Les actionneurs disques sont potentiellement une solution intéressante pour des applications de transport exigeantes, comme le véhicule hybride. Mais la conception de ces actionneurs pour de telles applications se heurte à des difficultés. Une solution réside dans l’utilisation des algorithmes d’optimisations systématique. Encore faut-il disposer, pour utiliser de tels algorithmes, de modèles souples, à la fois précis et rapides. Cette thèse se focalise sur le développement de modèles analytiques fondés sur la résolution formelle des équations de Maxwell, qui permet un bon compromis entre temps de calcul et précision, à condition d’accepter certaines hypothèses simplificatrices, comme la linéarité des matériaux magnétiques. La première partie concerne les modèles électromagnétiques bi-dimensionnels, en développant la structure disque au niveau de son rayon moyen. Pour ces modèles, une attention particulière a été portée sur la modélisation des saillances aussi bien statoriques que rotoriques. Il est montré que l’approximation du coefficient de Carter permet effectivement de déterminer le couple moyen de la machine avec précision. Néanmoins, si on veut déterminer les inductions dans le fer pour calculer les pertes magnétiques, un modèle de l’encochage statorique est nécessaire. Dans un second temps, des modèles tri-dimensionnels analytiques ont été développés, afin de calculer le flux à vide de l’actionneur en prenant en compte les effets des bords et l’effet de courbure. Il est montré que la prise en compte des effets de bords est de première importance dans la modélisation des actionneurs. Par contre, une étude sur l’effet de courbure de la machine disque montre que le développement de l’actionneur au rayon moyen, pourvu que l’on utilise un modèle 3D, n’induit qu’une erreur minime. Un second point concerne l’étude des pertes magnétiques dans les matériaux composites isotropes formés de particules de fer pur isolées les unes des autres, liées puis compressées. En effet, ces matériaux sont très prometteurs en conception de machines électriques, autorisant des parcours de flux tri-dimensionnels, et une isotropie thermique, malgré leur perméabilité magnétique relativement faible. Deux matériaux de la société suédoise Hoganas (l’un dédié aux applications de machines électriques, l’autre à l’électronique de puissance, avec des grains de taille plus faible) ont été caractérisés en termes de pertes magnétiques dans une large gamme de fréquences. Un modèle de pertes classiques a été formulé, en se basant sur des observations microscopiques des échantillons de matériaux. Grâce à l’estimation de ces pertes, une procédure de séparation des pertes magnétiques a pu être mise au point. La déduction du terme de pertes excédentaires a révélé certains mécanismes de magnétisation propres à ces matériaux granulaires, dont des grains ont un comportement magnétique à priori indépendant les uns des autres. Contrairement aux matériaux laminés qui possèdent un nombre d’objets magnétiques actifs relativement bas sur la section de la tôle en champ excédentaire nul, les courants de Foucault permettant une homogénéisation du comportement magnétique lorsque la fréquence augmente, les matériaux granulaires semblent exhiber un comportement tout autre, en présentant au moins un objet magnétique actif par grain en champ excédentaire nul. De telles constatations changent la dépendance des pertes excédentaires en fonction de la fréquence (les pertes excédentaires sont alors proportionnelles à la fréquence f, alors que nous rappelons qu’elles sont proportionnelles à f^0.5 dans la plupart des matériaux laminés). Enfin un début d’optimisation a pu être mené, en se limitant aux modèles électromagnétiques bi-dimensionnels et aux matériaux laminés classiques. Diverses études de sensibilité ont été entreprises. Ce travail se termine par une analyse de l’influence d’une contrainte de puissance apparente sur la géométrie de la machine électrique. / The axial flux actuators are potentially an attractive solution for demanding automotive applications such as hybrid vehicles. However, the design of these actuators for such applications encounters some difficulties: the specifications in terms of torque and speed are complex, conflicting criteria to minimize, such as mass and losses. One solution is to use systematic optimization algorithms. To use these algorithms, flexible models are needed, both accurate and fast. This thesis focuses on developing analytical models based on the formal resolution of Maxwell's equations, which allows a good compromise between computation time and accuracy, if some simplifying assumptions such as linearity of magnetic materials are accepted. The first part concerns the electromagnetic two-dimensional models, developing the axial flux structure at its mean radius. For these models, particular attention was paid to modeling of the salience as well as the rotor stator. It is especially shown that the approximation of the Carter coefficient can effectively determine the average torque of the machine with precision. However, if we want to determine the inductions into the iron parts so as to calculate the magnetic losses, a model of stator slotting is required. In a second step, three-dimensional analytical models were developed to calculate the no-load flux in the actuator, taking into account the edges effects and the curvature effect. It is shown that taking into account the edges effects is important in the modeling of the actuators. A study on the curvature effect of the machine shows that the development of the actuator to the mean radius, provided 3D models are used, is not so wrong. A second point concerns the study of magnetic losses in isotropic composite materials, composed of particles of pure iron insulated from each other, put in a binder, and then compressed. Indeed, these materials are very promising in electric machine design, allowing three-dimensional magnetic flux paths and a thermal isotropy, despite their relatively low magnetic permeability. Two materials of the Swedish company Hoganas (one dedicated to electric machines, the other to power electronics, with grains of smaller size) were characterized in terms of magnetic losses in a wide frequency range . A classical loss model was formulated, based on microscopic observations of samples of materials. With this estimate of the classical losses component, the procedure of loss separation can be carried out. The calculation of the excess loss component revealed some specific magnetization mechanisms in these granular materials, in which grains are independent of each other. Unlike laminated materials that have a number of active magnetic objects relatively low on their section at zero field, (eddy currents allow homogenization of the magnetic behavior when the frequency increases), the granular materials appear to exhibit a totally different behavior, with at least one active magnetic object at zero excess field. This changes the dependence of excess losses as a function of frequency (the excess losses are then proportional to the frequency f, while we remember that they are proportional to f ^ 0.5 in most laminated materials). Finally a pre-optimization has been carried out, with just two-dimensional electromagnetic models, and conventional laminated materials. Various studies, as the control law, or the residual induction of the magnets, have been done. This work finishes with an analysis of the influence of a power constraint on the geometry of the electrical machine.

Une approache combinant la méthode des élements discrets (DEM) et expériences techniques (essai oedométrique et microtomographie aux rayons X (XRCT)) est proposée pour observer le comportement mécanique des matériaux granulaires mouillés (des billes de verre mouillées) en état très lâche sous le chargement extérieur. Une observation expérimentale combinant l'essai oedométrique et XRCT est premièrement présentée. La réponse plastique du materiau réel (des billes de verre) est illustrée avec des certaines valeurs de densité initiale très faible. Le comportement à l'échelle du grain de ce matériau est puis caractérisé en utilisant à l'aide de microtomographie aux rayons X et d'essais mécaniques in-situ. Une méthode pour détecter des structures sphériques qui ont obtenu depuis des images de la tomographie est proposée. Ensuite, les propriétés micro-structurales sont analysées et calculées avec les données des sphères détectés. Ce matériau simplifié donne une meilleure compréhension du comportement à macro-échelle des sols granulaires mouillés basée sur leur caractérisation micro-structurale. La simulation numérique a permis de prévoir précisément en 3D la réponse plastique d'assemblages très lâches de billes de verre modélisé soumis à une compression isotrope/ oedométrique. Ce maériau a été préparé avec la présence d'une petite quantité d'un liquide interstitiel qui contrôle à capillaire ménisque and des forces attractives. Les réponses plastiques le long des courbes de compression sont présentées dans les cas avec et sans des résistance au roulement/ pivotement en contacts. L'effet du grain polydispersité en taille a aussi mentionné. L'évaluation de la microstructure et transmission de force le long de la courve de compression est également caractérisé. Finalement, nous comparons les prévisions des résultats expérimentals avec ceux de la simulation numérique. Nos comparaisons montrent que les prévisions de l'expérience sont sous-estimées pour celles de la DEM. Néanmoins, cette approache dans ce travail également fournit une caractérisation complète de la réponse plastique et du comportement à l'échelle du grain de sol granulaire mouillé à l'état très lâche / An approach combining the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and experimental techniques (oedometric compression test and X-ray Computed Tomography (XRCT)) is proposed to observe the mechanical behavior of wet granular material, modeled as frictional spherical glass beads, in very loose state under growing of applied external force. An experimental observation combining one-dimensional compression test and XRCT is first presented. The plastic responses of real material (spherical glass beads) are depicted with different values of very low initial densities. The grain-scale behavior of this material is then characterized by using the XRCT and in-situ compaction test. We propose a method to detect the spherical structures from the 3D tomography images. Microstructure properties of the loose system are then analyzed and computed from the detected spherical structures. This simplified material gives further a better understanding of the macroscale behavior of wet granular soils based on their microstructure characterization. The DEM simulation then allowed us to predict accurately in 3D the plastic response of very loose assemblies of modeled wet beads to an isotropic/ oedometric compression in the presence of a small amount of an interstitial liquid, which gives rise to capillary menisci and attractive forces. The plastic responses along the compression curves are then shown in particular without and with the appearance of rolling/ pivoting resistances in contacts and also the effect of size polydispersity. The evaluation of microstructure and force transmission along the compression curve is also characterized. Finally, we compare the predictions of the experimental results with the DEM simulations results. Our comparisons show that the predictions of experiments are underestimated for the DEM simulations. Nevertheless, the combined approach in this work also provides an comprehensive characterization of the plastic and grain-scale compression behavior of wet granular soil at very loose state

Les mécanismes élémentaires mis en jeu lors de l’érosion de surface d’un sol cohésif par un écoulement fluide demandent à être mieux connus dans le but d’améliorer la modélisation locale de l’érosion. En se basant sur une approche expérimentale, l’objectif de cette thèse vise à réaliser une étude paramétrique de l'érosion à l'aide de matériaux modèles, pour ensuite les soumettre à des sollicitations hydrodynamiques et mécaniques contrôlées. L'étude de matériaux granulaire sans cohésion a d'abord permis d'analyser la construction du nombre de Shields pour définir le seuil d'érosion. Ensuite, des essais de traction à différentes échelles ont permis de généraliser le nombre de Shields à des grains cohésifs par la relation entre seuil d'érosion et résistance mécanique. La mise au point de matériaux et d'essais d'érosion iso-indice a également permis de visualiser les mécanismes par lesquels l'écoulement conduit à l’arrachement de particules constitutives du matériau modèle lors d'essais de JET et de HET. Pour finir, d'autres types de matériaux cohésifs modèles ont été plus rapidement étudiés et révèlent de grandes perspectives d'études. / Elementary mechanisms involved during the surface erosion of a cohesive soil by a fluid flow ask to be better understood for improving the local modeling of erosion. It is the objective of this thesis which aims, by an experimental approach, at working out model materials to submit them to hydrodynamic stresses and controlled mechanic stresses. The study of cohesion-less granular material allowed, in a first approach, to analyse the Shields number formulation to define the erosion threshold. In a second time, the grains have been made cohesive with liquid or solid matrix, and mechanical tests at different scales allowed to generalise the Shields number to both cohesive and non-cohesive particles. The development of erosion tests adjusted in optical index also made possible to visualised the mechanisms by which the fluid flow erode the constitutive particles of the material during Jet Erosion Tests and Hole Erosion Tests. Finally, different kinds of cohesive model materials were tested and show excellent perspectives.

Un écoulement fluide (air ou liquide) au-dessus d’un matériau granulaire induit, au-delà d’un seuil, un transport de grains qui peut conduire à la formation de dunes. Dans une première partie, nous étudions la morphodynamique des dunes éoliennes. Grâce à une modélisation simplifiée des transports de sédiment, la description de la dynamique d’une dune formée sur un fond plat non-érodable sous un écoulement unidirectionnel peut se réduire à un système d’équations différentielles couplées du premier ordre. Le modèle développé permet d’identifier les mécanismes qui influencent la stabilité linéaire d’une dune transverse rectiligne. Lorsque la diffusion latérale de sédiment sur la face amont est dominante devant celle sur la face aval, notre modèle prédit la stabilité de la dune transverse. Lorsque la dune transverse est instable, elle se fragmente en dunes en forme de croissant, appelées barkhanes. Grâce aux caractéristiques morphologiques des dunes éoliennes issues des données de terrain, les paramètres macroscopiques qui influencent la stabilité sont déterminés. Dans une seconde partie, nous analysons l’influence de la présence de formes sédimentaires aquatiques sur les modes de transport de sédiment (charriage ou suspension). Des expériences en chenal hydraulique permettent de suivre la déstabilisation d’un lit plat de sédiment par un écoulement unidirectionnel. Le suivi de la morphologie du fond ainsi que le piégeage différencié des modes de transport de sédiment permettent de mettre en avant que l’apparition et la croissance de dunes s’accompagnent d’une augmentation du transport de sédiment. / Above a threshold, a flow (of liquid or air) over a granular bed leads to grain transport that can induce dune formation. In the first part of this thesis, we study the morphodynamics of eolian dunes. With a simplified sediment transport model, the description of the dynamics of a dune formed on an non-erodible bed under unidirectional flow is reduced to a system of first order coupled differential equations. With this model, we identify the mechanisms that influence the linear stability of a rectilinear transverse dune. When lateral sediment diffusion on the upwind side of the dune prevails over the downwind side diffusion, our model predicts transverse dune stability. When the transverse dune is unstable, it breaks into crescent-shaped dunes called barchan dunes. With morphological characteristics of aeolian dunes taken from field data, macroscopic parameters influencing the dune stability are calculated. In the second part, we analyze the effect of aquatic bedforms on the mode of sediment transport (bedload or suspension). With flume experiments we follow the destabilization of a flat sediment bed under a unidirectionnal flow. Recorded bed morphology and differentiated trapping of sediment allow us to distinguish between bedload and suspension and to show that the dune formation and growth come along with an increase of sediment transport.

Recently, there has been growing interest on the behaviour of unbound granular material in road base layers. Researchers have studied that the design of a new pavement and prediction of service life need proper characterization of unbound granular materials, which is one of the requirements for a new mechanistic design method in flexible pavement. Adequate knowledge of the strength and deformation characteristics of unbound layer in pavements is a prerequisite for proper thickness design, residual life determination, and overall economic optimization of the pavement structure. The current knowledge concerning the granular materials employed in pavement structures is limited. In addition, to date, no general framework has been established to explain satisfactorily the behaviour of unbound granular materials under the complex repeated loading which they experience. In this study, a conceptual method, packing theory-based model is introduced; this framework evaluates the stability and performance of granular materials based on their packing arrangement. In the framework two basic aggregate structures named as Primary Structure (PS), and Secondary Structure (SS). The Primary Structure (PS) is a range of interactive grain sizes that forms the network of unbound granular materials. The Secondary Structure (SS) includes granular materials smaller than the primary structure. The Secondary Structures fill the gaps between the particles in the Primary Structure and larger particles essentially float in the skeleton. In this particular packing theory-based model; the Primary Structure porosity, the average contact points (coordination number) of Primary Structure, and a new parameter named Disruption Potential are the key parameters that determine whether or not a particular gradation results in a suitable aggregate structure. Parameters mentioned above play major role in the aggregate skeleton to perform well in terms of resistance to permanent deformation as well as load carrying capacity (resilient modulus). The skeleton of the materials must be composed of both coarse enough and a limited amount of fine granular materials to effectively resist deformation and carry traffic loads. / QC 20120601

Assemblies of granular particles suspended in a fluid-like state by interstitial liquid or upward gas flow, here referred to as granular suspensions, are critical to numerous industrial applications and natural processes. However, their inherent complexity and opacity pose significant challenges for direct measurement and analysis. Traditional invasive techniques often disrupt the flow dynamics, while optical methods are limited to transparent systems. To overcome these limitations, this study leverages advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and computational models to analyze multiphase flow dynamics in opaque systems with high spatial and temporal resolution.This work is divided into three primary investigations. First, MRI simulations are developed as a tool for comparison with experimental MRI measurements. These simulations replicate the physical principles of MRI and allow for the evaluation of imaging artifacts, measurement accuracy, and data interpretation in multiphase flow scenarios. By establishing a robust simulation framework, this work bridges the gap between theoretical and experimental studies, providing a basis for refining MRI measurements and improving comparison between simulations and measurements in complex flow systems. Next, we employ MRI to investigate the dynamics of bubble rise in dense (liquid-solid) suspensions. High-resolution two-dimensional and three-dimensional imaging allows for detailed observation of bubble rise, coalescence, and deformation, as well as rise velocities under varying particle volume fractions. This study provides valuable insights into the interplay between bubble behavior and suspension properties, with implications for optimizing processes in chemical reactors, wastewater treatment, and other industries where bubble dynamics are crucial. The final investigation focuses on particle velocity distributions in granular flows within two distinct fluidized bed systems: a gas-solid bed and a liquid-solid bed, both designed for compatibility with a vertical nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. The overarching goal is to analyze how velocity distributions in granular gases deviate from the Gaussian patterns observed in molecular systems, examining the effects of inter-particle collisions, drag forces, and energy dissipation. Using computational fluid dynamics – discrete element method (CFD-DEM) simulations alongside MRI measurements, this study bridges molecular theory with granular flow behavior, providing critical insights into the physics of confined granular systems fluidized by upward fluid flow. The concluding chapter summarizes the highlights of this study, explores potential future directions, and discusses the broader applicability of these findings. The insights gained here are relevant to a wide range of industrial systems, including fluidized bed reactors and sediment transport, as well as natural processes such as granular avalanches and particulate mixing. By combining the non-invasive imaging capabilities of MRI with advanced computational modeling, this work offers a powerful framework for understanding and optimizing multiphase flow systems across diverse contexts.

Granular materials are characterized by its discrete nature which makes their behaviour very complex to understand when subjected to various loading situations. Comparing other materials, the understanding of granular materials is poor. This is because experimental analysis provides the macroscopic responses of the considered assembly whereas the discrete nature of the particles point to the fact of understanding the micro scale details and correlating it with the overall behaviour. Among the various modeling tools viz. analytical, physical or numerical, Discrete Element Method (DEM) a numerical technique, originally developed by Cundall (1971, 1974) and modified by Cundall and Strack (1979a, 1979b) is widely used for granular materials. Later a thorough description of DEM was given by Cundall (1988) and Hart et al (1988). Moreover Cundall & Hart (1992) reported discrete element code as one which allows finite displacements and rotations of discrete bodies along with recognition of new contacts as the calculation progresses which is followed in particle flow code and is used for this study. Generally the discrete particles are modeled as discs or spheres in 2-D and 3-D simulations respectively. The discs or spheres were considered as it is very easy to characterize the grain interactions and the contact detection. Even though the significance of particle shape has been reported in literature, a comprehensive 3-D study of the effect of particle shape on the various aspects of soil behaviour is lacking and is not reported. Particle shape is generally defined in terms of elongation, roundness and texture. Elongation is an indication of the particle aspect ratio whereas roundness measures the sharpness or angularity of particle’s edges and corners. Texture is related to the roughness of the surface. Particle gradation also plays a role in the mechanical behaviour. The influence of each of these factors on the mechanical behaviour of the assembly is important. Hence the major factors like elongation, texture etc which are used to define the particle shape are incorporated in this study. Evaluating the particle shape is another hurdle. In this study, the particle shape is analyzed using a 3D laser scanner which helps to identify the major and minor axis lengths of the particle. Additionally, the effective use of 3D DEM on large scale real life applications incorporating the particle shape effect is also not dealt with very extensively. Hence in this research, a comprehensive study on the calibration of DEM using glass beads, effect of particle shape on drained and undrained monotonic behaviour, liquefaction, post liquefaction and dynamic properties and the application of DEM to a grain polishing machine and an underground tunnel assembly is presented. In the present study, a set of drained triaxial tests were done on glass bead assembly using a laboratory triaxial set up. The glass beads used for the test were spherical and ellipsoidal in shape. The shape of glass beads was characterized through a sophisticated method of 3D laser scanning. In this scanning, the shape of the image of the glass bead is captured through an array of digitized points. These images obtained as unstructured 3D triangular meshes on processing will render the long and short axes of the particle which can be used for proper modeling of the particle shape. After obtaining the long and short axes for the particles, the same is used for the numerical modeling of the glass beads. The numerical simulation results have shown that the assembly modeled with clumped particles gives results qualitatively and quantitatively similar to the observed experimental macro responses. Hence this is used to demonstrate the power of DEM to realistically model the granular behaviour by incorporating the particle shape effect. In addition, undrained simulation of granular material has been numerically predicted from drained triaxial tests which are similar to the approach proposed by Norris et al (1997). An excellent correlation between undrained results predicted from drained triaxial test and undrained test (performed under constant volume conditions) has been observed. This further underlines the fact that the constant volume simulations are equivalent to undrained tests. Having validated the DEM results to the values obtained from the experiments on glass beads, a series of monotonic drained and undrained triaxial tests were performed on cylindrical assemblies of height to diameter ratio 2:1. Four different sets of assemblies were prepared which consists of particles of different aspect ratio to study the influence of particle shape. The behaviour of these assemblies under drained shearing indicates that the strength of the clumped assemblies is higher than that of the spherical assembly at all confining pressures. This has been explained from the magnitude of the anisotropic vi coefficients associated with the fabric and normal contact force tensors. It is also noted that eventhough both assemblies reach the peak strength at the same axial strain, the strain softening associated with the clumped assembly is very rapid which is due to the fact that clumps try to push each other apart as it offers more resistance to rotation resulting in dilation. Another significant observation is that a general increase in aspect ratio will not keep on increasing the strength. As the aspect ratio increases, the particles have a tendency to orient along their larger dimensions. This helps them to attain the lowest potential energy leading to a stable equilibrium and resulting in inherent fabric anisotropy. But when the particles try to align along the larger dimension, the formation of strong contact forces along the direction of loading is hindered. In addition, the lower strength associated with the higher aspect ratio particle assembly can also be attributed to the formation of unexpected void spaces when these longer particles bridge gaps over the underlying grains. The critical state studies indicate that the clumped assembly is having a higher residual strength compared to that of the spherical assembly. In the case of clumped assemblies also, irrespective of the initial loose or dense state of the assembly and the confining pressure applied, the samples reached the same critical state which underlines that the critical state is unique for a granular material. Moreover, the critical state line is non-linear for both the spherical and clumped assemblies. The studies conducted on the liquefaction behaviour indicates that at lower confining pressures the assemblies with particles consisting of lower aspect ratios loses its strength at less number of cycles which can be attributed to the interlocking of non-spherical particles resulting in higher number of contacts per particle. Moreover, during the initial cycles of loading, it is seen that the strong contacts are predominantly in the vertical direction or more precisely along the direction of maximum axial strain. But the plots extracted at higher cycles indicated that the strong contacts along the vertical direction have diminished considerably. This reduction in contact force magnitude and force chain indicates a drop in the number of contacts and is clearly visible in the gradual decrease of average coordination number. Another significant observation is that as the confining stresses increases, the rate of pore pressure generation of the assembly vii consisting of only spherical particles is less compared to the other two samples. Furthermore, at higher confining pressures, when the load direction reverses, the fabric of the clumped assemblies fails to change to a new orientation immediately. But to retain equilibrium the force anisotropy will quickly adjust itself. This mismatch results in losing the contacts and resulting in lower strength and less resistance to liquefaction at higher stresses for assemblies consisting of clumped particles. The post liquefaction study of the numerically liquefied samples shows that the assembly consisting of clumped shaped particles gained strength at a much faster rate compared to the assembly consisting of only spheres. This may be attributed to the ability of the clumps to rearrange themselves on a faster rate compared to that of the spherical particles. The rate of development of average coordination number is very significant as it explains the ability of the assembly to build up the deviatoric stress from a complete collapsed structure. As the contacts develop, the average coordination number as well as the deviatoric stress starts increasing with both the values higher for the assembly consisting of clumped particles. The evaluation of the dynamic properties viz. shear modulus and damping ratio showed a trend similar to the experimental observations on real granular materials. It is observed that the normalized shear modulus reduces with an increase in shear strain and the rate of reduction is very high at low strains for all the samples. It can be seen that as the confining pressure increases, the normalized shear modulus value also increases and the rate of increment is higher for the assemblies consisting of non-spherical particles. Furthermore, for all the samples the threshold shear strain is about 0.001 up to which the behaviour is elastic. Beyond the threshold shear strain, the variation of the normalized shear modulus ratio is non-linear. At small shear strains, the energy dissipation is low resulting in smaller values of damping. As the strains increase, the non-linearity in the constitutive behaviour results in higher material damping leading to high damping value. The simulations of the food polishing machine helps to understand the pattern of hitting of clumped grains on the wall with due importance to the velocity of hit, angle of hit, force of hit, and the number of grains hitting the wall. The modeling and subsequent extraction of the data helped to identify that the wear and tear of the machine was not uniform and was clustered to specific regions due to the non-uniform distribution of the considered parameters. This helped to design a more sophisticated system such that the parts which are subjected to more deterioration are provided with additional support. To bring out the effect of the particle shape, simulations are performed using spherical particles and the results show that the pattern of variation is same, but the magnitudes are different owing to the less surface area associated with the spherical particles. The 3-D simulations of an underground tunnel assembly in a weak weathered rock helped to understand the variation in the stability of the system with and without lining. It was observed that the introduction of lining resulted in a more stable configuration and the circumferential stresses were found to be distributed uniformly around the tunnel. FEM simulations also show a similar trend of stress and strain variations but were unable to capture the ground loosening around the tunnel and the formation of the ground arch whereas DEM could realistically capture all these phenomena. It was observed that as the shape changes from sphere to non-spherical particles, circumferential stresses around the tunnels increased. In addition, as the distance from the tunnel face increases, the strains are reduced. The maximum vertical strain near the crown of the tunnel is observed for the assembly consisting of spherical particles. In short, this research is focused on a comprehensive understanding of the particle shape effect on the mechanical behaviour of granular mass. Numerical simulations incorporating the shape effect has been done on drained and undrained monotonic shear tests, critical state, liquefaction, post liquefaction and dynamic properties. Besides, the granular dynamics simulation of the movement of long food grains in a food polishing machine and the behaviour of an underground tunnel in a granular assembly is also reported.

Energy related geo-systems involve a wide range of engineering solutions from energy piles to energy geo-storage facilities and waste repositories (CO₂, nuclear). The analysis and design of these systems require proper understanding of geo-materials, their properties and their response to extreme temperature and high stress excitations, the implications of mixed-fluid conditions when contrasting fluid viscosities and densities are involved, the effect of static and cyclic coupled hydro-thermo-chemo-mechanical excitations, and rate effects on the response of long design-life facilities. This study places emphasis on thermal geo-systems and associated physical properties. Uncemented soils and rocks are considered. The research approach involves data compilation, experimental studies and analytical methods. Emphasis is also placed to engineer geomaterials in order to attain enhanced performance in energy geo-systems. The thermal conductivity and stiffness of most geomaterials decrease as temperature increases but increase with effective stress. This macroscale response is intimately related to contact-scale conduction and deformation processes at interparticle contacts. Pore-filling liquids play a critical role in heat conduction as liquids provide efficient conduction paths that can diminish the effects of thermal contact resistance. Conversely, grains and fluids can be selected to attain very low thermal conductivity in order to create mechanically sound thermal barriers. In the case of rock masses, heat (and gas) recovery can be enhanced by injecting fluids at high pressure to cause hydraulic fractures. Scaled experiments reveal the physical meaning of hydraulic fractures in pre-structured rocks (e.g., shale) and highlight the extensive self-propped dilational distortion the medium experiences. This result explains the higher production rate from shale gas and fractured geothermal reservoirs that is observed in the field, contrary to theoretical predictions.

In a proposed design for a concentrated solar power tower, sand is irradiated by solar energy and transfers its energy to another fluid stream by means of a finned tube heat exchanger. To maximize heat transfer and minimize potential damage to the heat exchanger, it is desired to have a very uniform flow through the heat exchanger. However, performing full scale flow tests can be expensive, impractical, and depending upon the specific quantities of interest, unsuitable for revealing the details of what it happening inside of the flow stream. Thus, the discrete element method has been used to simulate and study particulate flows. In this project, the flow of small glass beads through a square pyramid shaped hopper and a wedge shaped hopper were studied at the lab scale. These flows were also simulated using computers running two versions of discrete element modeling software – EDEM and LIGGGHTS. The simulated results were compared against the lab scale flows and against each other. They show that, in general, the discrete element method can be used to simulate lab scale particulate flows as long as certain material properties are well known, especially the friction properties of the material. The potential for increasing the accuracy of the simulations, such as using better material property data, non-uniform particle size distributions, and non-spherical particle shapes, as well as simulating heat transfer within a granular flow are also discussed.

Une « boue » est constituée de particules submillimétriques immergées dans un fluide. Nous étudions des boues concentrées (ou « pâtes granulaires »), où la concentration en particules est proche du maximum réalisable. Les particules peuvent être plus denses que le fluide, et sédimenter, ou être équilibrées en densité. Ces deux cas sont examinés, à l’aide d’une boue modèle. Nous étudions les écoulements de ces boues dans une cellule de Couette. Les expériences utilisent des méthodes innovantes, permettant de mesurer les vitesses des grains individuellement et collectivement, et les profils de concentration sous cisaillement. Les expériences apportent des informations nouvelles sur les écoulements, comme l’existence de courants de re-circulation. Les résultats sur les vitesses azimutales et concentrations sont en accord avec la théorie de Morris et Boulay d’équilibre des forces normales, pour un rapport convenable des coefficients viscométriques des forces tangentielle et normales. / Wet granular materials are made of solid particles in high concentration, immersed in a viscous fluid. We investigated particle dynamics in a model granular suspension in Couette geometry, at low Reynolds/Taylor numbers for density and non density matched suspension. We used innovated techniques such as: Single Particle Tracking (SPT), Multi Particles Video Trajectography (MPVT) and Concentration Photometry (CP). These experiments allow us to provide information about single and collective motion of grains as well as particle repartition (local volume fraction). We investigated fully 3D velocity profiles in concentrated suspensions, diffusion coefficients, particle fluctuations and recirculation motion, also differential flows. We observe that the flow of non density matched suspensions is localized near the inner cylinder in the low shear rate regime, resulting in a sheared layer only a few particle diameters in thickness, in a way very similar to sheared dry granular materials. At high enough angular velocity, the initially localized flow crosses over to full fluidization: in this regime the granular suspension nearly behaves as a density-matched suspension. Dependence between particles’ velocity and associated fluctuation amplitude is evidenced. Experiments as velocity and concentration profiles were compared with theoretical prediction based on the force balance model and different viscometric laws were investigated for normal and shear forces.