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Dallara and Conflux Launch Liquid Hydrogen Technical Study
This pre-study focuses on the co-development of an advanced liquid hydrogen-to-coolant heat exchanger for a next-generation hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) endurance race car.
www.confluxtechnology.com
Dallara and Conflux Technology have initiated a joint technical pre-study focused on developing an advanced liquid hydrogen-to-coolant heat exchanger for a next-generation hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) endurance race car. The project addresses cryogenic thermal management challenges to support the automotive industry's transition toward sustainable high-performance motorsport platforms.
Context of the Cooperation
Endurance racing environments require powertrains to maintain high reliability and performance under sustained operational stress. Utilizing liquid hydrogen in internal combustion engines introduces significant technical and packaging complexities, particularly regarding the handling and phase transformation of fuels at cryogenic temperatures. Managing these extreme thermal dynamics requires high levels of specialized system engineering and advanced component manufacturing.
To address these operational constraints, a technical collaboration was established between Dallara and Conflux Technology. The project aligns with the Le Mans 24-hour race governing body’s (ACO) hydrogen roadmap towards 2030. The partnership merges Dallara's capabilities in vehicle-level systems integration, chassis development, and digital plant simulation with Conflux’s domain expertise in high-performance, additively manufactured heat exchangers. This combined approach is required to establish a validated technical platform, lowering the barrier of entry for future manufacturers and motorsport teams looking to adopt liquid hydrogen concepts without engineering each subsystem from scratch.
Technical Solution and Responsibilities
The technological solution focuses on a specialized hydrogen evaporator and heat exchanger designed to convert cryogenic liquid hydrogen stored in the vehicle's tank into the gaseous phase required by the fuel injectors. Sizing, fluid dynamics, and spatial layouts of this component are critical, as they directly influence fuel pump selection, system packaging, total mass, and the integration of the hydrogen architecture with existing vehicle cooling loops.
Responsibilities within the pre-study are divided between the partners to align component design with vehicle-level workflows:
- Conflux Technology is responsible for the design and technical execution of the customized thermal components, utilizing additive manufacturing (3D printing) to realize complex internal geometries that mitigate fluid pressure drops and maximize thermal performance.
- Dallara is responsible for evaluating the subsystem impact at the vehicle level, managing overall plant integration, and building a comprehensive digital twin of the storage and delivery loop.
At a system level, the additively manufactured evaporator architecture must optimize heat transfer parameters to prevent the engine coolant from freezing when interacting with the cryogenic fuel, as ice build-up can block channels and degrade system performance. The 3D-printed internal configurations are also engineered to reduce the risk of material hydrogen embrittlement while maintaining a minimized physical envelope to control total weight and maximize fuel storage volume.
Deployment or Implementation
The implementation strategy progresses from computer-aided design and digital simulation to physical hardware validation. In the initial phase, Dallara is utilizing the digital twin model of the overall plant to benchmark performance parameters, validate system architecture, and optimize packaging inside tight chassis constraints.
Subsequent implementation phases will involve transitioning the refined liquid hydrogen heat exchanger concept from virtual models into functional prototype hardware. Dallara and Conflux plan to subject these manufactured components to rig-based testing and simulation loops to verify performance and durability targets. This staged validation process is designed to support the engineering of an endurance prototype vehicle capable of competing in the future hydrogen class in accordance with the ACO’s 2030 operational timeline.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
Deployment or Implementation
The implementation strategy progresses from computer-aided design and digital simulation to physical hardware validation. In the initial phase, Dallara is utilizing the digital twin model of the overall plant to benchmark performance parameters, validate system architecture, and optimize packaging inside tight chassis constraints.
Subsequent implementation phases will involve transitioning the refined liquid hydrogen heat exchanger concept from virtual models into functional prototype hardware. Dallara and Conflux plan to subject these manufactured components to rig-based testing and simulation loops to verify performance and durability targets. This staged validation process is designed to support the engineering of an endurance prototype vehicle capable of competing in the future hydrogen class in accordance with the ACO’s 2030 operational timeline.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
