General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has partnered with Geelong-based Conflux Technology on the development of a heat exchanger.
The part is being developed using a metal additive manufacturing process for possible integration onto GA-ASI’s line of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS).
Conflux Technology specializes in thermal and fluid engineering. It is providing design expertise in the optimisation of additive manufacturing heat exchangers to increase the performance of RPA.
“GA-ASI and Conflux are developing novel and state-of-the-art thermal solutions for application to our existing and next generation RPAS,” Linden Blue, GA-ASI CEO, said. “This will allow enhanced endurance and lower manufacturing cost, as well as more flexibility in our product design and integration.”
“Fundamental efficiency gains require heat transfer innovations. In Conflux we have a highly innovative engineering team that blends first principles thermo-fluid dynamics with design creativity and additive manufacturing process expertise,” Michael Fuller, Conflux Technology CEO, said. “Conflux heat exchangers derive their performance from highly complex geometries enabled by additive manufacturing. Our scientists and engineers, alongside their GA-ASI counterparts, will now develop heat exchange applications to improve fundamental efficiencies for GA-ASI’s RPA systems.”
The government recently selected GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian variant to provide the armed RPAS for the ADF under Project Air 7003.