Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have emerged as a strong and promising candidate to replace internal combustion engines (ICE) due their high efficiency, high power density and near-zero hazardous emissions. However, their commercialization waits for solutions to bring about significant cost-reductions and significant durability for given power densities. Bipolar plate (BPP) with its multi-faceted functions is one of the essential components of the PEMFC stacks. Stainless steel alloys are considered promising materials of choice for bipolar plate (BPP) applications in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) due to their relatively low cost and commercial availability in thin sheets. Stainless steel materials build a protective passive metal oxide layer on their surface against corrosion attack. This passive layer does not demonstrate good electrical conductivity and increases interfacial electric contact resistance (ICR) between BPP and gas diffusion layer GDL in PEMFC. Lower ICR values are desired to reduce parasitic power losses and increase current density in order to improve efficiency and power density of PEMFC. This study aimed to bring about a broader understanding of manufacturing effects on the BPP contact resistance. In first stage, BPP samples manufactured with stamping and hydroforming under different process conditions were tested for their electrical contact resistance characteristics to reveal the effect of manufacturing type and conditions. As a general conclusion, stamped BPPs showed higher contact conductivity than the hydroformed BPPs. Moreover, pressure in hydroforming and geometry had significant effects on the contact resistance behavior of BPPs. Short term corrosion exposure was found to decrease the contact resistance of bipolar plates. Results also indicated that contact resistance values of uncoated stainless steel BPPs are significantly higher than the respective target set by U.S. Department of Energy. Proper coating or surface treatments were found to be necessary to satisfy the requirements. In the second stage, physical vapor deposition technique was used to coat bipolar plates with CrN, TiN and ZrN coatings at 0.1, 0.5 and 1 μm coating thicknesses. Effects of different coatings and coating thickness parameters were studied as manufactured BPPs. Interfacial contact resistance tests indicated that CrN coating increased the contact resistance of the samples. 1 µm TiN coated samples showed the best performance in terms of low ICR; however, ICR increased dramatically after short term exposure to corrosion under PEMFC working conditions. ZrN coating also improved conductivity of the SS316L BPP samples. It was found that the effect of coating material and coating thickness was significant whereas the manufacturing method and BPP channel size slightly affected the ICR of the metallic BPP samples. Finally, effect of process sequence on coated BPPs was investigated. In terms of ICR, BPP samples which were coated prior to forming exhibited similar or even better performance than coated after forming samples. Thus, continuous coating of unformed stripes, then, applying forming process seemed to be favorable and worth further investigation in the quest of making cost effective BPPs for mass production of PEMFC.

Shrinking volume, coupled with higher performance, microprocessors and integrated circuits have led to serious heat dissipation issues. In an effort to mitigate the excessive amounts of waste heat and ensure electronic survivability, heat sinks and spreaders are incorporated into heat generating device structures. This inevitability creates a thermal pathway through an interface. Thermal interfaces can possess serious thermal resistances for heat conduction. The introduction of a thermal interface material (TIM) can drastically increase the thermal performance of the component. Exceptional thermal properties of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have spurred interest in their use as TIMs. MWCNTs inherently grow in vertically-oriented, high aspect ratio arrays, which is ideal in thermal interface applications because CNTs posses their superior thermal performance along their axis. In this paper, laser flash thermal characterization of sandwich‐bonded and cap‐screw‐bonded aluminum discs for both adhesive-infiltrated and “dry”, 100% MWCNT arrays, respectively. Thermal contact resistances as low as 18.1 mm2K/W were observed for adhesive‐infiltrated arrays and, even lower values, down to 10.583 mm2K/W were measured for “dry” MWCNT arrays. The improved thermal performance of the arrays compared to thermal adhesives and greases currently used in the electronics and aerospace industries, characterize MWCNT arrays as a novel, lighter‐weight, non‐corrosive replacement.

High performance/small package electronics create difficult thermal issues for integrated circuits. Challenges exist at material interfaces due to interfacial contact resistances. Multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) arrays are considered to be excellent candidates for use as thermal interface materials (TIMs) due to outstanding thermal/mechanical properties. In this work, MWCNT array TIMs are analyzed in aluminum and carbon fiber composites via flash diffusivity analysis. The effect of TIM thickness, areal/bulk density, surface cleanliness, and volumetric packing fraction; along with the effect of substrate finish and interfacial contact pressure on thermal performance are analyzed. Trends show the best TIMs possess low thickness, high bulk density and packing fraction, and clean surfaces. Pressure dramatically increases thermal performance after establishing contact, with diminishing returns from additional pressure. Diffusivities approaching 40 mm2/s and 0.65 mm2/s are recorded for aluminum and composite systems. Oxygen plasma etching and high temperature annealing (“Graphitizing”) are investigated as methods to remove amorphous carbon from array surfaces. Graphitized TIMs report diffusivity improvements up to 53.8%. Three methods of incorporating MWCNTs into composites are attempted for thermal/mechanical property enhancement. Conductance calculations show increasing diffusivity without increasing thickness enhances thermal performance in composites. MWCNTs for mechanical property enhancement produce no change, or detrimental effects.

This thesis investigates the cooling behaviour of polymers during the microinjection moulding process. The work included bespoke experimental mould design and manufacturing, material characterisation, infra-red temperature measurements, cooling analysis and cooling prediction using commercial simulation software. To measure surface temperature of the polymers, compounding of polypropylene and polystyrene with carbon black masterbatch was performed to make materials opaque for the IR camera. The effects of addition of carbon black masterbatch were analysed using differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Sapphire windows formed part of the mould wall and allowed thermal measurements using an IR camera. They were laser machined on their inside surfaces to generate a range of finishes and structures. Their topographies were analysed using laser confocal microscope. The surface energy of sapphire windows was measured and compared to typical mould steel, employing a contact angle measurement technique and calculated using Owens-Wendt theory. A heating chamber was designed and manufactured to study spreading of polymer melts on sapphire and steel substrates. A design of experiments approach was taken to investigate the influence of surface finish and the main processing parameters on polymer cooling during microinjection moulding. Cooling curves were obtained over an area of 1.92 by 1.92 mm of the sapphire window. These experiments were conducted on the Battenfeld Microsystem 50 microinjection moulding machine. A simulation study of polymer cooling during the microinjection moulding process was performed using Moldflow software. Particular interest was paid to the effect of the values of the interfacial heat transfer coefficient (HTC) on the simulated cooling predictions. Predicted temperature curves were compared to experimentally obtained temperature distributions, to obtain HTC values valid for the material and processing parameters.

Dans l’industrie automobile, les exigences en matière d’émissions polluantes conduisent à alléger les véhicules, notamment en réduisant l’épaisseur des tôles. Ce travail en partenariat avec ArcelorMittal porte sur le soudage par résistance par point de tôles fines d’acier. L’objectif est d’identifier les phénomènes qui induisent les difficultés de soudabilité opératoire rencontrées avec une combinaison dissymétrique de trois tôles revêtues, incluant une tôle très mince galvanisée de moins de 0,6 mm, une tôle de DP600 et une tôle en Usibor® emboutie à chaud. Des observations par caméra infrarouge montrent que les échauffements initiaux se produisent principalement au niveau des interfaces avec la tôle d’Usibor®1500, et que le noyau se forme du côté de cette tôle, loin de la tôle mince. Les valeurs très élevées des résistances de contact électrique et thermique, mesurées aux interfaces avec la tôle d’Usibor®, sont imputables au revêtement Alusi® et sont à l’origine des forts échauffements initiaux observés à ces interfaces. Un modèle numérique, limité aux aspects électrothermiques et développé sur COMSOL Multiphysics®, a permis de montrer que la zone fondue s’initie très rapidement dans la tôle d’Usibor® 1500 sous l’effet des fortes résistances de contact adjacentes, et que son développement en épaisseur et diamètre est piloté par les évolutions des rayons de contact électrode-tôle. Les résistances de contact entre électrode et tôle mince, le profil du courant de soudage et les rayons de courbure des faces actives des électrodes sont les paramètres prépondérants à optimiser pour améliorer la pénétration du noyau dans la tôle mince. / In the automotive industry, the requirements for polluting emissions lead to light vehicles, especially in decreasing the steel sheet thickness. This work in partnership with ArcelorMittal focuses on resistance spot welding of steel sheets. The aim is to identify the phenomena that induce operating weldability difficulties encountered with an asymmetrical stack of three coated steel sheets, including a very thin galvanized sheet of less than 0.6 mm, a sheet of DP600, and a hot stamped Usibor® sheet. Infrared camera observations show that the initial heating takes placeat the interfaces with the Usibor®1500 sheet, and that the nugget appears inside this sheet, away from the thin sheet. The very high values of the electrical and thermal contact resistances, measured at the interfaces with the Usibor®1500 sheet, are due to the Alusi® coating and are at the origin of the strong initial heating at these interfaces. A numerical model, limited to the electro- thermal aspects and developed with COMSOL Multiphysics®, shows that the nugget is initiated very quickly in Usibor®1500 sheet under the effect of adjacent contact resistances, and that its development is driven by the evolutions of the electrode-sheet contact areas. The contact resistances between the electrode and the thin sheet, the welding current evolution, and the curvature radius of electrode tips are the most efficient parameters to be optimized to improve the penetration of the nugget in the thin sheet.

La récupération de chaleur fatale est un véritable challenge pour l’amélioration de l’efficacité énergétique. Le stockage par chaleur latente est une solution qui répond à cet enjeu. Nous nous intéressons aux procédés industriels avec un rapport puissance sur énergie élevé. L’un des procédés identifiés est la stérilisation de produits agroalimentaires. Cependant, les matériaux à changement de phase, peu conducteurs, ne permettent pas d’obtenir des puissances thermiques suffisantes pour ces applications. L’amélioration de la surface d’échange ou l’augmentation de la conductivité thermique du matériau sont alors nécessaires. Un premier dispositif expérimental de stockage thermique comparant différentes techniques d’intensification des transferts a été réalisé. Le concept à base de paraffine et de Graphite Naturel Expansé (GNE) s’est montré le plus performant par rapport à des solutions de type ailettes ou poudre de graphite. La caractérisation thermique du matériau composite GNE/paraffine sélectionné a été réalisée par plusieurs méthodes. Des valeurs de conductivité thermique effective de l’ordre 20 W.m-1.K-1 ont été obtenues. Dans un second temps, un démonstrateur de 100kW/6kW.h est dimensionné et réalisé. Ce dispositif testé sur un procédé de stérilisation existant permet une économie d’énergie de 15%, conforme aux prévisions. L’identification de la conductivité thermique plane du matériau et l’influence de la résistance thermique de contact sont réalisées à l’aide d’un dispositif expérimental, couplé à un modèle numérique. Enfin, le développement d’un dispositif de vieillissement permet l’étude de la stabilité thermique de ce matériau. / Waste heat recovery is a challenge for the improvement of energy efficiency. Latent heat storage is a solution that addresses this issue. We focus on industrial processes with high energy on power ratios. One of the identified processes is the sterilization of food products. However, phase change materials, which have low thermal conductivities, do not provide sufficient thermal powers for these applications. The improvement of the heat exchange surface or the increase in thermal conductivity of the material are then necessary. A first experimental thermal storage comparing various heat transfer intensification techniques was achieved. The concept based on paraffin and Expanded Natural Graphite (ENG) has proven to be the most efficient compared to solutions using fins or graphite powder. The thermal characterization of the selected composite material ENG/paraffin was performed by several methods. Effective thermal conductivities values of about 20 W.m-1.K-1 were obtained. In a second step, a 100kW/6kW.h demonstrator is designed and realized. This device tested on an existing sterilization process provides an energy saving of 15%, as expected. The identification of the planar thermal conductivity of the composite material and the influence of the thermal contact resistance are carried out using an experimental device, coupled to a numerical model. Finally, an aging device is used to study the thermal stability of this material

Dans le domaine ferroviaire de nombreux incidents ont montré le problème de l'échauffement de la caténaire au droit du contact avec le pantographe durant le captage de courant à l'arrêt. L'échauffement à l'interface pantographe/caténaire peut entraîner la rupture du fil de contact de la caténaire. Le travail présenté dans cette étude, issu de la collaboration entre la SNCF et l'institut FEMTO-ST, vise à améliorer la compréhension des phénomènes physiques mis en jeu. L'objectif à terme est d'anticiper une maintenance coûteuse comme le remplacement du fil de contact. Un modèle électrothermique 2D transitoire du fil de contact a été développé et couplé à un modèle thermique 1D transitoire pour obtenir une modélisation quasi 3D. La modélisation, alimentée par des données expérimentales, permet de déterminer la répartition du courant électrique et donc la production de chaleur interne. Une modélisation électrothermique de la bande vient compléter le système. / In the railroad and trains domain, many incidents show the main problem of overheating of the catenary at the contact with the pantograph when the train was stopped whereas all the electrical systems of the train should nevertheless be fed. Analysis of these incidents has shown that the overheating of the interface catenary-pantograph during the ream conditioning was sometimes at the origin of the break of the contact wire. In order to forecast such very expensive problems for the company, the French National Railway Company (SNCF) and the research institute FEMTO-ST carried out theoretical and experimental studies to better understand this phenomenon. First a quasi 3D transient electrothermal modeling tool has been developed for the contact wire. It has also permitted to estimate the distribution of current in the wire in order to obtain the internal heat power generation. An electrothermal modelisation of the strip complete the system. Finally the heat transfer equation in the wire with particular boundary conditions has been solved in all the finite differences network thanks to the Euler's implicit method.

This thesis focuses on measuring techniques and results of resistivity in four commercially available insulating transformer oils: mineral oil, ester oil and two isoparaffin oils. Two measuring techniques, the industrially used diagnostic system for electrical insulation IDA and the Labview implemented Triangular Method, are used for resistivity measurements and the techniques are compared, a correction algorithm to the triangular method is suggested. Dielectric properties of mineral & ester and isoparaffin A&B mixtures are investigated, it is experimentally shown that the transformer oils that show high resistivity also show low loss factor. The effect moisture has on resistivity in mineral and ester oil are shown both in terms of relative humidity and actual water content in parts per million. A previous measurement cell is redesigned, the cell is manufactured in copper and gold. It is found that the material choice of the cell significantly affects the resistivity measurements. The electrical double layer and contact resistance between the oil and cell are investigated as a way to explain the difference in measured resistivity. These experiments are limited to the mineral oil and isoparaffin oil A, it is found that contact resistance is a plausible explanation. The electrical double layer is fairly constant for both oils and the Debye length of the double layer is negligible compared to the total distance between the electrodes of the cell. Lastly, the field of insulating transformer oils and its future is discussed, from data obtained regarding the dielectric properties and environmental aspects of the four transformer oils used in this study. A positive trend which combines the high insulating properties with good biodegradability qualities is found. Suggesting a positive future in the field of insulating transformer oils. The results found in this thesis can be used as a basis for future theses regarding transformer oils used for HVDC applications.

This thesis investigates the cooling behaviour of polymers during the microinjection moulding process. The work included bespoke experimental mould design and manufacturing, material characterisation, infra-red temperature measurements, cooling analysis and cooling prediction using commercial simulation software. To measure surface temperature of the polymers, compounding of polypropylene and polystyrene with carbon black masterbatch was performed to make materials opaque for the IR camera. The effects of addition of carbon black masterbatch were analysed using differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Sapphire windows formed part of the mould wall and allowed thermal measurements using an IR camera. They were laser machined on their inside surfaces to generate a range of finishes and structures. Their topographies were analysed using laser confocal microscope. The surface energy of sapphire windows was measured and compared to typical mould steel, employing a contact angle measurement technique and calculated using Owens-Wendt theory. A heating chamber was designed and manufactured to study spreading of polymer melts on sapphire and steel substrates. A design of experiments approach was taken to investigate the influence of surface finish and the main processing parameters on polymer cooling during microinjection moulding. Cooling curves were obtained over an area of 1.92 by 1.92 mm of the sapphire window. These experiments were conducted on the Battenfeld Microsystem 50 microinjection moulding machine. A simulation study of polymer cooling during the microinjection moulding process was performed using Moldflow software. Particular interest was paid to the effect of the values of the interfacial heat transfer coefficient (HTC) on the simulated cooling predictions. Predicted temperature curves were compared to experimentally obtained temperature distributions, to obtain HTC values valid for the material and processing parameters.

Ag is a widely used electrical contact material due to its excellent electrical properties. The problems with Ag are that it is soft and has poor tribological properties (high friction and wear in Ag/Ag sliding contacts). For smart grid applications, friction and wear became increasingly important issues to be improved, due to much higher sliding frequency in the harsh operation environment. The aim of this thesis is to explore several different concepts to improve the properties of Ag electrical contacts for smart grid applications. Bulk Ag-X (X=Al, Sn In) alloys were synthesized by melting of metals. An important result was that the presence of a hcp phase in the alloys significantly reduced friction coefficients and wear rates compared to Ag. This was explained by a sliding-induced reorientation of easy-shearing planes in the hexagonal structure. The Ag-In system showed the best combination of properties for potential use in future contact applications.  This thesis has also demonstrated the strength of a combinatorial approach as a high-throughput method to rapidly screen Ag-based alloy coatings. It was also used for a rapid identification of optimal deposition parameters for reactive sputtering of a complex AgFeO2 oxide with narrow synthesis window. A new and rapid process was developed to grow low frictional AgI coatings and a novel designed microstructure of nanoporous Ag filled with AgI (n-porous Ag/AgI) using a solution chemical method was also explored. The AgI coatings exhibited low friction coefficient and acceptable contact resistance. However, under very harsh conditions, their lifetime is too short. The initial tribotests showed high friction coefficient of the n-porous Ag/AgI coating, indicating an issue regarding its mechanical integrity. The use of graphene as a solid lubricant in sliding electrical contacts was investigated as well. The results show that graphene is an excellent solid lubricant in Ag-based contacts. Furthermore, the lubricating effect was found to be dependent on chemical composition of the counter surface. As an alternative lubricant, graphene oxide is cheaper and easier to produce. Preliminary tests with graphene oxide showed a similar frictional behavior as graphene suggesting a potential use of this material as lubricant in Ag contacts.