Patent — available for licensing
A New Twist Makes Rotating Machinery More Efficient and Quieter
A NASA invention available to explore as a licensing opportunity.
About this technology
Overview
Innovators at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center have designed a new shape for propeller blades that dramatically increases their efficiency while reducing noise. Based on improvements achieved via a new wing design known as PRANDTL-D, this innovative propeller design uses an alternative spanload to reduce the tip load as well as the torque at the tip of the blade. These changes dramatically reduce the power needed for rotation while maintaining other blade design parameters (e.g., thrust, diameter, rpm). With a more than 15 percent improvement in propulsive efficiency and significantly reducing noise, the technology promises to reduce power consumption for propeller aircraft. These benefits are also relevant for a wide range of rotating machinery.