Strange Propeller

Does anybody know anything about the prop shown below?

Any technical papers available on its hydrodynamics?

My thoughts are it could be very efficient in certain specialized applications but this is pure speculation right now.

 

It is very unusual. Is it for stirring ingredients?

 

Yes Hoyt that is my first thought- a food blender.

 

Looks like a standard paint mixer.

 

A design like that is not efficient at all, at least not for generating thrust. I doubt it is a propeller, but rather as speculated a mixing blade of some sort. Either that, or some inventor's idea that knows nothing about efficient prop design.

It has a square leading and trailing edges, low aspect ratio blade, there would be pressure loss over the surface of the blade where it would bleed through the large "hole" or hoop on each blade. I can not see how it can generate efficient thrust at any speed.

Where did you find it.

 

it is definately an industrial mixer paddle, did you think it was off a boat.

 

This is an industrial mixer paddle for liquids, probably corrosive ones. A closed design would cause violent movement at the surface of the mixing tank; the large holes between hub and blades allow the liquid to circulate and confine the mixing process.

I briefly worked in a company where they made such products from stainless steel, brass and pure gold, depending on the liquids involved.

 

There has apparently been some literature publisehd about it for marine use in Russian literature and am trying to find out more...

Seems like nobody in West has heard about it.

 

mixing marine paint would be about it .

 

Some submarines early last century used similar props for low noise and reduced wake but not for efficiency.

 

Its not a prop --come on,-- look at the thickness of the blade, it goes against all prop basics.

It looks to me like a prize for something.

Maybe the Annual Bull ******** conference

 

Really objective answer Frosty - thanks for that "useful" contribution!

The real answer is it is a water turbine development.... See picture below.

 

Why not stay with a simple Archimedes screw?

 

still looks like a mixer to me.

 

Me too.