Massachusetts Institute of Technology

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Thomas Sebastian

Trina Rae Vian

Joseph John Lacirignola

David Christopher Maurer

Joseph Renard Morency

Mark Bury

Timothy Stephens

Jay D Eversole

Ryan Fontaine

Carlos Andres Aguilar

Christopher Strem

Jesse Allen Linnell

Anlong Dai

Peter Sharpe

Keegan Quigley

Joseph Belarge

Processes for optimizing the geometry of a blade for use in a propeller are disclosed. In one exemplary process, an optimization routine that generates new blade geometries based on structural parameters and calculates performance parameters of each blade geometry, including aerodynamic performance parameters, farfield acoustic parameters, and/or electrical power requirements to operate a propeller having the blade geometry, is performed. The optimization routine receives design parameters and weightings from a user and can use one or more surrogate algorithms to map a design space of the weighted values of the design parameters to find their local minima. The optimization routine then determines an optimized blade geometry using a gradient-based algorithm to generate new blade geometries to explore the minima until the weighted values of the design parameters converge at an optimized blade geometry representing the global minima of the design space.

Propeller design systems and methods

The propeller includes a hub supporting a plurality of elongate propeller elements in which a tip of a leading propeller element curves into contact with a trailing propeller element to form a closed structure with increased stiffness and reduced acoustic signature.

Toroidal propeller

A discrete bypass particle concentrator can significantly reduce surface fouling and manufacturing cost by including bypass stages after each of concentration stages.

Discrete bypass particle concentrator

A feed aerosol comprising detectable particles is injected into a mix-enhancing swirler. Diluting gas is also injected into the mix-enhancing swirler and mixed with the feed aerosol in a swirling motion to form an aerosol with a particle concentration no greater than 1,000 particles per liter. The aerosol is then injected into a mixing chamber, where the aerosol is mixed and dried; the inner diameter of the mixing chamber is at least twice as great as that of the swirl chamber. The aerosol is then emitted through a flow straightener that removes swirl from the flow of the aerosol and passed through a delivery conduit, where the particles are detected and counted; and the particle count is compared with a target count. The respective flows of feed aerosol and diluting gas can then be increased or decreased based on a comparison of the particle count with the target count.

Aerosol generation for stable, low-concentration delivery

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Maynard, MA, United States of America

Thomas Sebastian