Propeller Hub Extender and Mixed-Shape Blades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing propeller systems for marine vehicles lack the ability to adjust the length of the outer hub and utilize mixed-shape propeller blade sets, limiting performance customization and efficiency, particularly in balancing acceleration and top speed.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable length propeller outer hub with an extender ring and mixed-shape propeller blade sets, where the blades have distinct geometries to optimize performance across the operating range, allowing for customizable performance enhancements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the outer hub length is fixed and propeller blades are identically shaped, then the propeller structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the performance cannot be customized or optimized for different operating conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller hub is divided into an inner hub and an outer hub that can be selectively assembled. The outer hub can be replaced with different length extenders to change exhaust gas interaction with the blades, allowing performance customization without redesigning the entire propeller.
Solution Approach 2:
The propeller system is designed to accommodate multiple blade sets with distinct geometries on a single hub assembly. This allows the same hub to support different blade configurations for optimizing acceleration, top speed, or mid-range performance based on operating conditions.
2Power
If exhaust gases are introduced to interact with blade surfaces to reduce resistance, then propeller rotation is facilitated at low speeds, but excessive gas bubbles cause blades to break loose and acceleration suffers
Solution Approach 1:
The length of the outer hub is varied to control the amount and timing of exhaust gas interaction with the blade surfaces. By adjusting the outer hub length parameter, the system optimizes the balance between gas-assisted rotation at low speeds and maintaining sufficient water contact for blade stability.
3Speed
If propeller blades are designed for high acceleration, then acceleration performance is improved, but top speed and mid-range acceleration suffer
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller system allows dynamic selection of blade sets based on operating conditions. Different blade geometries can be installed on the same hub to optimize for specific performance requirements - acceleration-focused blades, top-speed-focused blades, or mid-range optimized blades.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The adjustable hub and mixed-shape blade sets provide adaptable performance characteristics, enhancing acceleration and top speed by optimizing exhaust gas interaction with the propeller blades, reducing the need for propeller replacement and offering a cost-effective modification option.
Implementation Method 1
Gas is much easier to displace than water. It follows then that when the blades contact gas bubbles or a gas stream the resistance to rotation is reduced
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a propeller and an apparatus to modify a propeller that provide new propeller performance characteristics. In a preferred embodiment, the propeller includes two blade sets wherein the blades in the sets of distinct geometries from the blades in the corresponding set(s). In another preferred embodiment, a propeller hub ring extender is selectively secured to at least one propeller hub.