Leonardo da Vinci’s sketch of the aerial screw
Gianni Dagli Orti/Shutterstock
A recent study suggests that a flying machine conceptualized by the legendary Leonardo da Vinci may have been not only functional but also quieter than modern drone designs.
Rajat Mittal from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and his team have conducted research indicating that da Vinci’s “aerial screw,” conceived in 1480 during his time as a military engineer, could potentially require less power to generate lift compared to conventional drone rotors.
While da Vinci originally envisioned the aerial screw to be powered by humans, making it impractical due to weight issues, the use of lightweight electric motors to spin the rotor could have made it a viable flying machine.
Mittal and his colleagues developed a simulation of the aerial screw and tested it in a virtual wind tunnel to assess its performance while hovering at varying rotational speeds. Their findings revealed that the aerial screw could achieve the same lift with slower rotation, resulting in lower power consumption.
Moreover, by analyzing the pressure and airflow patterns around the virtual screw, the researchers determined that it produced less noise compared to conventional drone rotor designs.
Mittal expressed surprise at the results, stating, “We were surprised. We went in thinking that because the shape of this spiral screw is just completely, in some sense, ad hoc, it was intuitive that the aerodynamic performance would be so bad that we would not be able to get any improvements over conventional blades.”
The team now aims to enhance da Vinci’s design further to improve its efficiency while maintaining its noise-reducing capabilities.
With the increasing use of drones in urban areas for various purposes such as deliveries and emergency services, mitigating noise pollution has become a significant concern. Researchers are exploring new rotor designs that can reduce noise levels while providing the necessary lift.
According to Sheryl Grace from Boston University, achieving the same thrust at lower speeds, as demonstrated by the da Vinci rotor, can lead to reduced noise emissions. She emphasized the need to test the design in real-world flying scenarios and consider the impact of additional rotor weight on performance.
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