The vertical structures of tropospheric temperature and moisture over the oceans have not been well observed to date. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) aboard NASA?s Aqua satellite offers the opportunity to provide observed soundings of these variables. This thesis focuses on the validation and application of AIRS soundings in the tropical troposphere over the Atlantic Ocean, with emphasis on the Saharan Air Layer (SAL). SAL outbreaks occur every few days, producing a warm air mass that is particularly dry at the middle levels. These westward-propagating plumes inhibit convection and are thereby thought to possess a detrimental effect on African easterly waves and tropical cyclones (TCs). First, AIRS soundings are compared with concurrent Global Positioning System (GPS) dropwindsonde data released from NOAA?s Gulfstream-IV jet aircraft, for three TC cases. In SAL environments, temperature soundings from both instruments are usually consistent. Additionally, AIRS is able to capture the very dry air in the middle levels, but it generally underestimates the moisture in the boundary layer and often misses the sharp vertical moisture gradient at the SAL base (~850 hPa). In the moist tropical boundary layer, AIRS also exhibits a dry bias. Cloud cover also prevents AIRS from accurately sampling the low-level moisture. Next, total precipitable water is derived from AIRS soundings and averaged over daily, monthly and seasonal timescales. The significant monthly and interannual variability of the moisture distribution is found to be consistent with expectations. A peak in the probability density function of mixing ratio corresponding to dry air is observed in the lower-mid troposphere in early summer, consistent with the increased frequency of SAL outbreaks during this period. Finally, the relationship between dry air derived from AIRS and TC intensity is explored. As the amount of dry air increases, particularly in the southeast and northeast quadrants of the TC, the TC becomes more likely to weaken. In the presence of high wind shear or low sea surface temperature, the likelihood of weakening increases further. While these results highlight some shortcomings of the AIRS data, their importance and uniqueness are emphasized via new applications of AIRS soundings over data sparse regions.

Ce travail de thèse porte sur la modélisation et la caractérisation des transferts de chaleur et de masse dans les parois multicouches des bâtiments à ossature bois. Un code instationnaire permettant de simuler les transferts de chaleur et de masse dans une lame d'air en géométrie bidimensionnelle, qui est un élément de la paroi multicouches, a été développé et validé. Les validations numériques en régimes transitoire et stationnaire ont porté sur la totalité des modes de transfert (conduction, écoulement en convection naturelle et forcée, rayonnement entre surfaces, transfert massique et condensation surfacique). Ensuite, ce code intégrant la présence d'une lame d'air dans la paroi a été couplé au code Transpore développé au LERFOB. Ce dernier traite rigoureusement les transferts dans les matériaux solides hygroscopiques. Pour la validation expérimentale du code complet couplé, une cellule expérimentale a été construite et instrumentée pour étudier le comportement hygrothermique des parois étudiées. Cette cellule, régulée thermiquement et hygroscopiquement en température et en humidité relative, a été mise en place au CRITT BOIS d'Epinal. Des comparaisons entre les résultats expérimentaux et numériques sont également présentées et discutées. De nombreuses campagnes de caractérisation thermique sur divers matériaux (isolants à base de fibres de bois, bois massifs, ...) ont également été menées. L'influence de la température et de l'humidité sur la conductivité thermique et la chaleur spécifique a été largement analysée / This thesis focuses on modeling and characterization of heat and mass transfer in a wooden building envelope. A code which simulates unsteady heat and mass in an air layer in two-dimensional geometry, which is part of the multi-layer wall, was developed and validated. Numerical validations that include all transfer modes were achieved for unsteady and steady states regimes (conduction, convection, surface-to-surface radiation, mass transfer and surface condensation). Then, the code developed for the air layer at the LEMTA was coupled to the code Transpore used at the LERFOB. The latter one deals with the transfer in hygroscopic solid materials. For the experimental validation of the fully coupled code, an experimental cell was constructed and instrumented to study the hygrothermal behavior of the studied walls. This cell which is thermally and hygroscopicly controlled was set up at the CRITT BOIS. Comparisons between the experimental and numerical results are presented and discussed. Besides, several experiments of thermal characterization of various materials (insulators containing wood fibers, solid wood ...) were also conducted. The influence of temperature and moisture on thermal conductivity and specific heat was largely investigated

The thesis deals with the topic of overheating of attic rooms during the summer period. In vast majority of family houses and apartment houses with inhabited attic spaces is the roof solved as lightweight. This kind of roof assembly is not able to sufficiently resist the summer boundary conditions and leads to increased heat gains in the interior. In this work, the attention is drawn entirely to the heat penetration through the roof. Different aspects of passive cooling were applied to the roof and the impact of each change was assessed. This concerns the color of the tiles, thermal accumulation, reflective surfaces and the ventilated air layer. The temperature and velocity profiles in the ventilated cavity were monitored and an analysis of the ventilated cavity efficiency was conducted. For individual analyses was used software – based on the principles of the Finite Element Method or the dynamic simulation software. Also other methods were employed: long-term measurement of temperatures on roof models; short-term measurement of surface temperature of various kinds of roof tiles; and laboratory measurement of reflexivity. Also the effect of insect grilles on the air flow is discussed; which was tested on a ventilator track. In this publication are explained the principles of natural convection; boundary layers and the theory of the coefficient of heat transfer. This work includes a standard of the precise calculation methodology for ventilated roofs which was developed for the purpose of creating a user-friendly guide. The results of individual analyses show, a definitely positive effect of the ventilated cavity on the heat gain reduction of attic rooms. The current technical solution of a roof ridge provides the exhaust of the water vapor from a roof assembly; but for providing ventilation for reducing heat gains is insufficient. This lead to a concept of an innovative roof ridge design which enhances the air exchange between the cavity and outdoor environment.