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Technology

Liquid magnet propellers could be a safer way to power boats

Sharp metal propellers can harm wildlife, so an alternative made using ferrofluid could be a better approach, if it can be tweaked to work at higher speeds

By Alex Wilkins

21 December 2023

91av. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

A ferrofluid propeller powered by electromagnets

Hiroto Kitamori et al

A robot boat with a propeller made from liquid magnets could be a safer alternative than solid metal blades, which can damage wildlife.

at the University of Electro-Communications in Chōfu, Japan, and his colleagues created a prototype aquatic craft with a propeller made from ferrofluid, which consists of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles suspended in oil. It is controlled with electromagnets that switch on and off at high speed.

“One day, I was thinking about…

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