Finding the Root of Electric Fire: HAECHIE

이곤재leegonjae

Did you know electricity can cause fire? Recently, there have been numerous disastrous electric fire events: fires at a battery factory in Hwaseong, at a hotel in Bucheon, at a data center operated by SK C&C in Pangyo, and on an electric car in Cheongra. These fires heightened the public’s awareness of electric fire.

Electric fires are very difficult to extinguish, as pouring water cannot be an option unless you cut off the electricity. According to Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), approximately 23% (8,871 cases) of all fires (38,857 cases) in 2023 were electric fires, which highlights the urgent need for countermeasures.

It would be highly helpful to identify the early signs of electric fires and suppress them before they start burning? HL Mando devised a solution that just does that: “HAECHIE,” the CES2025 Innovation Award-winning arc-detecting sensor. We met with Lee Gonjae, a senior research engineer at HL Mando and the creator of Haechie, and asked everything from how the development of the arc-detecting sensor began to what plans he has in mind.

Looking for a Breakthrough against Chasm in Electric Cars

The idea of Haechie began in a cafe. Lee was talking with a friend in a cafe about the chasm* in electric cars, and he pondered how he could manage the fire issue in electric cars, which is the largest cause behind the chasm.

*Chasm: a phenomenon where the market demand for a product adopting cutting-edge technologies remains stagnant during the early phase in which only a few tech-savvy pioneers favor the product while the majority is unaware of or even avoids the product.

“I researched sensors used in semiconductors in graduate school, and the friend works on fire detectors. We were sharing ideas on how to counter the chasm based on what we know best, and I thought it would be good to have a sensor that detects arcs, which cause electric fires,” said Lee.

Elaborating on the idea, Lee began developing an arc-detecting sensor with the goal of presenting the sensor at the HL Future Day event. As well as developing the sensor, Lee also built a device that generates arcs to facilitate the development of Haechie. His effort was rewarded with the Best Award at the HL Future Day Event in 2023.

“I made a presentation on the “ARC detection Sensor” at the Future Day event. That was the first time I publicly talked about the idea in front of people, so I was pretty nervous. But I still can vividly see the amazement on everyone’s face when they saw my sensor. People encouraged me to keep it up and consider making my idea an official project, and that was enough to compensate for all the struggles I’d been through developing the sensor,” Lee recalled.

The 21st Century Haechie Feeds on Electric Fires

And then Hachie was finally born. The name Haechie comes from “Haetae (or Haechie),” a mythical creature in Korean folklore that protects people from fire and disasters. By identifying the cause of electric fires, the sensor aims to stop electric fires at the source, preventing fires and disasters.

“The sensor was named by Mr. Bae Hongyong, the CTO and vice president of the company. There were other candidates for its name like “Makkie,” meaning “preventing fire,” but none felt quite right. Then the vice president messaged me and suggested the name “Haechie.” The creature prevents fire, so I was like, “This is it,” and decided it to be the name for the sensor. I’d like to thank the vice president for that again.

The most prominent characteristic of Haechie is that it does not detect fire but the cause of electric fires. Conventional fire detectors send alerts only when they detect heat or smoke from fire. Haechie, in contrast, identifies the early signs of fire and alerts the personnel to inspect suspicious sites before the fire starts, protecting properties and lives from electric fires more effectively.

How can Haechie find the early signs of electric fire? The answer lies in arcs. An arc refers to a phenomenon where electricity discharges through the air while flowing between metals. Haechie detects the distinctive ultraviolet rays that arcs emit. Upon detecting arcs, the sensor alerts on-site personnel and managers to inspect the area and cut off the power before a fire starts. There are also plans to develop a system that enables Haechie to automatically cut off the power when it detects arcs and determines it as a high fire risk.

Lee prioritized minimizing false alarms when developing Haechie. He was determined to have Haechie only detect arcs and precisely identify fire risks.

“What comes to your mind when someone mentions fire detectors? You can picture people not caring about the alerts from the fire detectors as they give out so many false alarms. That’s why I was so focused on enhancing its performance to minimize false alarms when developing Haechie. By studying the arcs and examining the waves from the arcs, I aimed to develop a highly sensitive technology that isolates certain ultraviolet rays.

Haechie can be equipped to all electric devices and facilities where electric fires can occur, such as electric vehicle chargers, automotive electrical systems, distribution panels, and energy storage systems (ESSs). Its compact size makes it easy to install, and it can monitor a wide area, which is another advantage. Haechie is already in use at four partner companies and at four locations, including HL Mando’s R&D Center in Pangyo and sites in Pyeongtaek, Wonju, and Iksan.

For a Safe World without Electric Fires

Haechie has won the Innovation Award in the “Human Security for All” category at CES2025, and it is promoting its excellence in HL’s booth at the convention.

“Upon hearing the news that Haechie won the Innovation Award at CES, I clenched my fist and silently shouted, ‘we did it!’ My heart was racing, and the fact that our idea of preventing electric fire was recognized globally made me proud. I once again would like to thank the vice president Bae Hongyong and the executive director Choi Hangyu, as well as the marketing team, research strategy team, material research lab, and other people who supported us from submitting Haechie to CES to winning the Innovation Award.

The Haechie project is just getting started. HL Mando plans to begin a full-scale project to commercialize Haechie starting this year. Because Haechie brings an entirely new concept to the market, Lee says that there are tons of work to do, expecting this year to be a very busy year for him.

“We don’t have any reference that we can benchmark to improve Haechie. We are completely on our own. From collaborating with in-company and external organizations to product marketing and development, we have a lot to do (laughter). Once out in the market, Haechie will be a paradigm-changer. Because it sends alerts before a fire even starts, it can reduce the number of fires and damage to properties. Because Haechie can prevent fires in electric cars and electric devices, we expect that it can help overcome the chasm phase in electric cars.

Having developed Haechie, Lee now aims to further contribute to the safety of all humans. With Haechie, he wants to present a new paradigm for fire prevention in a world where electrification is the new standard, making the world a safer place to live in.

“If someone asks what future I expect Haechie would bring, I can tell them what I concluded my presentation at the Future Day event: The HL (Higher Life) we dream of begins with safety, and Haechie can bring a future where fire does not threaten our safety.”

HL Mando looks forward to the future without electric fires that Haechie will create.