Patent pending · PCT
The Toroidal Propeller
A novel low-noise drone propeller geometry. By looping the blades into a toroid and applying a custom blade treatment (LBSHO), it cuts perceived noise by up to 40.7% while gaining about 10% in efficiency.
How it works
From a loud problem to a quiet machine.
The problem
Small drones are loud, and the noise is dominated by the propellers. As drones move into delivery, inspection, and neighborhoods, that high-pitched whine becomes the thing people notice — and reject.
The insight
Looping each blade back on itself into a closed toroid reshapes the tip vortices that cause most of the noise. Pair that with a custom blade-surface treatment (LBSHO) and the acoustic signature drops sharply without sacrificing thrust.
The work
Designed in SolidWorks, simulated in Ansys Fluent (CFD), then prototyped and acoustically tested at the Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center — iterating geometry against measured efficiency and sound pressure until both moved the right way.
The result
Up to 40.7% noise reduction and roughly 10% higher efficiency versus a conventional propeller. Patent pending (PCT); paper in review for the Journal of Aircraft (2026).
Recognition
What the work earned.
- ✦3rd Place, Engineering — Regeneron ISEF 2025 ($1,200)
- ✦Midjourney Special Award of Excellence — ISEF 2025 ($5,000)
- ✦1st Place — D.C. Junior Science & Humanities Symposium ($2,000)
- ✦Top 300 Scholar — Regeneron Science Talent Search ($2,000)
- ✦MIT THINK Semifinalist · AIAA Nation's Capital 1st Place
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