Correcting wind tunnel data for wall interference is a critical part of relating the acquired data to a free-air condition. Accurately determining and correcting for the interference caused by the presence of boundaries in wind tunnels can be difficult especially for facilities employing ventilated boundaries. In this work, three varying levels of ventilation at the National Transonic Facility (NTF) were modeled and calibrated with a general slotted wall (GSW) linear boundary condition to validate the computational model used to determine wall interference corrections. Free-air lift, drag, and pitching moment coefficient predictions were compared for a range of lift production and Mach conditions to determine the uncertainty in the corrections process and the expected domain of applicability. Exploiting a previously designed statistical validation method, this effort accomplishes the extension of a calibration and validation for a boundary pressure wall interference corrections method. The foundational calibration and validation work was based on blockage interference only, while this present work extends the assessment of the method to encompass blockage and lift interference production. The validation method involves the establishment of independent cases that are then compared to rigorously determine the degree to which the correction method can converge free-air solutions for differing interference fields. The process involved first establishing an empty-tunnel calibration to gain both a centerline Mach profile of the facility at various ventilation settings, and to gain a baseline wall pressure signature undisturbed by a test article. The wall boundary condition parameters were then calibrated with a blockage and lift interference producing test article, and final corrected performance coefficients were compared for varying test section ventilated configurations to validate the corrections process and assess its domain of applicability. During the validation process discrimination between homogeneous and discrete implementations of the boundary condition was accomplished and final results indicated comparative strength in the discrete implementation's ability to capture experimental flow physics. Final results indicate that a discrete implementation of the General Slotted Wall boundary condition is effective in significantly reducing variations caused by differing interference fields. Corrections performed with the discrete implementation of the boundary condition collapse differing measurements of lift coefficient to within 0.0027, drag coefficient to within 0.0002, and pitching moment coefficient to within 0.0020. / Doctor of Philosophy / The purpose of conducting experimental tests in wind tunnels is often to acquire a quantitative measure of test article aerodynamic characteristics in such a way that those specific characteristics can be accurately translated into performance characteristics of the real vehicle that the test article intends to simulate. The difficulty in accurately simulating the real flow problem may not be readily apparent, but scientists and engineers have been working to improve this desired equivalence for the better part of the last half-century. The primary aspects of experimental aerodynamics simulation that present difficulty in attaining equivalence are: geometric fidelity, accurate scaling, and accounting for the presence of walls. The problem of scaling has been largely addressed by adequately matching conditions of similarity like compressibility (Mach number), and viscous effects (Reynolds number). However, accounting for the presence of walls in the experimental setup has presented ongoing challenges for ventilated boundaries; these challenges include difficulties in the correction process, but also extend into the determination of correction uncertainties. Exploiting a previously designed statistical validation method, this effort accomplishes the extension of a calibration and validation effort for a boundary pressure wall interference corrections method. The foundational calibration and validation work was based on blockage interference only, while this present work extends the assessment of the method to encompass blockage and lift interference production. The validation method involves the establishment of independent cases that are then compared to rigorously determine the degree to with the correction method can converge free-air solutions for differing interference scenarios. The process involved first establishing an empty-tunnel calibration to gain both a centerline Mach profile of the facility at various ventilation settings, and to gain a baseline wall pressure signature undisturbed by a test article. The wall boundary condition parameters were then calibrated with a blockage and lift interference producing test article, and final corrected performance coefficients were compared for varying test section ventilated configurations to validate the corrections process and assess its domain of applicability. During the validation process discrimination between homogeneous and discrete implementations of the boundary condition was accomplished and final results indicated comparative strength in the discrete implementation's ability to capture experimental flow physics. Final results indicate that a discrete implementation of the General Slotted Wall boundary condition is effective in significantly reducing variations caused by differing interference fields. Corrections performed with the discrete implementation of the boundary condition collapse differing measurements of lift coefficient to within 0.0027, drag coefficient to within 0.0002, and pitching moment coefficient to within 0.0020.

Small unmanned aircraft and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have recently emerged as vehicles able to perform new missions and stimulate future air transportation methods. This dissertation presents several system identification research advancements for these modern aircraft configurations enabling accurate mathematical model development for flight dynamics simulations based on wind-tunnel and flight-test data. The first part of the dissertation focuses on advances in flight-test system identification methods using small, fixed-wing, remotely-piloted, electric, propeller-driven aircraft. A generalized approach for flight dynamics model development for small fixed-wing aircraft from flight data is described and is followed by presentation of novel flight-test system identification applications, including: aero-propulsive model development for propeller aircraft and nonlinear dynamic model identification without mass properties. The second part of the dissertation builds on established fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft system identification methods to develop modeling strategies for transitioning, distributed propulsion, eVTOL aircraft. Novel wind-tunnel experiment designs and aero-propulsive modeling approaches are developed using a subscale, tandem tilt-wing, eVTOL aircraft, leveraging design of experiments and response surface methodology techniques. Additionally, a method applying orthogonal phase-optimized multisine input excitations to aircraft control effectors in wind-tunnel testing is developed to improve test efficiency and identified model utility. Finally, the culmination of this dissertation is synthesis of the techniques described throughout the document to form a flight-test system identification approach for eVTOL aircraft that is demonstrated using a high-fidelity flight dynamics simulation. The research findings highlighted throughout the dissertation constitute substantial progress in efficient empirical aircraft modeling strategies that are applicable to many current and future aeronautical vehicles enabling accurate flight simulation development, which can subsequently be used to foster advancement in many other pertinent technology areas. / Doctor of Philosophy / Small, electric-powered airplanes flown without an onboard pilot, as well as novel electric aircraft configurations with many propellers that operate at a wide range of speeds, referred to as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, have recently emerged as aeronautical vehicles able to perform new tasks for future airborne transportation methods. This dissertation presents several mathematical modeling research advancements for these modern aircraft that foster accurate description and prediction of their motion in flight. The mathematical models are developed from data collected in wind-tunnel tests that force air over a vehicle to simulate the aerodynamic forces in flight, as well as from data collected while flying the aircraft. The first part of the dissertation focuses on advances in mathematical modeling approaches using flight data collected from small traditional airplane configurations that are controlled by a pilot operating the vehicle from the ground. A generalized approach for mathematical model development for small airplanes from flight data is described and is followed by presentation of novel modeling applications, including: characterization of the coupled airframe and propulsion aerodynamics and model development when vehicle mass properties are not known. The second part of the dissertation builds on established airplane, helicopter, and multirotor mathematical modeling methods to develop strategies for characterization of the flight motion of eVTOL aircraft. Innovative data collection and modeling approaches using wind-tunnel testing are developed and applied to a subscale eVTOL aircraft with two tilting wings. Statistically rigorous experimentation strategies are employed to allow the effects of many individual controls and their interactions to be simultaneously distinguished while also allowing expeditious test execution and enhancement of the mathematical model prediction capability. Finally, techniques highlighted throughout the dissertation are combined to form a mathematical modeling approach for eVTOL aircraft using flight data, which is demonstrated using a realistic flight simulation. The research findings described throughout the dissertation constitute substantial progress in efficient aircraft modeling strategies that are applicable to many current and future vehicles enabling accurate flight simulator development, which can subsequently be used for many research applications.

The aerodynamic behavior of wind tunnels with porous, flexible walls formed from tensioned Kevlar has been characterized and new measurement techniques in such wind tunnels explored. The objective is to bring the aerodynamic capabilities of so-called Kevlar-wall test sections in-line with those of traditional solid-wall test sections. The primary facility used for this purpose is the 1.85-m by 1.85-m Stability Wind Tunnel at Virginia Tech, and supporting data is provided by the 2-m by 2-m Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, both of which employ Kevlar-wall test sections that can be replaced by solid-wall test sections. The behavior of Kevlar fabric, both aerodynamically and mechanically, is first investigated to provide a foundation for calculations involving wall interference correction and determination of the boundary conditions at the Kevlar wall. Building upon previous advancements in wall interference corrections for Kevlar-wall test sections, panel method codes are then employed to simulate the wind tunnel flow in the presence of porous, flexible Kevlar walls. An existing two-dimensional panel method is refined by examining the dependency of correction performance on key test section modeling assumptions, and a novel three-dimensional method is presented. Validation of the interference corrections, and thus validation of the Kevlar-wall aerodynamic performance, is accomplished by comparing aerodynamic coefficients between back-to-back tests of models carried out in the solid- and Kevlar-wall test sections. Analysis of the test results identified the existence of three new mechanisms by which Kevlar walls cause wall-interference. Additionally, novel measurements of the boundary conditions are made during the Kevlar-wall tests to characterize the flow at the boundary. Specifically, digital image correlation is used to measure the global deformation of the Kevlar walls under wind loading. Such data, when used in conjunction with knowledge of the pre-tension in the Kevlar wall and the material properties of the Kevlar, yields the pressure loading experienced by the wall. The pressure loading problem constitutes an inverse problem, and significant effort is made towards overcoming the ill-posedness of the problem to yield accurate wall pressure distributions, as well as lift measurements from the walls. Taken as a whole, this document offers a comprehensive view of the aerodynamic performance of Kevlar-wall test sections. / Ph. D. / Traditional wind tunnels, which measure the aerodynamic behavior of vehicles and components relevant to the aerospace industry, enclose some test object with solid walls and accelerate flow around the object. A new configuration has been developed which uses instead flexible, porous walls which are formed from tensioned Kevlar fabric. The original advantage of this configuration lies in its ability to produce high fidelity measurements of the acoustic signature of a model in a stream of air. This new configuration also has been emerging as tool for making the traditional measurements of aerodynamic behavior noted above. However, special considerations have to be made for the so-called Kevlar-wall test section because of the flexibility and porosity of the walls. This study focuses on understanding and exploiting Kevlar-wall wind tunnels with the hope to bring the aerodynamic measurement capabilities of Kevlar-wall test sections in-line with those of traditional solidwall test sections. The primary facility used for this purpose is the Stability Wind Tunnel at Virginia Tech, and supporting data is provided by the Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, both of which employ Kevlar-wall test sections that can be replaced by solid-wall test sections. The behavior of Kevlar fabric, both aerodynamically and mechanically, is first investigated to provide a foundation for calculations of the effect of the Kevlar’s porosity and flexibility on the flow around a model in the test section. Building upon previous advancements in this area, computer simulations are then employed to predict the wind tunnel flow in the presence of porous, flexible Kevlar walls. An existing two-dimensional simulation is refined by examining the dependency of the simulation on key modeling assumptions, and a novel three-dimensional method is presented. Validation of the simulations’ effectiveness in providing accurate corrections for the Kevlar porosity and flexibility is accomplished by comparing measurements between back-to-back tests of models carried out in the solid- and Kevlar-wall test sections. Additionally, novel measurements of the deflection and pressure distributions over the Kevlar walls are made during the Kevlar-wall tests. Specifically, a three-dimensional camera imaging system is used to measure the deformation of the Kevlar walls under wind loading. Such data, when used in conjunction with knowledge of the pre-tension in the Kevlar wall, yields the pressure loading experienced by the wall. Taken as a whole, this document offers a comprehensive view of the aerodynamic performance of Kevlar-wall test sections.

This paper determines the feasibility of adding a heater to an existing blowdown supersonic wind tunnel to unlock new high-enthalpy test applications, considering cost and power requirements at a variety of different states. This process includes both modeling the current range of test section properties in Cal Poly's blowdown wind tunnel and determining the new range of properties that a heat exchanger could induce. These results are verified with a computational fluid dynamics study. Additionally, sublimation and ablation properties of materials are explored to create appropriate models to study atmospheric re-entry once the heat exchanger is implemented. It is found that adding a heater to the supersonic wind tunnel would significantly increase the test section temperature. Additionally, enough heat could be added without damaging the facility to surpass the vapor pressure of camphor and naphthalene at test section conditions, allowing for the tunnel to be used for sublimation and ablation applications. Using the tunnel with the variable Mach nozzle currently installed would induce minimum heater power requirements of 75kW for a Mach 4 configuration and 200kW for the testing Mach 3.13 condition to reach this vapor pressure. However, this power requirement can be significantly reduced by installing a new nozzle that would induce flow at a Mach number of 6-8. Liquefaction is found to be avoided at every test and Mach condition, even without any heat added, while condensation cannot be avoided at any configuration, regardless of nozzle used or heat added. Therefore, we recommend that a dryer be installed to help remedy these issues.

When an aircraft is aerodynamically or structurally damaged in battle, it may not able to complete the mission and the damage may cause its loss. The subject of aircraft battle survivability is one of critical concern to many disciplines, whether military or civil. This thesis considered and focused on Computational Fluid Dynamics [CFD] predictions and experimental investigations into the effects of simulated battle damage on the low-speed aerodynamics of a fmite aspect ratio wing. Results showed that in two-dimensional [2d] and three-dimensional [3D] CFD simulations, Fluent's® models work reasonably well in predicting jets flow structures, pressure distributions, and pressure-coefficient Cp's contours but not for aerodynamic coefficients. The consequences were therefore that CFD prediction was poor on aerodynamic-coefficients increments. The prediction of Cp's achieved good agreement upstream and near the damage hole, but showed poor agreement at downstream of the hole. For the flow structure visualisation, at both weak and strong jet incidences, the solver always predicted pressure-distribution-coefficient lower at upstream and higher at downstream. The results showed relatively good agreement for the case of transitional and strong jet incidences but slightly poor for weak jet incidences. From the experimental results of Finite Wing, the increments for Aspect-ratio, AR6, AR8 and ARIO showed that as damage moves out towards the tip, aerodynamic-coefficients increments i.e. lift-loss and drag-rise decreased, and pitching-moment-coefficient increment indicated a more positive value at all incidence ranges and at all aspect ratios. Increasing the incidence resulted in greater magnitudes of lift-loss and drag-rise for all damage locations and aspect ratios. At the weak jet incidence 4° for AR8 and in all of the three damage locations, the main characteristics of the weak-jet were illustrated clearly. The increments were relatively small. Whilst at 8°, the flow structure was characterised as transitional to stronger-jet. In Finite Wing tests and for all damage locations, there was always a flow structure asymmetry. This was believed to be due to gravity, surface imperfection, and or genuine feature. An 'early strong jet' that indicated in Finite Wing-AR8 at 'transitional' incidence of 8°, also indicated in twodimensional results but at the weak-jet incidence of 4°. For the application of 2d data to AR6, AR8, and ARIO, an assessment of 2d force results led to the analysis that the tests in the AAE's Low Turbulence Tunnel for 2d were under-predicting the damage effects at low incidence, and over-predicting at high incidences. This suggested therefore that Irwin's 2d results could not be used immediately to predict three-dimensional.

This thesis describes a series of 1:75 scale wind tunnel experiments investigating the wind flow over, and through, three different forest models and the resultant wind loading on individual model trees. The experiments were designed to lead to a quantitative assessment of the wind stability of the particular forest arrangements and also to permit a study of the coherent gust structures in the flow. Forest canopy flow is dominated by a plane mixing layer flow regime with a shear layer close to the canopy top. It has been confirmed that data can be correlated usefully in terms of a shear length, Ls, related to the form of this shear layer. Frequency analysis has confirmed that the flow structures have the same frequency as the swaying of the tallest trees in each forest. A mechanism is proposed whereby upstream turbulence induces swaying of trees at and near the upwind edge region of the forest, which in turn perturbs the air in the unstable shear layer. This leads to a roll-up of the shear layer and the creation of coherent flow structures. Conditional sampling of the gust structures, using wavelet analysis, has also supported the theory of a plane mixing layer type flow. An eddy-pair structure was revealed, the arrangement of which accounts for the intermittent strong downward sweeps of air into the canopy that have been reported by many observers. The large downward sweep of air was also shown to be responsible for the highest bending moments experienced by individual trees. Assessments of the different forest formations showed that in a forest consisting of a 50/50 mix of 200 mm and 100 mm model trees, gusts did not penetrate the lower forest. This arrangement should improve the protection of younger trees and may be worth investigating in field trials.

The Martian atmosphere is of great scientific interest, both because of its similarity to Earth’s atmosphere, and because of its relevance to exploration of Mars. Although satellite instruments have provided a wealth of atmospheric data, they have provided little information about the atmospheric boundary layer. Conditions in the lowest few metres of the Martian atmosphere are perhaps the most directly interesting to humans, as this is the portion of our own atmosphere with which we have the most contact. In this thesis is described the design, calibration and operations planning for a new wind sensor for use on Mars. This sensor is lighter and smaller than previous Mars wind sensors. At the time of writing, the wind sensor is on its way to Mars as part of the science payload of Beagle 2, a small exobiology lander due to arrive in December 2003. The Beagle 2 wind sensor (B2WS) is a hot-film anemometer. Three platinum films are equally spaced around the surface of a vertical cylinder. A known current is dissipated in each film, heating the film 40-80°C above the ambient gas temperature. The film temperature is obtained by measuring its resistance. An effective heat transfer coefficient is then calculated for each film. A novel scheme has been developed which allows calculation of a wind vector from the differences between these heat transfer coefficients, rather than from their average. This makes the measured wind vector less prone to common-mode errors such as uncertainties in air temperature or sky temperature. The sensor was calibrated in a low density wind tunnel, optimised to provide stable winds of air or carbon dioxide at Martian pressures (5 – 10 mbar) and speeds (0.5 – 30 m/s). The flow field in the test section was calculated using analytical and finite element modelling techniques, and validated experimentally using a pitot probe. This facility’s stability and accuracy represent a significant improvement over previous calibration facilities. An analytical model of heat flow in the sensor has been developed in order to permit correction for conditions which may be encountered on Mars, but were not tested for in the wind tunnel. The wind sensor’s performance in a real Martian atmosphere is simulated using wind and temperature data from a previous Mars lander. The position of the wind sensor position at the end of Beagle 2's motorised arm allows several new possibilities for wind measurement on Mars that were unavailable in previous missions. The height of the wind and air temperature sensors can be adjusted to any height between 20 and 95 cm above the ground. The temperature sensor can be scanned horizontally and vertically above the lander to study convective updrafts above the heated lander. Planned operations sequences on Mars are discussed.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / For over half a century the NPS Aerolabʼ Low Speed Wind Tunnel located in Halligan Hall of the Naval Postgraduate school has served to provide students and faculty with meaningful aerodynamic data for research and problem analysis. New data acquisition hardware was installed three years ago but never fully verified, and contained no integrated software program to collect data from the strain-gauge balance pedestal. Existing National Instruments based hardware for the NPS low-speed wind tunnel was reconfigured to obtain data from the strain-gauge pedestal. Additionally, a data acquisition software program was written in LabVIEW⠭ to accommodate the hardware. The Virtual Instruments (VI) program collects and plots accurate data from all four strain gauges in real-time, producing non-dimensional force and moment coefficients. A research study on the performance of an OH-6A helicopter fuselage was conducted. NPS Aerolabʼ wind tunnel tests consisted of drag, lift, and pitching moment measurements of the OH-6A along yaw and angle-of-attack sweeps. The results of the NPS wind tunnel data were compared against testing conducted on a full-scale OH-6A helicopter in NASA Ames' 40 ft. x 80ft. wind tunnel, along with the U.S. Army's Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) wind tunnel tests. Results of current testing substantiate the LabVIEW⠭ code. / Ensign, United States Navy

Le développement de systèmes de propulsion alternatifs aux turboréacteurs actuels constitue un axe de recherche important dans le contexte aéronautique. L’open-rotor, moteur à hélices contrarotatives, constitue une piste sérieuse car il permet à la fois de réduire fortement la consommation de carburant et les émissions de gaz. Toutefois, les émissions sonores restent un défi pour ce type d’architecture, notamment du fait de l’absence de carénage. La compréhension des sources acoustiques et leur prévision est nécessaire afin de pouvoir, par la suite, réduire le bruit de ces moteurs. Les écoulements d’un doublet d’hélices contrarotatives sont complexes, en particulier pour l’hélice aval qui constitue l’axe d’étude de la thèse. Le travail présenté est dédié à une étude numérique, expérimentale et analytique et intervient dans le cadre de la chaire industrielle ADOPSYS entre Safran Aircraft Engines et l’Ecole Centrale de Lyon. L’objectif de ce travail est double. Il s’agit d’une part de réaliser une campagne expérimentale afin d’observer et de mieux comprendre le comportement de l’écoulement et de l’acoustique d’une pale en flèche, notamment en réponse à la présence d’un tourbillon de bord d’attaque. Un second objectif de la thèse était de constituer une base de données afin de comparer les prévisions obtenues avec un modèle analytique. Une méthode de calcul semi-analytique de la réponse aéroacoustique d’une pale aval en réponse à une excitation provenant de l’amont et prenant en compte les effets de charge et de géométrie a été développée. Une étude numérique d’un doublet d’hélices contrarotatives a servi de base à la définition de la géométrie de pale utilisée pendant l’étude. Celle-ci a été définie de façon à observer un tourbillon de bord d’attaque pour certains angles d’incidence. La maquette a ensuite été placée dans une soufflerie anéchoïque de l’Ecole Centrale de Lyon afin de réaliser une étude paramétrique. Des visualisations par enduit visqueux et des mesures de pression pariétale permettent de rendre compte de la présence du tourbillon de bord d’attaque à certains angles d’incidence. L’étude des spectres en champ lointain permet de distinguer un comportement en trois régimes, associés aux trois comportements du tourbillon de bord d’attaque. Des mesures de localisation de sources permettent de corroborer ces observations. Des prévisions analytiques du bruit émis par la pale et se basant sur le modèle d’Amiet ont également été réalisées. Dans un premier temps, les effets de la flèche sont pris en compte dans le modèle et celui-ci est alors appliqué à la pale de l’étude. Une meilleure adéquation des résultats est alors trouvée quand les effets de flèche sont pris en compte, en particulier dans les directions perpendiculaires à la pale. Le modèle est ensuite étendu afin de prendre en compte les effets de la jonction en pied de pale. Cette partie est exploratoire et le développement reste à approfondir. Un complément à l’expérience a consisté en l’étude de l’impact de sillages défilants sur la pale. Un système de barreaux rotatifs permet de générer des sillages périodiques représentatifs d’une interaction de sillages rotor-rotor. Les mesures réalisées montrent le comportement quasi-stationnaire du tourbillon. / The development of alternative propeller systems to turbojets is a main issue for research in the current context of aeronautical transport. Counter rotating open rotors are a candidate solution because they allow reduction of fuel consumption and gas emission. However, noise emissions are still a challenge for these types of configuration, in particular because they cannot benefit from the nacelle and the liners currently used in turbojet. The understanding of acoustic sources and their prediction is necessary in order to be able to reduce noise emission in the near future. Flows in an open-rotor are complex, in particular for the downstream propeller which is the subject of this approach.This work based on a numerical, experimental and analytical study and takes part in the ADOPSYS chair between Safran Aircraft Engines and l’Ecole Centrale de Lyon. This PhD has two main goals. The first one is to complete an experimental study in order to elucidate the behavior of the flow on a swept airfoil and the resulting acoustics, with a possibly developing leading-edge vortex. The measurements will be a data base for further comparison with analytical prediction. The second objective of the PhD consists in developing a semi-analytical modeling of the noise emitted by an airfoil in response to an incoming perturbation, taking into account the loading and geometry effects. A numerical study of a full counter-rotating system was used as a basis for designing the investigated airfoil. The latter was designed so that a leading-edge vortex could be formed on the surface for some angles of attack. The mock-up was then tested in an anechoic wind tunnel of Ecole Centrale de Lyon for various sets of parameters. Flow visualization and wall-pressure measurements indicated the presence of the leading-edge vortex for some angles of attack. The far-field measurements indicated three acoustic regimes, which can be associated with three behaviors of the leading-edge vortex. Source localization measurements corroborate these observations. Analytical predictions of the noise emitted by the airfoil and based on Amiet’s model were also performed. Firstly, the sweep angle is taken into account in the model. Secondly it is applied to the studied airfoil. A better match of the results is found when the sweep is considered, in particular in the perpendicular directions. The model in then extended in order to include the wall-junction. This part is exploratory and should be further developed. Finally, a complementary experimental investigation of the impingement of periodic wakes on the airfoil has been performed, using a system made of rotating bars, mimics true wake interactions. The measurements suggest that the leading-edge vortex has a quasi-steady behavior.

Orientador: Alcides Padilha / Banca: Ivan De Domenico Valarelli / Banca: Kamal Abdel Radi Ismail / Resumo: Neste trabalho apresenta-se uma análise teórica e experimental dos resultados comparativos entre as curvas características de um ventilador axial utilizado em um sistema de pulverização agrícola para um ângulo de ataque da pá em 32 graus nas rotações de 1500, 1750, 2600 e 3000 rpm e resultados numéricos da influência da variação do ângulo de ataque da pá em 28, 32 e 36 graus e da otimização do sistema de pulverização ambos para uma rotaç]ao de 2600 rpm. O campo médio turbulento foi obtido com a aplicação da média temporal sendo que o modelo de turbulência exigido para o fechamento do conjunto de equações foi o modelo k-ε de duas equações. A resolução de todos os fenômenos acoplados foi alcançada com o auxílio do código de fluidodinâmica computacional CFX que utiliza a técnica dos volumes finitos como método numérico. Para validação da análise teórica, realizaram-se experimentos em um túnel de vento horizontal de seção circular com diâmetro de 622 mm, usando um tubo de Pitot para as tomadas de pressão de acordo com a norma para ensaios em laboratório. Apresentam-se resultados qualitativos na forma de vetores e mapas de gradiente de velocidade e, quantitativos na forma de tabelas e gráficos para as curvas características. / Abstract: This paper presents a theoretical and experimental analysis of comparative results the characteristic curves of an axial fan used in an agricultural spraying system for a blade attack angle of 32 degrees at rotations of 1500, 1750, 2600 and 3000 rpm and numerical results for the influence of blade attack angle variation at 28, 32 and 36 degrees and optimization of the spraying system, both for a rotation of 2600 rpm. The average turbulent field was obtained from the application of time average where the turbulence model required for closing the set of equations was the k-ε model for two equations. Resolution of all connected phenomena was achieved with the help of the fluid dynamics computacional, CFX, which uses the finite volumes technique as a numerical method. In order to validate the theoretical analysis, an experiment was conducted in a circular section of a horizontal wind tunnel, 622 mm in diameter and 6220 mm in length, using a Pitot tube for pressure readings according to the norm for laboratory assays. Qualitative results are shown as vectors and gradient maps for speed and quantitative results are shown in tables and graphics for characteristic curves. / Mestre