LG Uplus will build a system with Korea District Heating Corporation (KDHC) that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) to detect accident risks at district energy facilities in advance.
The two companies signed a business agreement on the 31st at the LG Uplus headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to advance safety management in the district energy sector based on AIoT. The goal is to develop a predictive maintenance system that analyzes in real time the abnormal signs that can occur in high-temperature, underground equipment such as heat transmission pipelines and heat source facilities and enables preemptive responses.
First, they will install subsurface geothermal remote sensing terminals along buried heat transmission pipeline sections to collect changes in tilt and vibration. AI will analyze the data to capture subtle ground changes that are hard to see with the naked eye and identify the possibility of sinkhole formation early.
They will also demonstrate stray current monitoring technology that causes pipe corrosion. The method analyzes electrical signals such as current density and frequency by pipe to identify high-risk sections. They will also consider automating drainage work that diverts leaked current to a safe location.
AI-based security and control technology will be applied to water and power distribution rooms where there is a risk of electric shock or entrapment accidents. They plan to manage access and work histories for key facilities such as entry doors and server racks 24 hours a day.
The two companies jointly developed an IoT temperature sensor in 2020 and completed field demonstrations of a small monitoring device last year. Vice President Kwon Yong-hyeon of LG Uplus said, "We will advance AIoT solutions to enhance the safety of energy infrastructure."