An invisible thread connects the Renaissance to the contemporary world. Leonardo da Vinci's aerial propeller, a work of engineering art, returns to the present to breathe new life into drone flight. In this era of incessant progress, where sound traffic clogs even the skies, the ancient invention of the Tuscan genius brings back a sense of wonder and tranquility. It is as if Leonardo had foreseen the future need for a quieter sky. This time we don't invent anything (as in the "what if" in which Da Vinci he invented the radio). It's real news.
Ancient propeller, modern idea
In the modern urban fabric, as mentioned, the sound of drones is becoming a constant, an almost uninterrupted background. However, this progress will bring with it more and more noise pollution. USA, Canada and United Kingdom are the countries most affected by the phenomenon.
The search for a solution takes us back five centuries. It takes us back to the brilliant mind of Leonardo da Vinci. His aeroprop, a precursor to the modern helicopter, inspired a group of researchers at the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, led by Rajat Mittal, professor of mechanical engineering.
A genius has no age
Da Vinci's aerial propeller, with its screw shape and single blade, could, according to the researchers, offer a solution to the noise problem. Using a 3D model based on design analysis by aerospace engineering students at the University of Maryland, the team simulated the airflow around the rotor, using software called ViCar3D.
The results? They were amazing. Although at a given rotation speed Leonardo's air propeller was slightly noisier than a traditional one, it also produced more lift (the upward force that counteracts gravity). When the researchers compared the noise emitted by the two propellers with the same lift, the Leonardo propeller was much quieter.
This represents a significant step forward in the effort to reduce noise pollution from drones, especially considering their growing use in areas such as package delivery, photography and emergency responses.
Ideas that fly high
The research doesn't stop here. The team plans to conduct further simulations to model propeller noise levels when the drones are larger and operating at higher speeds. Although the aerodynamic efficiency of Leonardo's aerial propeller may be lower than a traditional propeller, its shape could be useful in applications where noise reduction is more important than aerodynamic efficiency.
La presentation of this work at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics in Washington, DC, and funding from the U.S. Army Research Office highlight the importance of this research.
In conclusion, Leonardo da Vinci's invention, conceived in a distant era, finds a new life in an era of advanced technology, demonstrating how ideas from the past can still shine with relevance and inspire solutions that fly towards the future.
