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Currently, most vehicles – whether air or marine – that use propellers have multirotor propellers as a consensus. That could change very soon with this innovation of the MIT's Lincoln Laboratory and the US company Sharrow Marine that promises to turn propellers into silent and even more powerful machines. 335m6g
The skills of toroidal propellers in drones 5x623a
You've certainly been through the situation of being in a comfortable open space enjoying alone or with friends, and suddenly a very peculiar and annoying high-pitched buzzing took away your peace of mind and worried you about what was approaching, right?!
As you looked up, you realized that it wasn't a plane or a UFO, but just a small but quite noisy drone.
This peculiar noise caused by drones has become increasingly common in literally all environments, from beaches to parks and as the popularity of these items is on the rise and their utilities are increasingly comprehensive, it will be more and more common for these noises to increase in large cities, generating more nuisance and discomfort. With that in mind, the staff of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the company Sharrow Marine will develop a very ingenious solution to this and other problems such as the enormous noise that boat engines make.
As toroidal propellers, as they were baptized by the Institute, have a very peculiar format where the two blades are interconnected forming an open vortex between them, which works in an ingenious way, practically canceling the noise generated by the operation of the equipment. They not only work in the logic of drones, where the propellers are relatively small, but have also been shown to be effective in boats, not only to reduce noise and vibrations, but to generate greater effectiveness in the operation of the engine itself.
Toroidal propellers on boats 4t5u2a
In the case of operation on boats, these propellers resume important advances in the area that ended up stopping in 1890 and are even more effective and powerful than in drones.
"There were some designs that were basically these ring wings. So I imagined what it would be like if you took a circular wing and turned something like that into a propeller."
doctor Thomas Sebastian, a senior member of the lab's Thermal and Structural Fluids Engineering Group
When it comes to hydrodynamics, they not only reduce noise, but also have several other benefits that make toroidal propellers one of the greatest innovations of modernity for the areas - considering that in the last 100 years there were few or no advances -, such as increasing 50% more reverse thrust, 30% more range, less vibration and doubled speed in mid-range RPMs.
This is only possible because these propellers eliminate the cavities on the ends that are the hallmarks of normal propellers, and the effect is already demonstrable by the company on video.
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Benefits to society 714737
One of the major concerns of regulatory agencies responsible for regulating drones it's exactly the noise and generalized disturbance that these machines can cause in big cities if they are actually used for their full uses – which, as we know, are not few.
Drones promise to revolutionize the way we treat air deliveries, industrial surveillance and inspections and even public safety.
The expectation is that although they are still in the experimental phase, with the clear and conclusive advantages that these propellers have shown, it is a matter of time before they are dispatched to mass production and can actually contribute to the lives of ordinary citizens like me and you.
"The main thing we thought about making the propellers quieter was the fact that you are now spreading the vortices that are being generated by the propeller across the entire shape of the propeller instead of just the tip. Which makes it effectively dissipate faster in the atmosphere. This vortex doesn't propagate that far, so you're less likely to hear it. "-
Thomas Sebastian.
It is not a dream or futuristic idea for drones to be used for deliveries. Amazon, for example, has been planning this idea since 2013, and in 2022 the Ifood received permission from the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) to deliver via drone.
With a future distribution and popularization of these new propellers, one of the main problems pondered by the agencies is solved, and the drones will be able to have their utilities more explored, and we will be able to have our deliveries made in less than one working day.
SOURCE: designboom
Is there a possibility to purchase this propeller for a boat?
Usually there are also negatives to an innovation. Are there any? Apart from the higher cost.