LG Electronics has launched its Air-Cooled Centrifugal Chiller (ACC) for AI data centers, with capacities ranging from 480 to 600 refrigeration tons per unit. The chiller is designed to improve energy performance and maintain cooling continuity for facilities with varying cooling requirements.
The ACC uses an oil-free magnetic bearing centrifugal compressor that suspends the rotating shaft with magnetic force, eliminating the need for lubricating oil. It also features refrigerant free-cooling technology that circulates refrigerant directly without an intermediate heat exchanger or glycol. According to LG’s internal simulation, the technology can consume approximately 30% less energy annually than waterside free-cooling. LG’s series counter flow technology distributes cooling loads among compressors.
The magnetic bearing system includes a gap sensor for detecting the rotation axis, while machine learning capabilities adapt to operating patterns to help reduce surges. During a power outage, an integrated uninterruptible power supply provides emergency power for a safe shaft stop. After power is restored, the chiller can restore cooling capacity within 3 minutes.
LG’s Data Center Cooling Management software provides integrated monitoring and data-driven control of cooling infrastructure, including CDUs, Computer Room Air Handlers and air-cooled centrifugal chillers. It supports early anomaly detection, virtual sensor-based diagnostics, predictive maintenance and real-time optimization based on IT workloads.
LG develops and manufactures key components including compressors, motors, inverters and magnetic bearings in-house. Its chillers and testing facilities are certified according to Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute standards, while its air-cooled chillers have received the AHRI Performance Award for nine consecutive years. The chillers also meet specified ASME, ETL and CE requirements.
LG will also showcase its modular hydronic cooling solution at Data Centre World Asia 2026 in Singapore on September 29–30. The solution integrates chilled-water pumps and a Thermal Energy Storage buffer tank into a standardized module and uses factory prefabrication and assembly to simplify on-site installation.
“As AI data centers become increasingly dense and heat-intensive, energy-efficient, reliable cooling is more critical than ever,” said James Lee, president of the LG ES Company. “With our Core Tech and data center cooling expertise, we will continue to expand our portfolio of solutions to meet these evolving requirements.”
