VortexLobe

This project explores an alternative propulsion system based on the open-source "Gentle Propulsion" design by Robert L. Read of Public Invention. Unlike traditional propellers which use flat angled blades to push water, this design uses four curved hemispherical lobes attached to a spherical rotor. When the rotor spins, the lobes interact with the surrounding fluid in a rotational unscrewing motion, generating forward thrust. The goal of this project is to test whether the unscrew propeller design can generate measurable thrust in water, compare its efficiency to a traditional propeller, and explore whether the same design works in air. The propeller was modeled in OpenSCAD, 3D printed in PLA, and powered by a single 6V DC motor. Thrust was measured at multiple voltage levels using a kitchen scale. This design is potentially safer for aquatic life than traditional propellers because the curved lobe geometry reduces the risk of injury to organisms that come into contact with the spin.