This photo provided by LG Electronics Inc. on Jan. 26, 2021, shows the company’s new Whisen Tower air conditioner.
SEOUL, Oct. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — LG Electronics Inc. announced that it has developed new technology that prevents fires caused by electric arcs and signed an agreement with the Korea Electronics Technology Institute on Wednesday to jointly verify and standardize the technology.
Arcs can be caused by partial severance of an electric cable, a loose electric connection in the power supply, or when the PVC sheath is peeled off while being squeezed under furniture.
When a power cable is connected to an air conditioner and its outdoor unit, knotting up the cable or connecting it to an overcrowded power strip may also cause an arc.
In response, LG has been developing a new technology that, in case of an arc, automatically cuts off the electricity sent from the air conditioner’s indoor unit to the outdoor unit to prevent any chance of fire.
Based on the new agreement, LG and the KETI will closely verify the effectiveness of the new technology and work together on its commercialization and standardization.
A statistical report from the Korea Electrical Safety Corp. and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy showed that more than 80 percent of the fires caused by electricity-related factors involved arcs last year.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
