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Technology

Lawn mowers are a major source of noise pollution, especially in heavily populated areas. The engine and blades are the major sources of noise from a lawn mower. While there has been considerable effort to reduce engine noise, little research has been done to address noise caused by blades. 

Researchers at UAH have developed a new lawn mower blade that maintains all the attributes of a traditional blade but with much less noise. The novel design utilizes the physical streamlining properties of whale flippers. The design allows the blade to lift the grass while streamlining the airflow over the blade, which in turn reduces noise. The result is a more aerodynamically efficient blade that consumes less power and has produced almost 10 dB less noise than traditional blades in laboratory testing. In addition, the blade is able to slice rather than chop grass, resulting in a better cut and a healthier lawn.