LG Electronics develops high efficient air conditioner fan

"Can the air conditioner outdoor fan be more efficient, by reducing noise and power consumption?"

A joint team led by researchers at LG Electronics and Seoul National University Mechanical Engineering and Astronautics Department for the first time solved this question, which had long been the homework of air conditioner researchers and developers. The secret to this was humpback whale and great scallop. The outdoor fans that mimic the biological features of the two animals were applied for the first time on the systems air conditioner called Multi V Super5 that went on sale this month.

Multi V Super5's outdoor fan has a small bump on the rear side of the fan and a vertical furrow on its surface. This is aimed at making air flow smoothly like water when the fan turns around.

The idea of a small bump came from the humpback whale. Weighing 30 tons, the whale can hunt for prey with quick gesture thanks to the bumps on the pectoral. This is due to the bump that helps water flow smoothly in the way the pectoral fin moves. The vertical furrow was also made to resemble the surface of the great scallop that makes water flow in the way it wants.

"The outdoor fan reduced noise by 2 decibels and power consumption by more than 10 percent compared to existing products thanks to the outdoor fan that resembles the humpback whale and the great scallop," said Lee Jae-seong, managing director at LG Electronics' air solution business division.

서동일기자 dong@donga.com