of existing heat pump technology, developing solutions that deliver peak performance irrespective of environmental conditions.”

The Alaska research lab is expected to help LG (www.lg.com) make significant strides in both the North American and European HVAC market, enabling it to strengthen its core technologies, such as inverters and heat pumps, and boost overall product competitiveness. The company says it is confident the R&D efforts soon to be initiated under the CAHR will help shape the future of the HVAC industry.