LG Electronics (LG) is establishing a research facility in Alaska, USA, to accelerate its Research and Development (R&D) efforts in the field of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). The new 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 groundbreaking innovations in ‘cold climate’ technology. LG will operate the state-of-the-art facility in conjunction with the College of Engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ highly regarded HVAC Lab.
Improving the heating performance of heat pumps operating in regions with very low temperatures – such as Alaska – is a challenge due to the reduction in refrigerant circulation caused by the cold. LG recognizes 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 solutions that can reliably produce top-tier performance in the harshest climatic conditions.
The CAHR aims to foster HVAC innovation through undertaking specialized R&D, providing access to key resources, and creating a culture centered on learning and problem-solving.
