R&D Interview : Compressor Development and Future Opportunities, Through the Eyes of LG Researcher

I have worked for LG Compressor R&D for over 20 years. The product development project I participated in was involved in the development of most of the rotary products that are currently being mass-produced. I can't list them all, but two memorable ones come to mind. The first one is a single compressor that can replace a modulation system with two compressors that existed in the Korean domestic market, and the second one is the window-type compressor mainly used in North America. I remember that both encounters were not easy as both were developments that had to increase their performances and efficiencies to their maximum capacity.

Another special memory that I can remember clear as day was the development of an air conditioner compressor for a camping vehicle and not for general residential use. Because of its different standards and different environmental use, it required a different evaluation and verification than the previous models. Despite these different challenges, we have successfully applied different systems even in different circumstances. In a recent case, the development of the R290 compressor, in response to the low GWP, has caused major issues. Therefore, the existing R290 lineups are being further reinforced to meet the market demands.

I strongly agree with Europe's Low GWP policy to save the environment. In light of this new policy and the future, LG has prepared new compressors, the R32, for air conditioning, and the R290 for air conditioning, dryer, and water heater. At the current state, we are progressing and preparing more products with better specifications that will suit the future environment better and at the same time raise customer satisfaction.

The R290 dryer application project was carried out at the request of a customer who has no experience in developing heat pump dryers. Our R&D department designed the structure and optimized the performance for the customer's products, and our SE team cross-checked with the customer from reliability verification to performance evaluation. The most memorable experience that I encountered was the successful project through the heat exchanger path and the cycle design proposal. Throughout the project, we shared multiple encounters and built mutual trust through video conferencing and business trips as we communicate with our customers. It wasn’t just the fact that we communicated and built trust with one another that made this experience so memorable. I think a big factor was the process of it all. We were able to successfully develop the products due to the numerous tests that we conducted as we kept in touch, and thus created an environment that led to our success.

Although regional characteristics and influence will be strong, it will eventually shift to Inv and Low GWP markets. In Europe, the direction that they are heading towards seems to raise the GWP regulations continuously. The path toward mass-producing the R290 will be a burden for manufacturers in terms of production, but since it is a major trend that cannot be escaped, I think it is important for us all to quickly switch to the demands of the current market.