As situations in Ukraine, the Red Sea, Gaza and Taiwan continue to evolve, American military leadership seems to agree that there is a need for innovation. This is especially true for open waters around the world, which has led to companies emerging with new technology.
“We cannot continue to do the same approach that we’ve had for the past 20 years, particularly in a fight against a more advanced threat, or a threat that actually has evolved to using very inexpensive capability,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Q.B. Brown Jr. said to members of the special forces community. “We [have] to be able to innovate and get capable into the hands of the warfighters much faster than we do today.”
At Sea, Air, Space 2024, Michael Weigand, the chief growth officer for Shift5 — a Department of Defense contracted data security firm — shared the same sentiment. He also told audience members innovation can come from non-traditional sources.
“When we talk about innovation, I think the first place that all of our minds go is to technology, innovation, we all think about a new weapon system more up more boom, as I like to think about it,” Weigand said. “But there’s another type of innovation that’s often overlooked. And that is innovation in, in the business model”
That’s where Sharrow Marine comes in. CEO Greg Sharrow’s patented design, the Sharrow Propellor, is the first significant leap in propeller technology since the 1830s.
“We tell people that it’s the propulsion revolution,” Sharrow said. “And we’re transforming the boating experience for people.”
Sharrow’s original motivation was to create an ultra-quiet drone for video production by using a loop and eliminate the traditional prop blade. After researching the idea, Sharrow and his team started producing and testing different variations.
“So maybe think about the tip of the propeller, because that’s the noisiest part of the propeller because of the tip vortices, they flutter,” Sharrow said. “And they make that that buzzing sound. So I thought, well, if I want to use it for music, I can’t just make it smaller, I had to eliminate altogether. And that led me to ask the question, what would a tipless propeller look like? How would it function? And I went to bed asking that question, I woke up asking that question. And the next day, while I was walking my dog, this idea just popped in my head.”
The propeller changes should improve the riding experience, reduce noise and be more fuel efficient. It’s something Sharrow is hoping to introduce to the military to help operators on vessels.
“It’d be less vibration, which is better on the operators,” Sharrow said. “Less vibration means you’re going to reduce the detectability of the vessel, which also has a huge benefit for the operators. And just the fatigue of listening to a really loud … motor propeller for an extended amount of time can really wear on you over time. And so by reducing that, there’s just a tremendous, you know, lifestyle benefits [for] all operators.”
The University of Michigan tested his propeller. The studies show the Sharrow Propellor churns through more water and reduces or eliminates tip vortices. All of the features work together to create a audible difference on open water.
“Even at low speeds, you can feel a difference in the attitude of the boat,” Sharrow said. “You can feel a difference in the command that you have of the boat. You can feel that the boat is moving forward with more confidence. And it’s a quieter and sweeter, more enjoyable ride.”
The company believes the new propeller is the kind of innovation the American military could find useful. A spokesperson for Sharrow Marine said there is nothing they can publicly share yet, but it is something they are working towards.
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