La caractérisation de la rupture des grains via des techniques d'imagerie par tomographie est un sujet de recherche d'actualité. Les principaux verrous scientifiques et techniques sont associés à la complexité des algorithmes de traitement d'images permettant de suivre le mouvement des grains et leurs ruptures.Dans cette thèse, des approches numériques basées sur le traitement d'images sont proposées afin d'améliorer la compréhension des phénomènes de rupture et de broyage dans les matériaux granulaires dont le comportement est décrit par imagerie.Premièrement, en raison de l'interdépendance de la précision de la segmentation et de la résolution des techniques d'imagerie à l'échelle de la rupture des grains, nous commençons par un état de l'art sur les différentes techniques d’élimination des bruits dans les images de milieux granulaires. Ainsi, une analyse critique des méthodes existantes est établie en se référant aux différents matériaux d'application associés.Deuxièmement, et en vue de mieux capter les informations à partir des images sources, nous proposons une nouvelle approche qui consiste à passer d'une approche morphologique par bassin versant à la segmentation des géo matériaux à une approche hiérarchique. Aussi itérons-nous les moyens par lesquels la segmentation spécifique aux différents contextes d'application de l'imagerie peut être réalisée.Troisièmement, nous présentons un modèle original pour capter les ruptures des grains en se basant sur le traitement d'images statiques; sans considération de motion pour, enfin, présenter des modèles spatio-temporels suivant l'évolution de la casse dans les images de matériaux granulaires. / Grain breakage in granular materials has been relatively, difficult to compute and characterise in tomography images. This is based on the perceived complexity of an algorithmic formulation for the characterisation of grains that move and break.In this thesis, we highlight computational approaches that augment the understanding of breakage and crushing phenomena in granular materials. Due to the inter-connectedness of segmentation accuracy and ability to compute for breakage, we start by examining noise removal techniques in granular materials. Noise removal techniques are analysed based on a set of materials to which they applied. Secondly, we deviate from a morphological watershed approach to segmentation of geomaterials, to a hierarchical approach that better captures apriori information from data sources. The ways by which context or image specific segmentation can be achieved is iterated. Thirdly, we present a model for capturing breakage in static images; without the consideration of motion. Finally, we present spatiotemporal models that track the evolution of breakage in images of granular materials.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:57:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PauloASP.pdf: 2445269 bytes, checksum: 158c07b839a3cc9c6803734bb383eed0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-15 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / The use of Progressing Cavity Pumps (PCPs) in artificial lift applications in low deep wells is becoming more common in the oil industry, mainly, due to its ability to pump heavy oils, produce oil with large concentrations of sand, besides present high efficiency when compared to other artificial lift methods. Although this system has been widely used as an oil lift method, few investigations about its hydrodynamic behavior are presented, either experimental or numeric. Therefore, in order to increase the knowledge about the BCP operational behavior, this work presents a novel computational model for the 3-D transient flow in progressing cavity pumps, which includes the relative motion between rotor and stator, using an element based finite volume method. The model developed is able to accurately predict the volumetric efficiency and viscous looses as well as to provide detailed information of pressure and velocity fields inside the pump. In order to predict PCP performance for low viscosity fluids, advanced turbulence models were used to treat, accurately, the turbulent effects on the flow, which allowed for obtaining results consistent with experimental values encountered in literature. In addition to the 3D computational model, a simplified model was developed, based on mass balance within cavities and on simplification on the momentum equations for fully developed flow along the seal region between cavities. This simplified model, based on previous approaches encountered in literature, has the ability to predict flow rate for a given differential pressure, presenting exactness and low CPU requirements, becoming an engineering tool for quick calculations and providing adequate results, almost real-time time. The results presented in this work consider a rigid stator PCP and the models developed were validated against experimental results from open literature. The results for the 3-D model showed to be sensitive to the mesh size, such that a numerical mesh refinement study is also presented. Regarding to the simplified model, some improvements were introduced in the calculation of the friction factor, allowing the application fo the model for low viscosity fluids, which was unsuccessful in models using similar approaches, presented in previous works / O uso de bombas de cavidades progressivas (BCP) para eleva??o artificial de petr?leo em po?os de baixa a m?dia profundidade est? se tornando mais comum na ind?stria do petr?leo devido, dentre outras caracter?sticas, ? sua habilidade de bombear ?leos pesados, produzir ?leo com grandes concentra??es de part?culas s?lidas, e tolerar grandes fra??es de g?s livre. Al?m disso, apresenta alta efici?ncia, quando comparado a outros sistemas de eleva??o artificial. Apesar de este sistema ser bastante utilizado na eleva??o de ?leo, poucas investiga??es acerca do seu comportamento hidrodin?mico podem ser encontradas na literatura. Desta forma, devido ? necessidade de obter um maior dom?nio do comportamento operacional da BCP, este trabalho apresenta um novo modelo computacional para escoamento 3-D transiente em bombas de cavidades progressivas, utilizando o m?todo dos volumes finitos baseado em elementos, no qual se inclui o movimento relativo entre o rotor e o estator. O modelo desenvolvido ? capaz de predizer com exatid?o par?metros operacionais, como efici?ncia volum?trica e perdas viscosas, assim como fornecer informa??es detalhadas dos campos de press?o e velocidade no interior da bomba. Para tornar poss?vel o estudo com BCP s bombeando fluidos de baixa viscosidade, foram utilizados modelos de turbul?ncia avan?ados para tratar adequadamente os efeitos turbulentos no escoamento, os quais permitiram obter informa??es coerentes com a literatura do comportamento da BCP em resultados experimentais. Al?m do modelo tridimensional, este trabalho apresenta um modelo simplificado baseado em um balan?o de massa entre as cavidades e na simplifica??o das equa??es do movimento para escoamento completamente desenvolvido ao longo das linhas de selo entre as cavidades. O modelo simplificado, baseado em abordagens j? utilizadas para este tipo de bomba, tem capacidade de predizer valores de vaz?o para um dado diferencial de press?o, apresentando exatid?o e requerendo pouco trabalho de CPU, tornando-se uma ferramenta de engenharia de uso f?cil, permitindo respostas num?ricas aproximadas em tempo-real. Os resultados apresentados neste trabalho consideraram uma BCP de estator r?gido e os modelos apresentados foram validados com resultados experimentais da literatura. Os resultados para o modelo tridimensional mostraram-se sens?veis ao tamanho da malha, de maneira que um estudo de refinamento de malha ? apresentado. J? no modelo simplificado foram introduzidos alguns melhoramentos no c?lculo do fator de atrito permitindo a aplica??o para fluidos de baixa viscosidade, o que n?o era poss?vel em modelos similares apresentados em trabalhos anteriores

L’imagerie cardiovasculaire par RMN est encore aujourd’hui un véritable défi. La difficulté résidedans la nécessité d’acquérir des images avec de fortes résolutions spatiale et temporelle en un tempslimité, et dans certains cas sur des zones en mouvement. Alors que la plupart des images sont acquisesavec des trajectoires cartésiennes, notre choix s’est porté sur l’utilisation de trajectoires 3D radialescomme alternative. En effet, celles-ci bénéficient de nombreux avantages comme leur faible sensibilitéaux artefacts de mouvements et de flux ainsi que la possibilité de fortement sous-échantillonner lesacquisitions. Ainsi, l’objectif de cette thèse a été de développer de nouvelles méthodes utilisant lespropriétés des acquisitions radiales pour l’imagerie cardiovasculaire 3D anatomique et fonctionnellechez le petit animal à hauts champs magnétiques.Tout d’abord, une méthode de mesure des flux sanguins en 3D a été mise au point, basée sur lephénomène de temps-de-vol. L’utilisation de trajectoires radiales a permis de réduire fortement lestemps d’acquisition tout en améliorant les résolutions spatiale et temporelle des images par rapportaux méthodes cartésiennes.Ensuite, en combinant l’utilisation de nanoparticules de Fer qui possèdent une rémanence vasculaireimportante avec des séquences radiales à temps d’écho ultracourt, nous avons montré que l’acquisitiond’images anatomiques cardiaques et vasculaires très haute résolution pouvait être réalisée de manièreprospective ou bien retrospective grâce à l’ajout d’un écho-navigateur dans la séquence permettantl’auto-synchronisation cardiaque.Enfin, cette même méthode a été employée pour réaliser l’imagerie de flux 4D sur l’entièreté dusystème cardio-pulmonaire de l’animal.Les séquences développées lors de ce travail et les résultats obtenus en imagerie anatomique etfonctionnelle montrent l’intérêt et la robustesse des méthodes non cartésiennes en imagerie préclinique.Elles peuvent ouvrir la voie à de nouvelles stratégies en imagerie clinique. / Cardiovascular imaging using NMR is still a real challenge. The difficulty relies on the need toacquire images with high temporal and spatial resolutions, in a limited acquisition time and in somecases of moving areas. While most images are acquired with cartesian trajectories, the use of 3D radialtrajectories was explored as an alternative. Indeed, they benefit from various advantages like their lowsensitivity to flow and motion artefacts as well as the opportunity to highly undersample acquisitions.Thus, the aim of this thesis was to develop new acquisition strategies using radial trajectory propertiesfor 3D cardiovascular anatomical and functional imaging in small animals at high magnetic fields.First, a method for measuring blood flow in 3D was developped, based on a time-of-flight effect.The use of radial trajectories allowed to highly reduce acquisition times while increasing spatial andtemporal resolutions compared to cartesian acquisitions.Then, combining the injection of iron nanoparticles which have a long vascular remanence withultrashort echot time radial acquisitions, we showed that anatomical cardiac images with a high spatialresolution could be obtained prospectively or restrospectively by adding a navigator echo in thesequence in order to synchronize the reconstruction to the cardiac cycle.Finally, this method was used to perform 4D flow imaging on the entire cardiopulmonary systemof the animals.The sequences developed during this work and the results obtained in anatomical and functionalimaging show the interest and the robustness of non cartesian methods in preclinical imaging. Theypaves the way to the development of new strategies in clinical imaging.Keywords : Preclinical MRI, 3D+t, radial trajectories, cardiovascular, flow measurement.

Avec la forte augmentation actuelle et future du trafic aérien, les questions relatives à la capacité, la sécurité et les effets environnementaux du transport aérien vont se poser de façon chaque fois plus critique. L'objectif général de cette thèse est de contribuer à l'amélioration de l'opération et de l'organisation du trafic aérien dans cette perspective de croissance. Le premier objectif spécifique de cette thèse est de faire la synthèse d'une loi de commande permettant aux avions de transport de suivre avec précision une trajectoire 3D+T. Le deuxième objectif spécifique de cette thèse est d'introduire une organisation particulière des corridors aériens, les airstreams, compatible avec la loi de guidage développée et permettant d'utiliser au mieux la capacité du corridor. Ainsi dans une première étape est introduite la dynamique de guidage des avions de transport, ainsi que les systèmes de guidage et de gestion du vol des avions modernes. Ensuite les principaux éléments de l'organisation de la gestion et du contrôle du trafic aérien sont introduits. La loi de guidage 3D+T est développée, simulée et ses performances sont analysées. L'étude d'une manœuvré de changement de voie dans un airstream est alors menée et mise en œuvre dans le cadre de la gestion du trafic à l'intérieur de celui-ci. Finalement les conclusions et perspectives de cette étude sont présentées / With the increase in air traffic, surely a question of flight efficiency (delays), environment impact and safety arise. This calls for improvements in accuracy of spatial and temporal trajectory tracking. The first main objective of this thesis is to contribute to the synthesis of a space-indexed nonlinear guidance control law for transportation aircraft presenting enhanced tracking performances and to explore the performances and feasibility of a flight guidance control law which is developed based on a space-indexed reference to track a 3D+T reference trajectory using nonlinear dynamic inversion control. The proposed guidance control law present reduced tracking errors and able to meet more easily overfly time constraints. Before presenting the main approaches for the design of the 3D+T guidance control laws; the modern flight guidance and flight dynamics of transportation aircraft, including explicitly wind components are first introduced. Then, a description of the current and modern air traffic organization including the organization of air traffic in high density flow will be shown and this will lead to a description of the Airstreams concept. This proposed concept is to organize main traffic flows in congested airspace along airstreams which are characterized by a three dimensional (3D) common reference track (ASRT). Finally, a scenario to perform basic maneuvers inside the airstream following a 3D+T trajectory using a common space-indexed will be developed and will be used to illustrate the traffic management along an airstream.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:58:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RairamFCA_DISSERT2.pdf: 4758176 bytes, checksum: bfb1653549a50848b4721bda9a78bd6e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-26 / The pumping through progressing cavities system has been more and more employed in the petroleum industry. This occurs because of its capacity of elevation of highly viscous oils or fluids with great concentration of sand or other solid particles. A Progressing Cavity Pump (PCP) consists, basically, of a rotor - a metallic device similar to an eccentric screw, and a stator - a steel tube internally covered by a double helix, which may be rigid or deformable/elastomeric. In general, it is submitted to a combination of well pressure with the pressure generated by the pumping process itself. In elastomeric PCPs, this combined effort compresses the stator and generates, or enlarges, the clearance existing between the rotor and the stator, thus reducing the closing effect between their cavities. Such opening of the sealing region produces what is known as fluid slip or slippage, reducing the efficiency of the PCP pumping system. Therefore, this research aims to develop a transient three-dimensional computational model that, based on single-lobe PCP kinematics, is able to simulate the fluid-structure interaction that occurs in the interior of metallic and elastomeric PCPs. The main goal is to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of PCP s efficiency based on detailed and instantaneous information of velocity, pressure and deformation fields in their interior. To reach these goals (development and use of the model), it was also necessary the development of a methodology for generation of dynamic, mobile and deformable, computational meshes representing fluid and structural regions of a PCP. This additional intermediary step has been characterized as the biggest challenge for the elaboration and running of the computational model due to the complex kinematic and critical geometry of this type of pump (different helix angles between rotor and stator as well as large length scale aspect ratios). The processes of dynamic generation of meshes and of simultaneous evaluation of the deformations suffered by the elastomer are fulfilled through subroutines written in Fortan 90 language that dynamically interact with the CFX/ANSYS fluid dynamic software. Since a structural elastic linear model is employed to evaluate elastomer deformations, it is not necessary to use any CAE package for structural analysis. However, an initial proposal for dynamic simulation using hyperelastic models through ANSYS software is also presented in this research. Validation of the results produced with the present methodology (mesh generation, flow simulation in metallic PCPs and simulation of fluid-structure interaction in elastomeric PCPs) is obtained through comparison with experimental results reported by the literature. It is expected that the development and application of such a computational model may provide better details of the dynamics of the flow within metallic and elastomeric PCPs, so that better control systems may be implemented in the artificial elevation area by PCP / O sistema de bombeamento por cavidades progressivas est? sendo cada vez mais empregado na ind?stria do petr?leo, devido ? sua capacidade de eleva??o de ?leos altamente viscosos ou de fluidos com grandes concentra??es de areia ou outras part?culas s?lidas. Uma Bomba de Cavidades Progressivas (BCP) ? composta, basicamente, por um rotor - uma pe?a met?lica de forma semelhante a um parafuso exc?ntrico, e um estator - um tubo de a?o revestido internamente por uma h?lice dupla, a qual pode ser r?gida ou deform?vel/elastom?rica. Em geral, uma BCP ? submetida a uma combina??o de press?o do po?o com press?o gerada pelo pr?prio processo de bombeio. Em BCPs elastom?ricas, essa combina??o de esfor?os comprime o estator, gerando ou aumentando a folga existente entre o rotor e o estator, reduzindo, portanto, o efeito de veda??o entre suas cavidades. Tal abertura da regi?o de selagem produz o que ? conhecido como escorregamento do fluido, diminuindo, com isso, a efici?ncia de sistema de bombeio por BCP. Dessa maneira, este trabalho se prop?e a desenvolver um modelo computacional tridimensional transiente do processo din?mico da intera??o fluido-estrutural (FSI) que ocorre no interior de BCPs met?licas e elastom?ricas. O objetivo principal ? avaliar, a partir do uso do modelo desenvolvido, as caracter?sticas din?micas de efici?ncia de bombeio por BCPs, em fun??o de informa??es locais e instant?neas detalhadas dos campos de velocidade, press?o e deforma??o no seu interior. Para o alcance de tais metas (desenvolvimento e uso do modelo), fez-se necess?rio o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia pr?pria para gera??o de malhas computacionais din?micas, m?veis e deform?veis, representando as regi?es fluida e estrutural de uma BCP. Tal procedimento caracterizou-se como o maior desafio para a elabora??o do modelo computacional, devido ? cinem?tica complexa e ? geometria cr?tica desse tipo de bomba (?ngulos de h?lice diferentes entre rotor e estator e grandes diferen?as de escala de comprimento). Os processos de gera??o din?mica das malhas e de avalia??o simult?nea das deforma??es sofridas pelo elast?mero s?o realizados atrav?s de sub-rotinas em linguagem Fortran 90, as quais interagem dinamicamente com o software de din?mica dos fluidos computacional CFX/ANSYS. Desde que o modelo linear el?stico ? empregado para avaliar as deforma??es elastom?ricas, n?o ? necess?rio usar nenhum software para an?lise estrutural. Entretanto, uma proposta inicial para simula??o din?mica no ANSYS empregando-se modelos constitutivos hiper-el?sticos para o elast?mero ? tamb?m apresentada no presente trabalho. A valida??o dos resultados produzidos com a presente metodologia (gera??o de malha, simula??o do escoamento em BCPs met?licas e simula??o da intera??o fluido-estrutural em BCPs elastom?ricas) ? obtida atrav?s da compara??o com resultados experimentais reportados pela literatura. Vislumbra-se que o desenvolvimento e aplica??o de tal ferramenta computacional poder?o fornecer maiores detalhes da din?mica do escoamento no interior de BCPs met?licas e elastom?ricas, de maneira que melhores sistemas de controle possam ser implementados na ?rea de eleva??o artificial por BCPs

Torque and drag (T&D) modeling is regarded as extremely helpful in well planning because it helps to predict and prevent drilling problems that might occur during the drilling process. Although T&D software has existed since the 1990s, some confusion still exists over the validity of the models that are used to characterize drilling operations, especially as we extend the length of modern horizontal wells. Moreover, it seems that only minimal improvements have been made to the underlying mathematical models over the last two decades. For normal planning on extended-reach and other challenging wells, T&D modeling provides a guideline for performance. Better modeling is especially important in complex three-dimensional wellbores. To optimize well design, T&D modeling needs to be incorporated into the planning of each well. The following factors should be evaluated: - Optimizing the well planning design - Adapting casing or tubular designs - Changing annulus fluids; for example, oil-based mud lubricates are better than water-based mud - Adjusting operating drilling processes such as reducing sliding distances or rotating to the bottom This project develops software that will give more accurate 3D T&D calculations. Moreover, this research is also widely beneficial in handling wellbore tortuosity which is explained in detail in the text. The new software will optimize the wellbore path and assist significantly in torque and drag calculation in well design.

Torque and drag (T&D) modeling is regarded as extremely helpful in well planning because it helps to predict and prevent drilling problems that might occur during the drilling process. Although T&D software has existed since the 1990s, some confusion still exists over the validity of the models that are used to characterize drilling operations, especially as we extend the length of modern horizontal wells. Moreover, it seems that only minimal improvements have been made to the underlying mathematical models over the last two decades. For normal planning on extended-reach and other challenging wells, T&D modeling provides a guideline for performance. Better modeling is especially important in complex three-dimensional wellbores. To optimize well design, T&D modeling needs to be incorporated into the planning of each well. The following factors should be evaluated: - Optimizing the well planning design - Adapting casing or tubular designs - Changing annulus fluids; for example, oil-based mud lubricates are better than water-based mud - Adjusting operating drilling processes such as reducing sliding distances or rotating to the bottom This project develops software that will give more accurate 3D T&D calculations. Moreover, this research is also widely beneficial in handling wellbore tortuosity which is explained in detail in the text. The new software will optimize the wellbore path and assist significantly in torque and drag calculation in well design.

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in assessing cerebral aneurysmal wall motion, because of its potential connections to the biomechanical conditions of the vessel wall, which could eventually aid the prediction of aneurysmal rupture risk. Such quantification could provide a valid surrogate for the vascular wall status and integrity. However, the vast majority of current morphological indices used in the literature to predict growth and rupture in cerebral aneurysms do not take into account the temporal changes that occur during the cardiac cycle. This is because these indices are derived from image modalities that do not provide sufficient temporal and/or spatial resolution to obtain dynamic aneurysm information, which is expected to be similar to or below image resolution. Among currently available vascular imaging techniques, 3D rotational angiography (3DRA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) have the highest spatial (and temporal) resolution. Still, for a human operator relying solely on qualitative visual observation, even when using images from these modalities, to objectively analyze the small motion and shape changes of the cerebrovasculature of an individual throughout the cardiac cycle is difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, the availability of a robust morphodynamic analysis tool is needed. In this context, this thesis focuses on developing techniques to estimate, quantify and analyze cerebrovascular wall motion, particularly aneurysmal wall motion, using such modalities. The main contributions of the thesis are: 1) a first methodology to estimate and model patient-specific cerebrovascular morphodynamics over one cardiac cycle, through a proposed multiple 2D to 3D image registration framework; 2) an extension of this methodology to provide robust and efficient estimates of cerebrovascular wall motion for clinical evaluation and for further biomechanical modeling of the cerebrovascular wall; 3) a patient study that demonstrates the validity of the developed techniques from clinical practice, through an analysis of 3DRA and DSA images. Each of these contributions is published in or submitted to a peerreviewed international journal. / Durante la última década se ha dado un creciente interés en la evaluación del movimiento de la pared vascular en aneurismas cerebrales. Éste hecho ha sido motivado en gran medida por la relación existente entre dicha motilidad y sus condiciones biomecánicas, pudiendo éstas llegar a ser útiles en la predicción del riesgo de ruptura del aneurisma cerebral analizado. De este modo, de ésta cuantificación, se podría llegar a derivar un indicador indirecto del estado e integridad de la pared vascular. Sin embargo, la gran mayoría de los índices morfológicos utilizados en la actualidad para predecir crecimiento y ruptura de aneurismas cerebrales no consideran los cambios que se producen en el tiempo a lo largo del ciclo cardíaco. Esto se debe a que dichos índices se obtienen a partir de modalidades de imagen que no proporcionan suficiente resolución espacial y/o temporal para obtener información dinámica del aneurisma, cuyo rango de variación se espera sea similar o inferior a la resolución de la imagen. Entre las técnicas de imagen vascular disponibles en la actualidad, la angiografía rotacional 3D (3DRA) y la angiografía de substracción digital (DSA) son las que ofrecen la mayor resolución espacial (y temporal). De todos modos, aún utilizando imágenes de estas modalidades, el análisis objetivo de pequeñas diferencias de forma y movimiento en los vasos cerebrales de un individuo a lo largo de un ciclo cardíaco es difícil, si no imposible para un operador humano utilizando únicamente medidas cualitativas guiadas por inspección visual. Por lo tanto, la disponibilidad de herramientas robustas para el análisis morfodinámico de la vasculatura cerebral resulta necesaria. En este contexto, la investigación de esta tesis se concentra en el desarrollo de técnicas para estimar, cuantificar y analizar el movimiento de las paredes de los vasos cerebrales, con particular énfasis en el movimiento de la pared en aneurismas, utilizando las modalidades indicadas anteriormente. En líneas generales, esta tesis presenta tres contribuciones principales: 1) una primera metodología de estimación y modelado morfodinámico de vasos cerebrales a lo largo de un ciclo cardíaco, utilizando una técnica de registrado de imágenes 2D-3D; 2) una metodología extendida para proporcionar una estimación robusta y eficiente del movimiento de las paredes de los vasos cerebrales para su evaluación clínica y posterior modelado biomecánico de dichas paredes; 3) un estudio sobre una población de pacientes que demuestra la validez de las técnicas desarrolladas en la práctica clínica, a través del análisis en imágenes de 3DRA y DSA. Cada una de estas contribuciones ha sido publicada o se encuentra en fase de revisión en revistas internacionales indexadas.

L'animation de personnages virtuels guidée par des données fait l'objet de nombreuses études dans le domaine de l'informatique graphique. Dans ce contexte, le mouvement est classiquement défini par une suite de squelettes au cours du temps, chacun étant décrit par un vecteur de positions et de rotations. Le maillage 3D est ensuite guidé par les squelettes au moyen d'un couplage défini explicitement. L'enchaînement des différentes étapes de ce processus est difficile à mettre en oeuvre, et conduit à des approximations et des erreurs de modélisation, à la fois au niveau de l'animation du squelette et de la déformation du maillage. Dans ce manuscrit nous proposons d'étudier d'autres représentations du mouvement par le biais d'un ensemble de relations spatiales. Cette approche nous permet de tenir compte implicitement de contraintes de distance entre les points de la structure articulée, du maillage et de l'environnement, et d'exprimer en particulier la notion de contact. Deux axes d'étude sont principalement abordés~: le premier considère le mouvement dans l'espace métrique, et le second caractérise chaque posture par son information différentielle dans l'espace Laplacien. Dans un premier temps, nous proposons de représenter les squelettes associés aux postures du mouvement par un ensemble de distances. Caractériser une telle structure dans l'espace métrique se ramène à un formalisme mathématique connu sous le nom de problème de la géométrie des distances. Ainsi, nous nous inspirons des différentes techniques existantes et les appliquons au contrôle du mouvement. L'objectif est de produire de nouveaux mouvements à partir de processus d'édition ou d'inversion cinématique. Nous montrons que cette représentation permet un contrôle simple et intuitif de l'animation d'un personnage. Elle possède également plusieurs propriétés exploitables dans le cadre de l'analyse du mouvement. Ce dernier point est illustré par une application originale de recherche de mouvements dans des grandes bases de données. Dans un second temps, nous définissons le mouvement par un ensemble de graphes dont les sommets sont caractérisés par une information différentielle. A travers cette représentation, nous proposons une nouvelle méthode d'édition du mouvement couplant des contraintes de distance avec l'opérateur Laplacien discret. Cet opérateur permet de préserver les relations spatiales lors de l'édition du mouvement alors que les contraintes de distance préservent certaines propriétés inhérentes au squelette. Ce concept donne lieu à plusieurs applications dédiées à la reconstruction et l'édition de mouvement : (i) l'édition interactive d'animation de squelette, où nous proposons d'éditer tout type de mouvement avec de fortes déformations tout en préservant l'information spatio-temporelle ; (ii) la reconstruction de trajectoires de marqueurs~: en faisant l'hypothèse qu'il existe un lien entre la trajectoire d'un marqueur et celles de ses voisins, nous proposons de reconstruire les trajectoires incomplètes ; (iii) l'animation de maillage où nous proposons un nouveau processus d'animation directement guidé par les trajectoires des marqueurs.