Geothermal energy is an important source of clean and renewable energy. This project deals with the study of deep geothermal power plants for the generation of electricity. The design involves the extraction of heat from the Earth and its conversion into electricity. This is performed by allowing fluid deep into the Earth where it gets heated due to the surrounding rock. The fluid gets vaporized and returns to the surface in a heat pipe. Finally, the energy of the fluid is converted into electricity using turbine or organic rankine cycle (ORC). The main feature of the system is the employment of side channels to increase the amount of thermal energy extracted. A finite difference computer model is developed to solve the heat transport equation. The numerical model was employed to evaluate the performance of the design. The major goal was to optimize the output power as a function of parameters such as thermal diffusivity of the rock, depth of the main well, number and length of lateral channels. The sustainable lifetime of the system for a target output power of 2 MW has been calculated for deep geothermal systems with drilling depths of 8000 and 10000 meters, and a financial analysis has been performed to evaluate the economic feasibility of the system for a practical range of geothermal parameters. Results show promising an outlook for deep geothermal systems for practical applications.

Le présent travail de thèse porte sur l’étude de l’impact de la texturation par DIC (Détente Instantanée Contrôlée) sur les deux opérations d’extraction d’huile et de transestérification in-situ appliquées aux graines de colza et fèves de Jatropha Curcas. Une analyse fondamentale a prouvé l’importance de la diffusion du solvant ou réactif dans la matrice solide, et permis d’identifier les processus d’intensification au travers des trois caractéristiques physiques de diffusivité effective, d’accessibilité initiale et de rendement d’extraction ; ainsi que la cinétique de transestérification in-situ et le rendement d’ester méthylique d’acides gras. Une étude phénoménologique a permis de déterminer les diverses valeurs de ces caractéristiques en fonction des paramètres opératoires DIC (pression de vapeur d’eau saturée P et temps de traitement t).Dans le cas d’extraction, la diffusivité effective (Deff) de produits traités par DIC peut atteindre 8,01 10-12 m2/s contre 0,715 10-12 m2/s pour le colza non traité et 5,90 10-12 m2/s contre 2,42 10-12 m2/s pour le jatropha non traité. Le taux d’accessibilité initiale de produits traités par DIC peut atteindre 80,53% contre 26,71% pour le colza non traité et 92,58% contre 75,91% pour le jatropha non traité. Au plan du rendement, la DIC a pu impliquer un rendement de 153% pour le colza et 112% pour le jatropha.Dans le cas de la transestérification in-situ, les rendements d’esters méthyliques d’acides gras totaux (FAME total) obtenus pour les produits traités par DIC sont systématiquement supérieurs à ceux de la matière première non traitée par DIC pour les deux cas de colza et de jatropha. Le temps de réaction a été réduit à 30 - 45 minutes contre 120 minutes pour le produit non traité par DIC (cas de colza) et à 15 minutes au lieu de 60 minutes pour le produit non traité par DIC (cas de fèves de jatropha). / The present work has concerned the impact of Instant - Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) texturing on both operations of oil extraction and in-situ transesterification, carried out with the rapeseed and the kernels of Jatropha Curcas. A fundamental analysis proved the importance of the reactive or solvent diffusion within the solid matrix. By texturing the natural product, the whole operation can be intensified. The process is revealed through three characteristics, which are the effective diffusivity, the starting accessibility, and the yields of extraction. Also, the kinetics and yield of fatty acid methyl ester of in-situ transesterification are discovered. A phenomenological study allowed determining the value of these characteristics versus DIC operating parameters (saturated steam pressure P and treatment time t).A 2 h solvent extraction of DIC treated material allowed the total oil yields to be improved by 153% for colza and 112% for jatropha, the effective diffusivity (Deff) can reach up to 8.014*10-12 m2/s as against 0.715*10-12 m2/s for colza untreated by DIC, and up to 5.90*10-12 m2/s as against 2.42*10-12 m2/s for the untreated jatropha. The rate of initial accessibility of products treated by DIC can reach up to 80.53% as against 26.71% for untreated colza and can reach up to 92.58% as against 75.91% for the product untreated jatropha. In the case of in situ transesterification, the total yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME total) obtained from the DIC treated products is systematically higher than that of untreated colza and jatropha raw material. The reaction time was decreased to 30 - 45 min instead of 120 min in the case of colza, and to 15 min instead of 60 min in the case of jatropha kernel.

À ce jour, les différentes méthodes de reconstruction des mouvements du plasma à la surface du Soleil qui ont été proposées présupposent une MHD idéale (Welsch et al., 2007). Cependant, Chae & Sakurai (2008) ont montré l’existence d’une diffusivité magnétique turbulente à la photosphère. Nous introduisons une généralisation de la méthode du Minimum Energy Fit (MEF ; Longcope, 2004) pour les plasmas résistifs. Le Resistive Minimum Energy Fit (MEF-R ; Tremblay & Vincent, 2014) reconstruit les champs de vitesse du plasma et la diffusivité magnétique turbulente qui satisfont à l’équation d’induction magnétique résistive et qui minimisent une fonctionnelle analogue à l’énergie cinétique totale. Une séquence de magnétogrammes et de Dopplergrammes sur les régions actives AR 9077 et AR 12158 ayant chacune produit une éruption de classe X a été utilisée dans MEF-R pour reconstruire les mouvements du plasma à la surface du Soleil. Les séquences temporelles des vitesses et des diffusivités magnétiques turbulentes calculées par MEF-R sont comparées au flux en rayons X mous enregistré par le satellite GOES-15 avant, pendant et après l’éruption. Pour AR 12158, nous observons une corrélation entre les valeurs significatives de la diffusivité magnétique turbulente et de la vitesse microturbulente pour les champs magnétiques faibles. / To this day, the various methods proposed for the reconstruction of plasma motions at the Sun’s surface are all based on ideal MHD (Welsch et al., 2007). However, Chae & Sakurai (2008) have shown the existence of an eddy magnetic diffusivity at the photosphere. We introduce a generalization of the Minimum Energy Fit (MEF; Longcope, 2004) for resistive plasmas. The Resistive Minimum Energy Fit (MEF-R; Tremblay & Vincent, 2014) infers velocity fields and an eddy magnetic diffusivity which solve the resistive magnetic induction equation and minimize an energy-like functional. A sequence of magnetograms and Dopplergrams documenting the active regions AR 9077 and AR 12158 are used as input in MEF-R to reconstruct plasma motions at the Sun’s surface. Time series of the inferred velocities and eddy magnetic diffusivities are compared to the soft X-ray flux observed by GOES-15. We find a positive correlation between significant eddy magnetic diffusivities and microturbulent velocities for weak magnetic fields in AR 12158.

The gas diffusion layer (GDL) is one of the key components in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. It performs several functions including the transport of reactant gases and product water to and from the catalyst layer, conduction of both electrons and heat produced in the catalyst layer, as well as mechanical support for the membrane. The overarching goal of this work is to thoroughly examine the GDL structure and properties for use in PEM fuel cells, and more specifically, to determine how to characterize the GDL experimentally ex-situ, to understand its performance in-situ, and to relate theory to performance through controlled experimentation. Thus, the impact of readily measured effective water vapor diffusivity on the performance of the GDL is investigated and shown to correlate to the wet limiting current density, as a surrogate of the oxygen diffusivity to which it is more directly related. The influence of microporous layer (MPL) design and construction on the fuel cell performance is studied and recommendations are made for optimal MPL designs for different operating conditions. A method for modifying the PTFE (Teflon) distribution within the GDL is proposed and the impact of distribution of PTFE in the GDL on fuel cell performance is studied. A method for characterizing the surface roughness of the GDL is developed and the impact of surface roughness on various ex-situ GDL properties is investigated. Finally, a detailed analysis of the physical structure and permeability of the GDL is provided and a theoretical model is proposed to predict both dry and wet gas flow within a GDL based on mercury intrusion porosimetry and porometry data. It is hoped that this work will contribute to an improved understanding of the functioning and structure of the GDL and hence advance PEM fuel cell technology.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology Program in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND SCIENCE / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Jonathan Walker Valvano. / Ph.D.

Orientadores: Edson Correa da Silva e Antonio Manoel Mansanares / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Fisica Gleb Wataghin. / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-26T17:40:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Albuquerque_MarcosLazarodeSouza_D.pdf: 2664850 bytes, checksum: 47305c651cc9350b772372c3f4181f3e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Neste trabalho desenvolveu-se um experimento de detecção fototémica com dois sensores piroelétricos em uma célula capacitiva que permite a realização de medidas térmicas e elétricas em materiais pastosos em função da temperatura.A célula idealizada para medidas elétricas e térmicas é um capacitor plano de placas paralelas capaz de obter das amostras investigadas os parâmetros de efusividade térmica, difusividade térmica,condutividade térmica e constante dielétrica relativa,simultaneamente,além de detectar transições,em especial fusão.A célula capacitiva fotopiroelétrica é composta por dois sensores piroelétricos entre os quais a amostra é posicionada.Um elemento Peltier associado a um termistor é utilizado para o controle de temperatura.Incide sobre a célula um feixe de radiação eletromagnética oriunda de uma fonte Laser Ar + (514,5 nm ).A radiação modulada atinge diretamente um dos sensores que é opaco e que está em contato térmico com a amostra.O calor gerado no primeiro sensor se propaga, então,pelo sistema amostra-segundo sensor gerando sinais nos dois sensores que são amplificados em amplitude e fase por dois amplificadores seletivos.Ao mesmo tempo,os sinais elétricos da célula capacitiva são registrados por uma ponte RCL operando em 2 kHz.A aquisição de dados dos sinais térmicos é procedida em programa escrito em ambiente LabView para varredura de freqüência de 0 a 100 Hz.Preliminarmente,medidas foram realizadas com margarina e mostraram o potencial da metodologia na verificação do comportamento térmico e elétrico de materiais pastosos.Foi investigado um conjunto de oito amostras constituídas por pares de componentes em proporções e métodos de sínteses diferentes de três tipos de óleos vegetais:algodão,palma e soja.Para a obtenção da constante dielétrica relativa da amostra,o valor da capacitância da mesma foi normalizado pelo valor de capacitância da célula vazia (dielétrico o ar).Modelos para a interpretação dos dados experimentais das medidas térmicas e elétricas foram desenvolvidos.Os gráficos dos sinais de amplitude e fase térmicas detectados pelos sensores foram plotados em função da freqüência de modulação e ajustados pelas equações teóricas dos sensores para a obtenção dos parâmetros térmicos.Foram obtidos valores dos parâmetros efusividade térmica, difusividade térmica,condutividade térmica e constante dielétrica relativa das oito amostras investigadas, além da identificação da região do ponto de fusão das mesmas.Os resultados mostraram que a célula desenvolvida neste trabalho para a aplicação em materiais pastosos pode identificar a região do ponto de fusão,obter os parâmetros térmicos e a constante dielétrica relativa das amostras investigadas / Abstract: This work consists in the development of an experimental apparatus of photopyroelectric detection using two pyroelectric sensors in a capacitive cell which allows the accomplishment of electrical and thermal measurements of pasty materials as a function of the temperature.The idealized cell for electrical and thermal measurements is based in a parallel plane-plate capacitor whose metallic plates are the internal surfaces of the pyroelectric sensors.The system is capable to obtain thermal parameters like effusivity, diffusivity and conductivity,and electric parameters like the dielectric constant for the investigated samples.The identification of the melt point region from either the thermal measurements of the photopyroelectric signal amplitude and phase or the electrical measurements is possible as well.The capacitive photopyroelectric cell is composed by two pyroelectric sensors.An insulator support is used to accommodate the samples which are placed between the sensors.An aluminum piece hold all parts of the cell;one Peltier element is associated with a termistor to control the temperature.An eletromagnetic radiation beam from a Ar + laser incides on the cell and is modulated by an acoustic-optic modulator.The modulated radiation reaches one of the sensors which is opaque and in contact with the sample.Two L ck-in amplifiers amplify the signals originated in each sensor due to the propagation of heat while the electrical signals are registered by an automatic RCL bridge operating at 2 kHz.For data acquisition a Labview language computer software was used allowing to frequency scanning from 0 to 100 Hz. Preliminary experiments were carried out with margarine and showed the methodology pontential in the verification of the thermal and electrical behavior of pasty materials.It was investigated a set of eight samples formed by different compositions of three vegetable oils:cotton,palm and soy in different proportions and within two synthesis methods (basic mixture of intersterification).The sample capacitance was normalized by the empty cell to obtain the relative dielectric constant of the sample.The models for the thermal and electrical data interpretation were developed.For the thermal case simulations were proceeded for a basic oil in order to verify the model.The graphs for thermal amplitude and phase from both sensors were plotted as a function of modulation frequency from which the thermal properties were obtained by fitting the model equations.The values of thermal effusivity,thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and relative dielectric constant were obtained for the samples and the transition melting region as well.The results have shown that the cell here developed is very suitable for the determination of thermal and electrical properties of pasty samples and the determination of transition as well. / Doutorado / Física Geral / Doutor em Ciências

Orientador: Jorge Roberto Pimentel / Banca: Roberto Naves Domingos / Banca: Osvaldo Missiato / Resumo: A questão da disposição final dos resíduos sólidos, gerados pelas indústrias e pela população, é um grande desafio a ser solucionado pelas empresas e entidades ligadas à conservação do meio ambiente. Uma das alternativas para o descarte racional destes resíduos é a sua incorporação ao solo. O conhecimento das propriedades térmicas de um solo incorporado com resíduo é importante para garantir que esta alternativa não interfira, por exemplo, na capacidade do solo em difundir energia necessária para o crescimento das plantas. Este trabalho envolveu a determinação da difusividade térmica de amostras de um solo incorporado com resíduo gerado por uma Estação de Tratamento de Água, da cidade de Rio Claro. A determinação da difusividade térmica das amostras foi baseada no método utilizado por CLIVATI (1991). A partir da medição da temperatura em função do tempo, numa determinada posição, foi possível obter as difusividades térmicas de cada amostra em duas condições de umidades diferentes. Para as umidades utilizadas, os resultados mostraram que a incorporação do resíduo de E.T.A nas proporções especificadas não alterou, significativamente, os valores da difusividade térmica do solo estudado. Estes resultados indicam que o fluxo de calor no solo praticamente não é afetado pela incorporação do resíduo. / Abstract: The question of the final disposition of the solid residues generated by the industry and the population is a big challenge to be solved by the corporations and entity concerned with the preservation of the environment. One of the alternatives for the rational dump of these residues is its incorporation to the soil. The knowledge of the thermal properties of a soil incorporated with residue is important to assure that this alternative, for example, doesn't interfere in the capacity of the soil to diffuse the necessary energy for the growth of the plants. This work has involved the determination of the thermal diffusivity in the samples of a soil incorporated with residue generated by a Treatment Water Station (T.W.S.), in the city of Rio Claro. The determination of the thermal diffusivity of the samples was based in the method used by CLIVATI (1991). From the temperature measurement in time function, in the certain position, it was possible to obtain the thermal diffusivities of each sample in two conditions of different moisture. For the used moisture, the results showed that the incorporation of the T.W.S. residue, at the specified proportions, did not change, the thermal diffusivities values of the studied soil in a significant manner. These results indicate that the heat flux in the soil practically is not affected by the residue incorporation. / Mestre

Submitted by Jorge Silva (jorgelmsilva@ufrrj.br) on 2018-08-24T19:38:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016 - Daniela Augusto Chaves.pdf: 7459629 bytes, checksum: db78e044349231645bd60b6c5fb4c66e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T19:38:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016 - Daniela Augusto Chaves.pdf: 7459629 bytes, checksum: db78e044349231645bd60b6c5fb4c66e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-25 / CAPES / The monitoring of soil thermal regime in periglacial environment is critical to identify the presence of permafrost and the thickness of the active layer. This study was conducted to identify factors that influence the soil thermal regime in Keller Peninsula, from 02/2011 to 02/2015. For such monitoring were installed air temperature sensors (Tar) and soil (Ts) and soil moisture at different depths and sites in Keller Peninsula. Preliminary analyzes of the data were based on the monthly average, annual; maximum and minimum averages and seasonal averages of Tar; Ts and soil moisture at different depths in the monitoring sites Ipanema Ref?gio II, Punta and site soil with Standard. After these analyzes identified the days of freezing, thawing, isothermal and freezing / thawing for each depth; the frequency distribution of temperature and temperature fluctuation during the period studied. The analyzes were carried out: the cross-correlation between the AAO series (Antarctic Oscillation Index), SOI (Southern Oscillation Index), Tar and Ts; linar simple regression between the annual average temperatures and the highest average maximum and annual minimum; Multiple linear regression between moisture apparent soil thermal difuvividade (DTA); N_fator the rate of freezing and its relationship with DTA and; the harmonic analysis of the AAO series, SOI, MEI (multivariate ENSO index), Tar and Ts. The highest and lowest Tar annual average in the four years and four sites studied was 1.7 ?C on site Ref?gio II and 4.8 ?C in place with Standard Solo, respectively. The period in which the soil has more time under the active layer system was Ipanema and Ref?gio II. The highest and the lowest sum of degree days of thawing and freezing were 154.6 and 263.3, respectively Ref?gio II In cross-correlation analysis the delay phase between the waves of Tar and Ts was less than one month in all sites. The correlation between the AAO x Tar Tar and SOI x occurs up to 5 months delay between the phases. Simple linear regression analysis indicated that in Ipanema and Ref?gio II, the soil thermal regime restricted the active layer. On site soil with Standard and Punta Plaza thermal regime presented reached the permafrost before the layer of 0.80 and 1.00 m deep respectively. In the frequency histograms showed predominance of temperatures around 0 ?C and the first difference graph shown that temperature variations are stronger in summer. Multiple linear regrass?o analysis showed that the moisture influence on the DTA in most cases. The freezing N_fator was inversely proportional to close DTA the surface, but when compared with the DTA in depth the relationship approaches. The harmonic analysis identified that climate variability in ways that influenced the Tar these sites between the years 2011-2014, were the AAO and SOI indices. In general, the thermal insulation provided by covering the thickest snow in places Punta Plaza and Solo with Standard allowed the permafrost were found at depths less when compared to the Ref?gio II and Ipanema sites that were less thick blanket of snow. / O monitoramento do regime t?rmico do solo em ambiente periglacial ? fundamental para identificar a presen?a do permafrost e a espessura da camada ativa. Este estudo foi realizado para identificar os fatores que influenciam no regime t?rmico do solo na Pen?nsula Keller, entre 02/2011 a 02/2015. Para tal monitoramento foram instalados sensores de temperatura do ar (Tar) e do solo (Ts) e umidade do solo em diferentes profundidades e s?tios na Pen?nsula de Keller. As an?lises preliminares dos dados foram realizadas com base nas m?dias mensais, anuais; m?dias m?ximas e m?nimas e m?dias sazonais de Tar, Ts e umidade do solo em diferentes profundidades nos s?tios de monitoramento Ipanema, Ref?gio II, Punta e s?tio Solo com Padr?o. Ap?s essas an?lises foram identificados os dias de congelamento, descongelamento, isot?rmicos e congelamento/descongelamento para cada profundidade; as frequ?ncias de distribui??o das temperaturas e oscila??o de temperatura durante o per?odo estudado. As an?lises realizadas foram: a de correla??o cruzada entre as s?ries de AAO (Antarctic Oscillation Index), SOI (Southern Oscillation Index), Tar e Ts; a regress?o linar simples entre as temperaturas m?dias anuais e a maior m?dia m?xima e m?nima anuais; a regress?o linear m?ltipla entre umidade a difuvividade t?rmica aparente do solo (DTA); o ?ndice N_fator de congelamento e sua rela??o com a DTA e; a an?lise harm?nica das s?ries AAO, SOI, MEI (multivariate ENSO index), Tar e Ts. A maior e a menor Tar m?dia anual nos quatro anos e nos quatro s?tios estudados foi de -1,7 ?C no s?tio Ref?gio II e de ?4,8 ?C no s?tio Solo com Padr?o, respectivamente. O per?odo em que o solo apresentou mais tempo sob o regime de camada ativa foi Ipanema e Ref?gio II. A maior e a menor soma de graus dias de descongelamento e congelamento foram de 154,6 e ?263,3, respectivamente em Ref?gio II. Na an?lise de correla??o cruzada o atraso de fases entre as ondas de Tar e Ts foi inferior a um m?s em todos os s?tios. A correla??o entre a AAO x Tar e SOI x Tar ocorre com at? cinco meses de atraso entre as fases. A an?lise de regress?o linear simples indicou que, em Ipanema e em Ref?gio II, o regime t?rmico do solo se restringe a camada ativa. No s?tio Solo com Padr?o e Punta Plaza o regime t?rmico apresentado alcan?ou o permafrost antes da camada de 0,80 e 1,00 m de profundidade respectivamente. Os histogramas de frequ?ncia apresentaram predomin?ncia de temperaturas em torno de 0 ?C e o gr?fico de primeira diferen?a mostrou que as varia??es da temperatura foram mais fortes no ver?o. A an?lise de regrass?o linear m?ltipla mostrou que a umidade influencia na DTA na maior parte dos casos. O N_fator de congelamento foi inversamente proporcional a DTA pr?xima a superf?cie, por?m quando o compara com a DTA em profundidade essa rela??o se aproxima. A an?lise harm?nica permitiu identificar que os modos de variabilidade clim?tica que influenciaram a Tar nesses s?tios, entre os anos de 2011 a 2014, foram os ?ndices AAO e SOI. De maneira geral, o isolamento t?rmico proporcionado por cobertura da neve mais espessa nos s?tios Punta Plaza e Solo com Padr?o, permitiu que o permafrost fosse encontrado a profundidades menores quando comparado com os s?tios Ref?gio II e Ipanema, que obtiveram cobertura da neve menos espessa.

Avec la miniaturisation croissante des systèmes micro et nanoélectroniques, les problématiques thermiques revêtent un enjeu croissant. En effet, la faible taille des composants rend problématique l'évacuation de chaleur. Selon la NASA, 90% des défaillances sont imputables à des défauts d'interconnections thermiques et d'après l'US Air Force, 55% des défaillances électroniques sont attribuables à des effets thermiques. Devenues très courantes dans les domaines des nanotechnologies et des énergies renouvelables, les couches minces présentent des caractéristiques thermiques propres (confinement) et des défis métrologiques particuliers (taille des échantillons, influence du substrat sur la mesure). Le transfert de chaleur à l'échelle submicrométrique diffère du transfert de chaleur dans les matériaux massifs à cause de l'effet de confinement spatial propre aux nanostructures. Ainsi, la diffusivité thermique α et la conductivité thermique κ de ces couches minces sont des paramètres qui affectent la performance et la durée de vie de ces couches dans une application donnée. Ce mémoire de thèse porte sur le développement d'un banc de mesure, basé sur les variations de réflectivité d'un matériau en fonction de la température ou thermoréflectance, pour la caractérisation thermique à l'échelle submicrométrique. Dans ce travail, nous avons développé des modèles thermiques tridimensionnels dans des systèmes à deux et trois couches ainsi que les expressions théoriques du signal de thermoréflectance mesuré suite à une excitation thermique de la surface de l'échantillon. Ces expressions ont été développées en tenant compte de l'effet des résistances thermiques aux interfaces. Les modèles ont été validés expérimentalement par des mesures sur des couches minces d'or déposées sur un substrat de silice. Les mesures de thermoréflectance ont été ensuite appliquées à des couches minces d'acide polylactique. Finalement, des couches minces d'oxyde de zinc dopées par différentes concentrations d'aluminium ont été élaborées par voie électrochimique et leurs propriétés thermiques étudiées à l'aide du banc de mesure de thermoréflectance. / With the increasing miniaturization of micro and nanoelectronic systems, the thermal behavior of these systems has become more and more important. The small size of the components makes the heat emitted more troublesome. According to NASA, 90% of failures are due to thermal interconnection faults and according to the US Air Force, 55% of electronic failures are attribuable to thermal effects. Most electronic chips are manufactured using thin films technologies ; therefore, the characteristics of thin metal films have been the bottom line in the ongoing research in nanotechnology and renewable energy domain. Nanoscale heat transfer is different from the heat transfer in bulk materials due to the spatial confinement effect specific to nanostructures. Furthermore, the thermal diffusivity α and thermal conductivity κ of these films are critical parameters affecting their performance and lifetime in a given application. This thesis is devoted to setting up a measurement bench, based on the reflectivity variations of a material as a function of temperature (thermoreflectance), in order to thermally characterize thin films. In this work, a three-dimensional theoretical model is developed in order to describe the temperature distribution in two and three layers systems and obtain the expression of the measured thermoreflectance signal when the surface of the sample is heated by an intensity-modulated Gaussian laser beam. These expressions are obtained by taking into consideration the effect of thermal boundary resistances. These models have been validated experimentally on thin films of gold deposited on fused silica substrate. The thermoreflectance measurements have been then performed on thin films of polylactic acid. Finally, thin films of zinc oxide doped with different concentrations of aluminum have been elaborated during this thesis. The thermal characterization of these films is carried out with the thermoreflectance bench.

<p>The aim of this study is to synthesize a material with high thermal conductivity and a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), useful as a heat sink. Carbon nanofibres (CNF) are first coated with copper by an electroless plating technique and then sintered to a solid sample by either spark plasma sintering (SPS) or hot pressing (HP). The final product is a carbon nanofibre reinforced copper composite. Two different fibre structures are considered: platlet (PL) and herringbone (HB). The influence of the amount of CNF reinforcement (6-24 %wt), on the thermal conductivity and CTE is studied. CNF has an excellent thermal conductivity in the direction along the fibre while it is poor in the transverse direction. The CTE is close to zero in the temperature range of interest. The adhesion of Cu to the CNF surface is in general poor and thus improving the the wetting of the copper by surface modifications of the fibres are of interest such that thermal gaps in the microstructure can be avoided. The poor wetting results in CNF agglomerates, resulting in an inhomogeneous microstructure. In this report a combination of three different types of surface modifications has been tested: (1) electroless deposition of copper was used to improve Cu impregnation of CNF; (2) heat treatment of CNF to improve wetting; and (3) introduction of a Cr buffer layer to further enhance wetting. The obtained composite microstructures are characterized in terms of chemical composition, grain size and degree of agglomeration. In addition their densities are also reported. The thermal properties were evaluated in terms of thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and CTE. Cr/Cu coated platelet fibres (6wt% of CNF reinforcement) sintered by SPS is the sample with the highest thermal conductivity, ~200 W/Km. The thermal conductivity is found to decrease with increasing content of CNFs.</p>