Dallara and Conflux advance thermal management for hydrogen-powered racing
Dallara, based in Parma, Italy, and Conflux Technology, headquartered in Geelong, Australia, are collaborating on a technical project aimed at advancing liquid hydrogen-powered endurance racing by addressing one of the key challenges of hydrogen propulsion: thermal management at cryogenic temperatures.
The 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. The project forms part of the research supporting the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s (ACO) hydrogen roadmap towards 2030. It also positions Dallara to support manufacturers and racing teams exploring hydrogen-fuelled endurance programmes, drawing on Conflux Technology’s experience in high-performance Additive Manufacturing heat exchangers.
As part of the study, Dallara is evaluating the key subsystems of a liquid hydrogen storage and delivery system, assessing their impact at the vehicle level and developing a digital twin of the complete system. These activities are intended to provide the tools needed to develop an endurance prototype capable of competing in the planned hydrogen class, offering manufacturers and racing teams a validated platform for liquid hydrogen propulsion.
At the centre of the collaboration is the development of a hydrogen evaporator/heat exchanger that converts cryogenic liquid hydrogen stored in the fuel tank into the gaseous hydrogen required by the engine’s injectors. The design and sizing of this component influence pump selection, system packaging, overall vehicle mass and integration with existing cooling circuits, making it a critical element of a liquid hydrogen propulsion system.
Among the principal engineering challenges is preventing coolant from freezing at cryogenic temperatures, where even minor ice formation can restrict flow and reduce performance. The component must also fit within an extremely limited installation space to maximise hydrogen storage capacity.
To address these challenges, Dallara and Conflux are using Additive Manufacturing to produce complex internal geometries that optimise thermal performance while reducing weight and pressure losses. The design also aims to minimise the risk of hydrogen embrittlement and enable installation within tightly constrained vehicle architectures.
By addressing these integration and safety challenges at an early stage, Dallara aims to reduce development effort for manufacturers and race teams seeking to adopt liquid hydrogen ICE technology, while incorporating Conflux’s expertise in advanced thermal management.
Conflux states that its ability to produce highly customised, production-ready thermal management components gives Dallara confidence that the hydrogen evaporator can be tailored to the performance, packaging and durability requirements of future hydrogen-powered race programmes.
“Dallara is always looking at cutting-edge technologies and is committed to supporting endurance racing,” stated 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 compact hydrogen evaporator concept that future manufacturers and race teams can build upon.”
Michael Fuller, founder and Executive Chairman of Conflux Technology, added, “Hydrogen is one of the most exciting frontiers in sustainable motorsport, but it also pushes thermal management and packaging to their limits. Supporting Dallara’s hydrogen roadmap with our advanced heat exchanger technology is a natural fit, and together we aim to demonstrate how liquid hydrogen ICE concepts can become both competitive and viable for future endurance racing.”
Dallara and Conflux plan to continue refining the liquid hydrogen heat exchanger through simulation and hardware testing, aiming to demonstrate a competitive hydrogen-fuelled endurance prototype in line with the ACO’s roadmap towards 2030.
