Conflux Technology has partnered with motorsport manufacturer Dallara to develop an advanced liquid hydrogen-to-coolant heat exchanger for a next generation hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) endurance race car.
A pre-study programme is underway, with the two companies looking to enable liquid hydrogen-powered endurance racing by addressing challenges around thermal management at cryogenic temperatures. Dallara and Conflux are using additive manufacturing to realise complex internal geometries, minimise hydrogen embrittlement risks and adapt the component to extremely tight spaces while controlling weight, thermal performance, and pressure drop
The work forms part of the research activities aligned with the Le Mans 24-hour race governing body’s hydrogen roadmap towards 2030 and positions Dallara in supporting manufacturers and top-level teams exploring hydrogen-fuelled endurance programs, while leveraging Conflux’s expertise in high-performance, additively manufactured heat exchangers.
Dallara is conducting a pre-study into the key subsystems of a liquid hydrogen storage and delivery system, evaluating impact at vehicle level and building a digital twin of the overall plant. These activities will provide the tools required to develop an endurance prototype vehicle capable of competing in the hydrogen class, giving future manufacturers and team partners a validated technical platform for hydrogen propulsion.
The joint development centres on a hydrogen evaporator/heat exchanger that converts cryogenic liquid hydrogen in the tank into the gaseous phase required at the injectors. Its sizing and layout strongly influence pump selection, system packaging, total mass and how the hydrogen system ties into existing cooling loops, making it one of the fundamental building blocks of a liquid hydrogen propulsion architecture.
Key technical challenges include preventing coolant from freezing at cryogenic temperatures, where even small ice build-ups can block channels and degrade performance, while still fitting the system into a very tight packaging volume to maximise hydrogen storage. By addressing these integration and safety challenges up front, Dallara aims to lower the barrier of entry for manufacturers and teams that want to adopt liquid hydrogen ICE concepts without building every subsystem from scratch, with technical contribution from Conflux.
Conflux’s ability to deliver highly customised, production-ready thermal components gives Dallara confidence that the hydrogen evaporator can be tailored precisely to the performance, packaging and durability targets of future hydrogen projects.
“Dallara is always looking at cutting-edge technologies and is committed to supporting endurance racing,” said Ing. Massimo Stellato, Head of Vehicle Systems Engineering at Dallara. “This pre-study is our first step in understanding how liquid hydrogen propulsion can be applied to endurance racing, and working with Conflux allows us to explore a safe, efficient, and tightly packaged hydrogen evaporator concept that future manufacturer or team customers can build on.”
“Hydrogen is one of the most exciting frontiers in sustainable motorsport, but it also pushes thermal management and packaging to extremes,” said Michael Fuller, Founder and Executive Chairman at Conflux Technology. “Supporting Dallara’s hydrogen roadmap with our advanced heat exchanger technology is a natural fit, and together we aim to show how liquid hydrogen ICE concepts can be both competitive and viable for future endurance racing.”
Dallara and Conflux will continue to refine the liquid hydrogen heat exchanger concept through simulation and hardware testing, with the ambition of demonstrating a competitive hydrogen-fuelled prototype in line with the ACO’s roadmap towards 2030.
