An impeller is a device which moves air[*] from it's inner region to it's outer region, using some combination of aerodynamic lift and (lack of) centripetal force.

Usually, the aerodynamic lift comes from airfoils, sometimes referred to as blades.

This idea is to replace those airfoils with magnus-effect producing spinning cylinders, better known as Flettner rotors.

Just as a normal impeller's blades are arranged parallel to one another around the impeller's axis of rotation, so too would these Flettner rotors.

To spin each rotor around it's own individual axis, we add to the impeller a couple of epicycle (planetary) gear sets.

Each end of each Flettner rotor is attached to one of the planet gears.

One sun gear is omitted, so air can flow into the space between the Flettner rotors and the other sun gear is spun by a motor.

A second motor spins both ring gears.

For SCIENCE, both motors are variable speed, in order to figure out the most powerful and the most energy efficient speed combinations for air movement.

Is this more efficient than a normal impeller? I have no idea!

Is this quieter than a normal impeller? I have no idea!

The summary is a reference to the so-called bladeless fans sold by Dyson, which uses a bladed impeller instead of a bladed fan.

The [*] is because impellers can move liquids, too, in which case it's blades are called hydrofoils, and the lift is hydrodynamic, not aerodynamic.

Would a Flettner Rotor water impeller be more resistant to cavitation than a normal one? I have no idea!
-- goldbb, Apr 14 2023

Safe fan
[xaviergisz, Apr 16 2023]

{faint sounds of going to look things up}
-- pertinax, Apr 15 2023


Don’t suppose you could post a sketch maybe?
-- doctorremulac3, Apr 15 2023


Are the rotors arranged radially? I don't understand why //One sun gear is omitted//
-- pocmloc, Apr 15 2023


don't flettner rotors require airflow to generate perpendicular force? what is generating that? might need a picture.
-- mylodon, Apr 16 2023



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