The present thesis aims at developing robust numerical and experimental methods for the simulation of composite adhesive joints. Firstly, a new method for the experimental characterization of adhesive joints is presented. The proposed method widens the range of applicability of the existing methods at the same time that lowers the uncertainty of the results. By means of this method, a critical study on the validity of the existing experimental methods is presented, as well as the thorough characterization of an adhesive in terms of the cohesive laws of the material. The experimental evidences are analyzed to obtain a guideline for the simulation of adhesive joints and a formulation of a new cohesive elements is presented. The proposed formulation allows the simulation of the elastic response, damage and failure of adhesive layers by using experimentally measurable material properties, with no further calibrations required. / L’objectiu de la present tesi és el desenvolupament de mètodes numèrics i experimentals robustos per a la simulació de la fractura en unions adhesives de material compòsit. En primer lloc es presenta un nou mètode per a la caracterització experimental d’unions adhesives que amplia el rang d’aplicació dels mètodes existents i en disminueix la incertesa. A partir d’aquí, es realitza un estudi crític sobre la idoneïtat dels mètodes de caracterització d’unions adhesives existents i es presenta la caracterització exhaustiva d’un adhesiu en termes de la llei cohesiva del material. Les evidencies experimentals obtingudes s’analitzen per tal de proporcionar les directrius necessàries per a la simulació d’unions adhesives i es presenta la formulació d’un nou element cohesiu per modelar la resposta elàstica, el dany i la fallada d’adhesius. El model proposat permet l’ús de propietats del material mesurables experimentalment, sense la necessitat de dur a terme ajustaments o calibratges addicionals.

L’étude expérimentale du transport de soluté dans les milieux poreux montre des écarts à la loi de Fick. D’autre part, des progrès importants ont été accomplis sur le transport en milieu poreux, en supposant que les fluides (et les traceurs) en mouvement dans ces milieux sont arrêtés pendant des durées aléatoires. La matrice solide rend cette idée plausible. Nous étudions un modèle utilisant cette idée en l’associant à des durées d’immobilisation sans moyenne finie, en fait distribuées par des lois de Lévy. On arrive ainsi au modèle MIM fractionnaire, ou fractal.Ce modèle est une équation aux dérivées partielles pour la densité de traceur. Il équivaut à supposer que les particules de fluide et de traceur font des déplacements régis par un processus stochastique. Ce dernier est la limite hydrodynamique de marches au hasard fondées sur des déplacements convectifs, des sauts gaussiens, et des arrêts distribués suivant une loi de Lévy. Ces deux versions du même modèle donnent deux méthodes de simulation numérique.Nous montrons comment mettre en œuvre ces méthodes. Ceci a pour but la maîtrise d’outils de simulation, afin de comparer avec des données expérimentales pour savoir si ce modèle convient pour décrire le transport dans un milieu donné. Cette simulation, pour être efficace, nécessite la connaissance des paramètres du transport de soluté au sein du milieu donné. Ils sont difficilement mesurables et/ou identifiables en pratique. Donc, il faut pouvoir les estimer à partir de grandeurs qu’on sait mesurer directement, comme la densité d’un traceur. Pour cela, nous avons mis en place une méthode d’inversion qui permet d’extraire les paramètres du modèle MIM fractionnaire, à partir de données expérimentales. Cette méthode d’inversion est basée sur la transformation de Laplace. Elle utilise le lien entre les paramètres de transport du modèle MIM fractionnaire, et les dérivées de la transformée de Laplace des solutions de ce modèle. Ce lien est exact dans un milieu semi-infini, et seulement approché dans un milieu fini.Après avoir testé cette méthode en l’appliquant à des données numériques en essayant de retrouver leurs paramètres à "l’aveugle", nous l’appliquons à des données issues d’une expérience de traçage en milieu poreux insaturé / Appealing models for mass transport in porous media assume that fluid and tracer particles can be trapped during random periods. Among them, the fractional version of the Mobile Immobile Model (f-MIM) was found to agree with several tracer test data recorded in environmental media.This model is equivalent to a stochastic process whose density probability function satisfies an advection-diffusion equation equipped with a supplementary time derivative, of non-integer order. The stochastic process is the hydrodynamic limit of random walks accumulating convective displacements, diffusive displacements, and stagnation steps of random duration distributed by a stable Lévy law having no finite average. Random walk and fractional differential equation provide complementary simulation methods.We describe that methods, in view of having tools for comparing the model with tracer test data consisting of time concentration curves. An other essential step in this direction is finding the four parameters of the fractional equation which make its solutions fit at best given sets of such data. Hence, we also present an inversion method adapted to the f-MIM. This method is based on Laplace transform. It exploits the link between model's parameters and Laplace transformed solutions to f-MIM equation. The link is exact in semi-infinite domains. After having checked inverse method's efficiency for numerical artificial data, we apply it to real tracer test data recorded in non-saturated porous sand

Les nanocomposites présentent des propriétés uniques dont l'origine est sujette à débat. Dans ce travail, nous cherchons à déterminer quel est l'impact de la morphologie de la charge et de son état de distribution sur les propriétés des matériaux. Pour cela, nous avons étendu un modèle théorique que nous résolvons numériquement.Nous avons étudié l'effet de la distribution des charges dans la matrice. Nous montrons qu'un état de distribution fortement hétérogène conduit à un renforcement plus important qui s'étend dans une plus large gamme de températures, mais augmente aussi la dissipation d'énergie. Ensuite, nous étudions l'effet de la structure des charges. Des particules parfaitement sphériques sont comparées à des agrégats fractals plus ou moins finement définis. Nous montrons que des objets finement définis peuvent s'imbriquer au sein de la matrice et conduisent à une augmentation du renfort et de la dissipation dans ces matériaux.Puis, nous étudions la réponse de nos systèmes lorsqu'ils sont soumis à une première élongation de forte amplitude. Nous montrons alors qu'un système hétérogène se plastifie localement progressivement au cours de la déformation alors qu'un système homogène présente une plastification catastrophique généralisée à partir d'une déformation critique. Enfin dans une dernière partie nous évaluons la possibilité d'étendre le modèle afin de simuler l'endommagement des nanocomposites. Nous introduisons pour cela un critère rupture local afin de prendre en compte l'endommagement du polymère entre les charges. Nous étudions ensuite comment se comportent les matériaux simulés en faisant varier la morphologie de la charge, son état de distribution et son taux.Ce travail constitue la première étude systématique de l'effet de la morphologie et de la distribution des charges sur les propriétés mécaniques des nanocomposites. Nous montrons que ces paramètres peu contrôlés sont pourtant des paramètres clés et peuvent servir à optimiser les propriétés d’usage d'un nanocomposite / Nano-filled elastomer composites are used in a very broad range of applications such as tires, damping materials and impact modifiers. The addition of nanoscale rigid particles in a polymer matrix induces nonlinear effects that are not yet fully understood far above the glass transition temperature of the pure matrix. A model of the reinforcement of nanocomposites based on the reduced mobility of the polymer confined between two spherical filler particles has been developed over the last ten years. In order to study the influence of the filler shape, structure, size, and dispersion state, we have extended the model were the morphology of the fillers is defined explicitly as spherical particles aggregated in the polymer matrix. The model is then solved by mesoscale numerical simulation in order to describe the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite. We study the mechanical response of nanocomposite filled with aggregates of different shapes and distribution state to deformations of various amplitudes in the reinforcement regime. We show that the mechanical behavior of nanocomposites strongly depends on the filler morphology and we propose that stress-relaxation mechanisms in the material are related to the disorder (particle size, aggregation number, distribution state) in the filler population. In a second part of this work, we study the mechanical response at larger amplitude in both a non-destructive and destructive regime. For that matter, the model has been extended in order to account for damaging of the polymer between filler particles.Our model opens the path for the development of systems with tailored properties by adjusting the fillers morphology and distribution.

L’Alliage à Mémoire de Forme (AMF) est un matériau intelligent ayant de nombreuses applications dans l'industrie aérospatiale, le génie civil, ainsi que dans le domaine biomédical. Dans toutes ces applications, le matériau est soumis à un chargement cyclique ce qui le rend vulnérable vis-à-vis du phénomène de la fatigue. Une des questions importantes dans l'étude de la fatigue de l’AMF polycristallin est l'interaction entre l’endommagement local et la transformation de phase martensitique; cette transformation se déroule dans un mode homogène macroscopique ou un mode hétérogène se traduisant par la formation de bandes de Lüders en raison de la localisation de la déformation et du changement de phase. La formation et l'évolution de ces bandes influence fortement les mécanismes physiques de déformation ainsi que l’endommagement par fatigue du matériau. Dans la littérature, on ne trouve pas d’études permettant de faire le lien entre la formation et l’évolution des bandes de localisation et la fatigue du matériau. Dans cette thèse, des expériences systématiques de fatigue en traction sont réalisées sur les éprouvettes pseudo-élastiques du Nickel-Titane avec des observations optiques in-situ de l’évolution des macro-bandes. Ces observations ont permis de retracer l'histoire de la déformation locale dans les zones où la rupture se produit. Ces résultats expérimentaux permettent de mieux comprendre le comportement de fatigue ainsi que sa dépendance par rapport à la contrainte appliquée ainsi que la fréquence du chargement. En particulier, il a été prouvé que la déformation locale résiduelle représente un meilleur indicateur de l’endommagement du matériau que la déformation résiduelle nominale/globale de la structure. / Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) is a typical smart material having many applications from aerospace industry, mechanical and civil engineering, to biomedical devices, where the material’s fatigue is a big concern. One of the challenging issues in studying the fatigue behaviors of SMA polycrystals is the interaction between the material damage and the martensitic phase transformation which takes place in a macroscopic homogeneous mode or a heterogeneous mode (forming macroscopic patterns (Lüders-like bands) due to the localized deformations and localized heating/cooling). Such pattern formation and evolution imply the governing physical mechanisms in the material system such as the fatigue process, but there is still no fatigue study of SMAs by tracing the macro-band patterns and the local material responses. To bridge this gap, systematic tensile fatigue experiments are conducted on pseudoelastic NiTi polycrystalline strips by in-situ optical observation on the band-pattern evolutions and by tracing the deformation history of the cyclic phase transformation zones where fatigue failure occurs. These experimental results help to better understand the stress- and frequency-dependent fatigue behaviors. Particularly, it is found that the local residual strain rather than the structural nominal/global residual strain is a good indicator on the material’s damage leading to the fatigue failure, which is important for understanding and modeling the fatigue process in SMAs.

Earthquakes are among the most destructive natural disasters affecting urban populations. Structural damage caused by the earthquakes varies depending not only on the seismic source and propagation properties but also on the soil properties. The amplitude and frequency content of seismic shear waves reaching the earth&rsquo / s surface is dependent on local soil conditions. It is well known that the soft sediments on top of hard bedrock can greatly amplify the ground motion and cause severe structural damage. When the fundamental period of the soil is close to the fundamental period of a structure, structural damage increases significantly. Estimation of the fundamental periods, amplification factors and types of soils is critical in terms of reduction of loss and casualties. For the reasons stated, estimation of dynamic behavior of soils has become one of the major topics of earthquake engineering. Studies for determining dynamic properties of soils depend fundamentally on the estimation of the S-wave velocity profiles, amplification factors and ground response. In this study first, the Multi-Mode Spatial Autocorrelation (MMSPAC) method is used to estimate the S-wave velocity profiles at the sites of interest. This method is different than the other ones in the sense that it works for the higher modes as well as the fundamental mode. In the second part, Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) method will be used on both microtremor and ground motion data. Finally, the amplification factors from alternative methods are compared with each other. Consistent results are obtained in terms of both fundamental frequencies and amplification factors.

Deep knowledge of combustion phenomena is of great scientific and technological interest. In fact, better design of combustion equipments (furnaces, boilers, engines, etc) can contribute both in the energy efficiency and in the reduction of pollutant formation. One of the limitations to design combustion equipments, or even predict simple flames, is the resolution of the mathematical formulation. Analytical solutions are not feasible, and recently numerical techniques have received enormous interest. Even though the ever-increasing computational capacity, the numerical resolution requires large computational resources due to the inherent complexity of the phenomenon (viz. multidimensional flames, finite rate kinetics, radiation in participating media, turbulence, etc). Thus, development of capable mathematical models reducing the complexity and the stiffness as well as efficient numerical techniques are of great interest.The main contribution of the thesis is the analysis and application of the laminar flamelet concept to the numerical simulation of both laminar and turbulent non-premixed flames. Assuming a one-dimensional behavior of combustion phenomena in the normal direction to the flame front, and considering an appropriate coordinates transformation, flamelet approaches reduce the complexity of the problem.The numerical methodology employed is based on the finite volume technique and a parallel multiblock algorithm is used obtaining an excellent parallel efficiency. A post-processing verification tool is applied to assess the quality of the numerical solutions.Before dealing with flamelet approaches, a co-flow partially premixed methane/air laminar flame is studied for different levels of partial premixing. A comprehensive study is performed considering different mathematical formulations based on the full resolution of the governing equations and their validation against experimental data from the literature. Special attention is paid to the prediction of pollutant formation.After the full resolution of the governing equations, the mathematical formulation of the flamelet equations and a deep study of the hypothesis assumed are presented. The non-premixed methane/air laminar flame is considered to apply the flamelet modelling approach, comparing the results with the simulations obtained with the full resolution of the governing equations. Steady flamelets show a proper performance to predict the main flame features when differential diffusion and radiation are neglected, while unsteady flamelets are more suitable to account for these effects as well as pollutant formation. Assumptions of the flamelet equations, the scalar dissipation rate modelling, and the evaluation of the Lagrangian flamelet time for unsteady flamelets are specially analysed. For the numerical simulation of turbulent flames, the mathematical formulation based on mass-weighted time-averaging techniques, using RANS EVM two-equation models is considered. The laminar flamelet concept with a presumed PDF is taken into account. An extended Eddy Dissipation Concept model is also applied for comparison purposes. A piloted non-premixed methane/air turbulent flame is studied comparing the numerical results with experimental data from the literature. A clear improvement in the prediction of slow processes is shown when the transient term in the flamelet equations is retained. Radiation is a key aspect to properly define the thermal field and, consequently, species such as nitrogen oxides. Finally, the consideration of the round-jet anomaly is of significant importance to estimate the flame front position.In conclusion, flamelet modelling simulations are revealed to be an accurate approach for the numerical simulation of laminar and turbulent non-premixed flames. Detailed chemistry can be taken into account and the stiffness of the chemistry term is solved in a pre-processing task. Pollutant formation can be predicted considering unsteady flamelets.

The numerical simulation model presented is based on the integration of the fluid conservation equations (continuity, momentum and energy) in the whole compressor domain (compression chamber, valves, manifolds, mufflers, connecting tubes, parallel paths, etc.) using instantaneous local mean values for the different variables. It is interesting to remark how momentum equation has been taken into account in all compressor parts and the possibility to solve parallel paths, resonators, etc. Effective flow areas are evaluated considering multidimensional models based on modal analysis of fluid interaction in the valve. Then, second and third order vibration models of valve are also considered. The possibility to use compound bound has been also implemented.The force balances in the crankshaft connecting rod mechanical system are simultaneously solved at each time-step considered in the thermal and fluid dynamic compressor model. It allows to evaluate the instantaneous compression chamber volume and the different forces in the crankshaft connecting rod mechanical system. Mechanical system forces allows to know important information to predict possibleover-stresses in piston, piston pin, crankshaft, connecting rod, etc.The thermal analysis of the solid elements is based on global energy balances at each macro volume considered (shell, muffler, tubes, cylinder head, crankcase, motor, etc.). Some improvements can be implemented (shell conduction, heat transfer coefficient evaluation, etc.).The resulting governing equations (fluid flow, valve dynamics, conduction heat transfer in solids, etc.) are discretized by means of a fully implicit control volume formulation. The complete set of algebraic equations are coupled using the segregated he complete set of algebraic equations are coupled using the segregated pressure based algorithm Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure-Linked Equations(SIMPLEC) extended to compressible flow. Second and third time order schemes have been implemented for the transient terms.An extensive hermetic reciprocating compressor experimental validation has been presented and the experimental know-how acquired has been highlighted. Furthermore, two commercial hermetic reciprocating compressor have been instrumented in detail to obtain the thermal temperatures map and the pressure fluid evolutions along compressor for different working conditions. It is interesting to remark as a novelty, the use of very small absolute pressure transducers, instead of the standard relative transducers. They allow to know instantaneous absolute pressure inside compressor chamber, without the necessity of measurement an absolute pressure outside the compression chamber (as is usual in this kind of experimental works). The global comparative results have allowed to check the possibilities of the numerical simulation presented above and its accuracy compared with experimental data. After that, this work show the capabilities offered by the simulation presented and its final objective, a better understanding of the thermal and fluid dynamic compressor behaviour to improve the design of these equipments.Then, the objective has been to review and present different physically meaningful parameters that characterize the reciprocating compressor behaviour (volumetric efficiency, isentropic efficiency, heat transfer efficiency, mechanical, electrical and heat losses, Coefficient of Performance, etc.), their influence detachment and evolution under different working conditions, with the idea to predict the performance of hermetic reciprocating compressors under different working conditions using the above mentioned non-dimensional parameters.Finally, a parametric study of hermetic reciprocating compressors behaviour has been carried out. Results presented show the influence of different aspects (geometry, valves, motor, working conditions, etc.) in the compressor behaviour. The parametric studies and compressor characterization detachment allows also a better implementation of simplest models of the compressors in the thermal and fluid dynamic numerical simulation of vapour compressor cycles together with the rest of elements.

Several series of experiments in stratified and in rotating/stratified decaying flows after a grid is used to stir the two layer stable fluid brine and fresh water set up. We measure by comparing the gained potential energy with the available kinetic energy AKE, the relative efficiency of mixing. The experiments in stratified rotating flows with grid driven turbulence were both periodic (quasi stationary) and non-monotonic (decaying) forcing. This thesis compares experimental, numerical and field observations on the structure and Topology of the Stratified Rotating Flows as well as their decay, the horizontal spectra changes appreciable with slopes from 1.1 to 5, but vorticity and local circulation, and also the initial topology and forcing of the flow. A detailed study of the vorticity decay and vortex and energy structure has been performed, the new results show that neither stratified nor rotating flows exhibit pure 2D structures. The work parameterizes the role of the Richardson number and the Rossby number, both in the experiments and in the ocean visualizations is very important. The conditions of vortex decay show the effects of the internal waves in the decay turbulent conditions both for stratified and rotating flows. The parameter space (Re,Ri,Ro) has been used to interpret many previously disconnected explanations of the 2D-3D turbulent behaviour. The comparison of numerical simulations with experiments has allowed implementing new theoretical aspects of the interaction between waves and vortices finding the surprising and very interesting result that these interactions depend on the level of enstrophy. This also leads to new ways of using multifractal analysis ad intermittency in ocean environmental observations. A large collection of SAR images obtained from three European coastal areas were used for routine satellite analysis by SAR and other sensors, which seem very important to build seasonal databases of the dynamic conditions of ocean mixing. The topology of the basic flow is very important and in particular the topology of the vortices and their decay which depends on ambient factors such as wave activity, wind and currents. We find more realistic estimates of the spatial/temporal non-homogeneities (and intermittency obtained as spatial correlations of the turbulent dissipation); these values are used to parameterize the sea surface turbulence, as well as a laboratory experiments at a variety of scales. Using multi-fractal geometry as well, we can establish now a theoretical pattern for the turbulence behaviour that is reflected in the different descriptors. Vorticity evolution is smoother and different than that of scalar or tracer density. The correlation between the local Ri and the fractal dimension detected from energy or entropy is good. Using multi-fractal geometry we can also establish certain regions of higher local activity used to establish the geometry of the turbulence mixing that needs to be studied in detail when interpreting the complex balance between the direct 3D Kolmogorov type cascade and the Inverse 2D Kraichnan type cascade.

This thesis addresses the kinematic analysis of mechanisms, in particular, the position analysis of kinematic chains, or linkages, that is, mechanisms with rigid bodies (links) interconnected by kinematic pairs (joints). This problem, of completely geometrical nature, consists in finding the feasible assembly modes that a kinematic chain can adopt. An assembly mode is a possible relative transformation between the links of a kinematic chain. When an assignment of positions and orientations is made for all links with respect to a given reference frame, an assembly mode is called a configuration. The methods reported in the literature for solving the position analysis of kinematic chains can be classified as graphical, analytical, or numerical. The graphical approaches are mostly geometrical and designed to solve particular problems. The analytical and numerical methods deal, in general, with kinematic chains of any topology and translate the original geometric problem into a system of kinematic analysis of all the Assur kinematic chains resulting from replacing some of its revolute joints by slider joints. Thus, it is concluded that the polynomials of all fully-parallel planar robots can be derived directly from that of the widely known 3-RPR robot. In addition to these results, this thesis also presents an efficient procedure, based on distance and oriented area constraints, and geometrical arguments, to trace coupler curves of pin-jointed Gr¨ubler kinematic chains. All these techniques and results together are contributions to theoretical kinematics of mechanisms, robot kinematics, and distance plane geometry. equations that defines the location of each link based, mainly, on independent loop equations. In the analytical approaches, the system of kinematic equations is reduced to a polynomial, known as the characteristic polynomial of the linkage, using different elimination methods —e.g., Gr¨obner bases or resultant techniques. In the numerical approaches, the system of kinematic equations is solved using, for instance, polynomial continuation or interval-based procedures. In any case, the use of independent loop equations to solve the position analysis of kinematic chains, almost a standard in kinematics of mechanisms, has seldom been questioned despite the resulting system of kinematic equations becomes quite involved even for simple linkages. Moreover, stating the position analysis of kinematic chains directly in terms of poses, with or without using independent loop equations, introduces two major disadvantages: arbitrary reference frames has to be included, and all formulas involve translations and rotations simultaneously. This thesis departs from this standard approach by, instead of directly computing Cartesian locations, expressing the original position problem as a system of distance-based constraints that are then solved using analytical and numerical procedures adapted to their particularities. In favor of developing the basics and theory of the proposed approach, this thesis focuses on the study of the most fundamental planar kinematic chains, namely, Baranov trusses, Assur kinematic chains, and pin-jointed Gr¨ubler kinematic chains. The results obtained have shown that the novel developed techniques are promising tools for the position analysis of kinematic chains and related problems. For example, using these techniques, the characteristic polynomials of most of the cataloged Baranov trusses can be obtained without relying on variable eliminations or trigonometric substitutions and using no other tools than elementary algebra. An outcome in clear contrast with the complex variable eliminations require when independent loop equations are used to tackle the problem. The impact of the above result is actually greater because it is shown that the characteristic polynomial of a Baranov truss, derived using the proposed distance-based techniques, contains all the necessary and sufficient information for solving the position / Esta tesis aborda el problema de análisis de posición de cadenas cinemáticas, mecanismos con cuerpos rígidos (enlaces) interconectados por pares cinemáticos (articulaciones). Este problema, de naturaleza geométrica, consiste en encontrar los modos de ensamblaje factibles que una cadena cinemática puede adoptar. Un modo de ensamblaje es una transformación relativa posible entre los enlaces de una cadena cinemática. Los métodos reportados en la literatura para la solución del análisis de posición de cadenas cinemáticas se pueden clasificar como gráficos, analíticos o numéricos. Los enfoques gráficos son geométricos y se diseñan para resolver problemas particulares. Los métodos analíticos y numéricos tratan con cadenas cinemáticas de cualquier topología y traducen el problema geométrico original en un sistema de ecuaciones cinemáticas que define la ubicación de cada enlace, basado generalmente en ecuaciones de bucle independientes. En los enfoques analíticos, el sistema de ecuaciones cinemáticas se reduce a un polinomio, conocido como el polinomio característico de la cadena cinemática, utilizando diferentes métodos de eliminación. En los métodos numéricos, el sistema se resuelve utilizando, por ejemplo, la continuación polinomial o procedimientos basados en intervalos. En cualquier caso, el uso de ecuaciones de bucle independientes, un estándar en cinemática de mecanismos, rara vez ha sido cuestionado a pesar de que el sistema resultante de ecuaciones es bastante complicado, incluso para cadenas simples. Por otra parte, establecer el análisis de la posición de cadenas cinemáticas directamente en términos de poses, con o sin el uso de ecuaciones de bucle independientes, presenta dos inconvenientes: sistemas de referencia arbitrarios deben ser introducidos, y todas las fórmulas implican traslaciones y rotaciones de forma simultánea. Esta tesis se aparta de este enfoque estándar expresando el problema de posición original como un sistema de restricciones basadas en distancias, en lugar de directamente calcular posiciones cartesianas. Estas restricciones son posteriormente resueltas con procedimientos analíticos y numéricos adaptados a sus particularidades. Con el propósito de desarrollar los conceptos básicos y la teoría del enfoque propuesto, esta tesis se centra en el estudio de las cadenas cinemáticas planas más fundamentales, a saber, estructuras de Baranov, cadenas cinemáticas de Assur, y cadenas cinemáticas de Grübler. Los resultados obtenidos han demostrado que las técnicas desarrolladas son herramientas prometedoras para el análisis de posición de cadenas cinemáticas y problemas relacionados. Por ejemplo, usando dichas técnicas, los polinomios característicos de la mayoría de las estructuras de Baranov catalogadas se puede obtener sin realizar eliminaciones de variables o sustituciones trigonométricas, y utilizando solo álgebra elemental. Un resultado en claro contraste con las complejas eliminaciones de variables que se requieren cuando se utilizan ecuaciones de bucle independientes. El impacto del resultado anterior es mayor porque se demuestra que el polinomio característico de una estructura de Baranov, derivado con las técnicas propuestas, contiene toda la información necesaria y suficiente para resolver el análisis de posición de las cadenas cinemáticas de Assur que resultan de la sustitución de algunas de sus articulaciones de revolución por articulaciones prismáticas. De esta forma, se concluye que los polinomios de todos los robots planares totalmente paralelos se pueden derivar directamente del polinomio característico del conocido robot 3-RPR. Adicionalmente, se presenta un procedimiento eficaz, basado en restricciones de distancias y áreas orientadas, y argumentos geométricos, para trazar curvas de acoplador de cadenas cinemáticas de Grübler. En conjunto, todas estas técnicas y resultados constituyen contribuciones a la cinemática teórica de mecanismos, la cinemática de robots, y la geometría plana de distancias. Barcelona 13-

The heart does not regenerate new functional tissue when myocardium dies following coronary artery occlusion, or is defective. Ventricular restoration involves excising the infarct and replacing it with a cardiac patch to restore the heart to a more efficient condition. The goal of this study was to design and develop a myocardial patch to replace myocardial infarctions. A basic design was developed that is composed of 3D microfibrous mats that house mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from umbilical cord matrix (Wharton&rsquo / s Jelly) aligned parallel to each other, and biodegradable macroporous tubings to supply growth media into the structure. Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) prepolimer was synthesized and blended with P(L-D,L)LA and/or PHBV, to produce aligned microfiber (dia 1.16 - 1.37 &amp / #956 / m) mats and macroporous tubings. Hydrophilicity and softness of the polymer blends were found to be improved as a result of PGS introduction. The Wharton&rsquo / s Jelly (WJ) MSCs were characterized by determination of their cell surface antigens with flow cytometry and by differentiating them into cells of mesodermal lineage (osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes). Cardiomyogenic differentiation potential of WJ MSCs in presence of differentiation factors was studied with RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. WJ MSCs expressed cardiomyogenic transcription factors even in their undifferentiated state. Expression of a ventricular sarcomeric protein was observed upon differentiation. The electrospun, aligned microfibrous mats of PHBV-P(L-D,L)LA-PGS blends allowed penetration of WJ MSCs and improved cell proliferation. To obtain the 3D myocardial graft, the WJ MSCs were seeded on the mats, which were then wrapped around macroporous tubings. The 3D construct (4 mm x 3.5 cm x 2 mm) was incubated in a bioreactor and maintained the uniform distribution of aligned cells for 2 weeks. The positive effect of nutrient flow within the 3D structure was significant. This study represents an important step towards obtaining a thick, autologous myocardial patch, with structure similar to native tissue and capability to grow, for ventricular restoration.