Conflux Joins Honeywell-Led TheMa4HERA Consortium for Thermal Management System Advancement

Conflux Technology has joined the Honeywell-led TheMa4HERA consortium (Thermal Management for Hybrid Electric Regional Aircraft).

TheMa4HERA is a Clean Aviation project that aims to develop advanced thermal management systems and architectures for next-generation hybrid-electric regional aircraft. The effort also plans to scale activities for short-medium range aircraft.

The consortium, made up of 28 partners across 10 European countries, is coordinated from Honeywell’s international development center in Brno, Czech Republic.

Conflux will help to develop lightweight additive-manufactured heat exchangers for next-generation aircraft. This includes contributions to multiple projects focused on both Air Cycle Systems (ACS) and Vapour Cycle Systems (VCS), such as an air-to-air heat exchanger for ACS and air-to-liquid heat exchangers for VCS evaporator and condenser.

“Joining TheMa4HERA aligns with Conflux Technology’s commitment to delivering high-performance thermal solutions that enable energy-efficient, low-emission aviation,” said Michael Fuller, CEO of Conflux Technology.

Fuller continued, “Our additive manufacturing capabilities will help the consortium push the boundaries of thermal management design to meet the demands of hybrid-electric propulsion systems.”

The TheMa4HERA project aims to uncover solutions for thermal management in hybrid-electric aircraft, driven by the more frequent integration of heat-generating components such as batteries, fuel cells and power electronics.

The initiative will explore and validate advanced thermal architectures and systems to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency and meet sustainability regulations. The program aims to advance heat exchanger technologies up to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 through system testing and component-level development.

“Conflux brings valuable technological capabilities to TheMa4HERA’s collaborative effort to develop the next generation of thermal management solutions,” said Jan Ludvik, senior director of Advanced Technology Europe, Honeywell Aerospace.

Ludvik added, “Each partner’s expertise strengthens our mission to deliver sustainable solutions that transform aviation.”

By 2026, the TheMa4HERA project will use ground testing, virtual demos and digital twins to advance heat exchanger technologies to TRL 5. Clean Aviation Phase 2 will focus on flight testing and integration of the most promising solutions, and this phase is set to begin in 2027.

TheMa4HERA aims to deliver scalable thermal technologies for hybrid-electric aircraft, supporting climate-neutral aviation by 2035.