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AMSL Aero’ s Vertiia aims to be the world’ s most efficient long-range, zero emissions, electrical VTOL aircraft. Image courtesy of AMSL Aero.
Cutting-edge heat exchangers propel hydrogen VTOL’ s forward
A groundbreaking partnership is set to redefine sustainable aviation. Conflux Technology and AMSL Aero are collaborating to develop an advanced hydrogen fuel cell cooling system for Vertiia, a long-range, zeroemission electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing( VTOL) aircraft.
By Iryna Mukha, Heat Exchanger World
Optimizing cooling for hydrogen-powered flight The collaboration focuses on tackling a critical challenge in hydrogen aviation— efficient cooling of fuel cells. In the initial phase, Conflux designed three cutting-edge heat exchanger concepts aimed at reducing weight and volume while managing high thermal loads. These designs are essential for maximizing Vertiia’ s range, enabling it to cover distances of up to 1,000 km on a single charge. As the project moves into its second phase, the companies will refine the cooling system into a fully functional proof-of-concept. This next step will assess the system’ s performance within Vertiia’ s hydrogen powertrain, ensuring it meets the demanding conditions of vertical take-off, landing, and sustained flight operations.
Advancing sustainable aviation Hydrogen fuel cells are a key innovation in the global push for cleaner energy, and Conflux’ s proprietary heat exchange technology is enhancing their viability for aviation. Additive manufacturing techniques allow for lightweight, high-performance heat exchangers that conform to the compact spaces within an aircraft, optimizing both efficiency and aerodynamics.
Close-up of Conflux heat exchanger with micro-structures for efficient heat transfer. Image courtesy of Conflux Technology.
The partnership was announced at the Avalon Air Show, underscoring the strategic importance of Victoria as a hub for aerospace innovation. AMSL Aero, committed to manufacturing in Victoria, sees this collaboration as instrumental in achieving their vision of a long-range, hydrogen-powered passenger VTOL.
Pioneering the future of clean aviation This engagement further expands Conflux’ s presence in aerospace applications, leveraging additive manufacturing to develop high-performance heat exchangers for next-generation aviation. Applications now extend across propulsion system cooling, transmission and gearbox cooling, environmental and avionics cooling, and power electronics cooling. As the demand for sustainable solutions accelerates, additive manufacturing is setting new performance benchmarks, delivering advanced thermal management solutions that conventional methods cannot achieve.
20 Heat Exchanger World June 2025 www. heat-exchanger-world. com