Abstract: A hand-drying device is disclosed. The hand-drying device includes a volute defining a spiral air passage, the volute comprising a spiral conduit for air, the conduit having an input at its center, a peripheral output, and a cross section that increases from the input to the output. The hand-drying device further includes a motor, located at the center of the volute and connected to the input of the volute for pulling in air from the environment at an input velocity and for passing the air through a the volute input to the volute output to expel the air at an output velocity that is greater than the input velocity. The spiral conduit comprises a cross-section that increases progressively from the input to the output.