L’utilisation des matériaux à faibles impacts environnementaux devient essentielle dans le secteur du bâtiment à cause de sa forte consommation d’énergie et de ressources naturelles. Cette thèse porte sur les isolants bio-sourcés et spécialement les laines de chanvres possédant des propriétés thermiques et hydriques intéressantes. La laine de chanvre, étant composée essentiellement de fibres végétales, constitue un matériau fibreux anisotrope et fortement poreux, et possède à l’échelle microscopique une structure complexe et aléatoire. D’où l’intérêt de décrire précisément la morphologie de ce type de laine et de caractériser sa structure par analyse d’images tomographiques à rayons X et des images MEB. Puis nous avons mis en place un modèle macroscopique couplé de transfert de chaleur et de masse, permettant de comprendre le comportement thermohydrique de ces laines en utilisant la méthode de changement d’échelle par prise de moyenne. Pour prendre en compte la complexité géométrique de la microstructure nous avons eu recours à un double changement d’échelle. / The use of low environmental impact materials becomes essential in the construction industry due to its high consumption of energy and natural resources. In this thesis it was focused on the bio-based and especially wool hemp insulation with interesting thermal and water properties. Hemp wool, being composed substantially of plant fibers, is an anisotropic, fibrous and highly porous material. At the microscopic level it possesses a complex and random structure, hence the interest of an accurate description to the morphology of this type of wool and to characterize its structure analysis by X-ray tomographic images and SEM images. Then a macroscopic model of coupled heat transfer and mass transport is set up to understand the behavior of these wools using the scaling method average gain. To take into account the geometric complexity of the microstructure a double change of scale was used.

Cette étude porte sur l’analyse fondamentale et expérimentale des processus d’extraction des procédés conventionnels et innovants. L’intensification de ces techniques s’est tout d’abord basée sur des approches théoriques. D’une part, nous nous sommes focalisés sur « le paradoxe » généré par l’extraction conventionnelle des huiles essentielles et les issues et solutions que la Détente Instantanée Contrôlée (DIC) ou les Micro-Ondes (MO) peuvent apporter. D’autre part, nous nous sommes intéressés à la problématique d’intensification des opérations d’extraction par solvant des composés non-volatils à partir de végétaux. La spécificité des processus diffusionnels leur donne une importance particulière en raison de la structure propre de la matière, traduisant ainsi une mauvaise aptitude technologique intrinsèque. L’amélioration de l’extraction par l’action de la DIC sur la structure de la matrice, des MO sur le chauffage et des UltraSons (US) sur la micro-agitation, permet d’envisager un couplage, de conduire à une intensification après optimisation souvent multicritères (cinétique, qualité et énergie). La DIC a été appliquée sur des feuilles de romarin et des écorces d’orange afin d’en extraire les huiles essentielles. Ce traitement a permis d’accéder à une expansion et de parvenir à une intensification de l’extraction des molécules antioxydantes. Nous avons donc procédé à une combinaison DIC/MO pour le romarin et DIC/US pour les écorces d’orange. Enfin, la cinétique de l’extraction d’huiles de colza a été intensifiée par un prétraitement DIC et étudiée à travers une modélisation dont l’un des aspects a été une diffusion de type Fick couplée à une solution de Crank / This study focuses on fundamental analysis and experimental work carried out on extraction via conventional and innovative processes. The intensification of these techniques is first based on theoretical approaches. On the one hand, we focused our meditation on examining the "paradox" generated by conventional steam-distillation of essential oils, and suggested solutions from Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) or Microwave (MW). On the other hand, we were interested in the problematic of solvent extraction operations of plant-based non-volatile compounds. The specificity of the diffusional process gives them a special importance because of the specific structure of the material, reflecting poor intrinsic technological ability. Improving extraction by letting DIC act on the structure of the matrix, MW on heating, and UltraSound (US) on the micro-agitation, allows to coupling technologies leading to a perfect intensification and thus multi-criteria optimization (kinetics, quality and energy). DIC was applied to the leaves of rosemary and orange peel to extract essential oils. This treatment has access to expansion and to achieve increased extraction of antioxidant molecules. We therefore conducted a combination DIC/MW for rosemary and DIC/US for orange peel. Finally, the extraction kinetics of rapeseed oil has been intensified by DIC pretreatment. This kinetics was identified through modeling including Fick diffusion coupled to a Crank solution

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Diffusion is a fundamental process which plays a crucial role in many processes occurring in nature. It is governed by the Fickian laws of diffusion. The laws of diffusion explain how diffusive flux is related to the concentration gradient. However, diffusion occurs even when there is no concentration gradient. Chapter 1 introduces diffusion and related concepts such as random walk, Brownian motion, etc. Present understanding with relation to ionic conduction and diffusion in polar solvents and the anomalies observed in the variation of ionic conductivity with ionic radii has also been discussed. Walden’s rule states that the product of limiting ionic conductivity and viscosity is constant for a given ion in different solvents and it is inversely proportional to ionic radius in a given solvent. However, experimental observations indicate that in a given solvent limiting ionic conductivities show an increase followed by a decrease with increase in ionic radii. This is often referred to as the breakdown of Walden’s rule. Several theories have been proposed in the past to explain the breakdown in Waldens rule. Solvent-berg model, continuum based theories and microscopic theories are some of theories that have been proposed. These theories are discussed briefly. The limitations in these theories are also outlined. There are several computer simulation investigations of ions in water and these are discussed. Also described is diffusion of hydrocarbons in zeolites. Various interesting observations such as window effect, nest effect, single file diffusion and the levitation effect are discussed. In Chapter 2, we have analysed the experimental ionic conductivity data as a function of the ionic radius for monovalent cations and anions in aqueous solution. Molecular dynamics simulations on LiCl and CsCl dissolved in water are also reported. The results suggest that the activation energy is responsible for the anomalous dependence of ionic conductivity on ionic radii. It is seen that ions with high conductivity posses low activation energy. The reason for the variation of activation energy with ionic radii are explained in terms of Derouane’s mutual cancellation of forces or levitation effect. This provides an alternative to the existing theories. Experimental limiting ionic conductivity, λ0 of different alkali ions in water shows markedly different dependences on pressure. Existing theories such as that of Hubbard-Onsager are unable to explain this dependence on pressure of the ionic conductivity for all ions. Experimental ionic conductivity data shows that smaller ions such as Li+ exhibit a monotonic increase in λ0 with pressure. Intermediate sized ions such as K+ exhibit an increase in λ0 followed by a decrease at still higher pressures. Larger ions such as Cs+ exhibit a monotonic decrease in λ0 with increase in pressure. In the present thesis, we have explored this intriguing behaviour shown by alkali ions in water in the next few chapters. In Chapter 3, we report molecular dynamics investigation of potassium chloride solution (KCl) at low dilution in water at several pressures between 1 bar and 2 kbar. Two different potential models have been employed. One of the models successfully reproduces the experimentally observed trend in ionic conductivity of K+ ion in water over 0.001-2 kbar range at 298K. We also propose a theoretical explanation, albeit at a qualitative level, to account for the dependence of ionic conductivity on pressure in terms of the previously studied Levitation Effect. A number of properties of the solvent in the hydration shell are also reported. In Chapter 4, residence times of water in the solute and water hydration shell are reported for KCl in water as a function of pressure. Two different approaches – Impey, McDonald and Madden’s approach as well as the recently proposed stable state picture (SSP) of Laage and Hynes yield somewhat different values for the residence times. The latter suggests that the hydration shell is more labile. As pressure is varied, the analysis suggests drastic changes in the hydration shell around water and little or no change in the hydration shell of the ions at higher pressures. The residence times τIMM as well as τSSP show a decrease with increase in pressure upto 1.5 kbar and a small increase beyond this pressure. This correlates with the dependence of the ionic conductivity of potassium ion on pressure. Similar correlation is also seen for chloride ion between ionic conductivity and residence time in hydration shell. However, no such correlation is seen in the case of water. We also report variation of residence time as a function of t∗, the minimum time that a water has to leave the hydration shell to be excluded from it. In Chapter 5, a molecular dynamics study of LiCl dissolved in water is reported at several pressures between 1 bar and 4 kbars at 240K. Structural properties such as radial distribution function, distribution of the angle between ion-oxygen and dipole vector of water in the hydration shell, angle between ion-oxygen and OH vector, oxygen-ion oxygen angle for water in the hydration shell, mean residence times by two different approaches are reported. Self-diffusivity of both Li+ and Cl− exhibit an increase with pressure in agreement with the experimentally observed trend. We also report the velocity autocorrelation function as a function of pressure. We show that the changes in these can be understood in terms of the levitation effect. For the first time we report the self part of the intermediate scattering function, Fs(k, t), at different pressures. These show for Li+ at small wavenumber k, a bi-exponential decay with time at low pressures. At higher pressures when the ionic conductivity is high, Fs(k, t) exhibits a single exponential decay. We also report wavenumber dependence of the ratio of the full width at half maximum to 2Dk2. These changes in these properties can be accounted for in terms of the levitation effect. The changes in the void structure of water with pressure plays a crucial role in the changes in ionic conductivity of both the ions. In Chapter 6, a detailed molecular dynamics study of self-diffusivity of model ions in water is presented as a function of pressure. First, we have obtained the dependence of self-diffusivity on ionic radius for both cations and anions by varying the radius of the ion, rion. Self-diffusivity exhibits an increase with ionic radius when rion is small and reaches a maximum at some intermediate value, before decreasing with increase in rion for rion > . The velocity autocorrelation function for different sizes of cations as well as anions suggest that the ion with maximum self-diffusivity has facile motion with little back scattering. These trends can be understood in terms of the levitation effect which relates the dependence of self-diffusivity on ionic radius to the bottleneck radius of the pore network provided by the solvent or water. The ratio ζ, defined as the full width at half maximum of the self part of the dynamic structure factor at wavenumber k to its value (2Dk2) at k = 0 is seen to increase with k for ions far away from the diffusivity maximum while a decrease with k is observed for ions closer to the diffusivity maximum. Calculations have also been carried out at pressures of 0.001, 2 and 4 kbars to obtain the variation of ionic conductivity with pressure for model ions of several different sizes. It is shown that for small ions (rion < ), self-diffusivity increases with pressure or exhibits an increase followed by a decrease. In contrast, we show that whenever ionic radius is large, (rion > ), a decrease in self-diffusivity with increase in pressure is seen. We suggest that there is a relation between the dependence of self-diffusivity on ionic radius and its dependence on pressure. The nature of this relationship arises through the levitation effect. Increase in pressure leads to decrease in the bottleneck radius, thus increasing the levitation parameter. For small ions (rion < ), this will lead to increase in diffusivity whereas for large ions (rion > ) this will lead to decrease in diffusivity. For small ions (rion < ), the increase in pressure leads to lowered back scattering in the velocity autocorrelation function. In contrast to this, for large ions (rion ≥ ), any increase in pressure leads to increase in back scattering in the velocity autocorrelation function. For the 1.7 °A anion, the ratio ζ is seen to exhibit a minimum at intermediate k and increase with k at large k for 0.001 kbar pressure. This changes to a less pronounced minimum at 2 kbars and by 4 kbars to a nearly monotonically decreasing function of k. These changes suggest, in agreement with the predictions of the levitation effect, the approach of the bottleneck radius to values similar to that of the ionic radius of 1.7 °A on increasing pressure to 4 kbars. Thus, this work offers an unification in our understanding of the dependence of ionic conductivity on ionic radius and pressure. It is seen that when the ionic radius is varied the numerator of the expression for levitation parameter is varied whereas by varying the pressure, the denominator is varied. The variation of diffusivity with density of the host medium and degree of disorder of the host medium is explored in Chapter 7. The system consists of a binary mixture of a relatively smaller sized solute (whose size is varied) and a larger sized solvent interacting via Lennard-Jones potential. Calculations have been performed at three different reduced densities of 0.7, 0.8 and 0.933. These simulations show that diffusivity exhibits a maximum for some intermediate size of the solute when the solute diameter is varied. The maximum is found at the same size of the solute at all densities which is at variance with the prediction of the levitation effect. In order to understand this anomaly, we have carried out additional simulations in which we have varied the degree of disorder at constant density and find that the diffusivity maximum gradually disappears with increase in disorder. We have also carried out simulations in which we have kept the degree of disorder constant but changed only the density. We find that the maximum in diffusivity is now seen to shift to larger distances with decrease in density. In these simulations we have characterized the disorder by constructing the minimal spanning tree. These results are in excellent agreement with the predictions of the levitation effect. They suggest that the effect of disorder is to shift the maximum in diffusivity towards smaller solute radius while that of the decrease in density is to shift it towards larger solute radius. Thus, in real systems where the degree of disorder is lower at higher density and vice versa, the effect due to density and disorder have opposing influences. These are confirmed by the changes seen in the velocity autocorrelation function, self part of the intermediate scattering function and activation energy. In Chapter 8 we report a molecular dynamics study of the dependence of diffusivity of the cation on cation radii in molten superionic salt containing iodine ion. In this study, we have employed modified Parinello-Rahman-Vashistha interionic pair potential proposed by Shimojo et al (F. Shimojo and M. Kobayashi, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn 60, 3725 (1991)). Our results suggest that the diffusivity of the cation exhibits an increase followed by a decrease as the ionic radius is increased. Several other properties like velocity auto correlation function, intermediate scattering function, activation energy are reported. The next two chapters deal with diffusion of hydrocarbon isomers containing aromatic moiety. Chapter 9 reports structure, energetics and dynamic properties of the three isomers of trimethyl benzene in β-zeolite. Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations have been performed at 300K. Of the three isomers, it is observed that 1,2,4-trimethyl benzene(124 TMB) shows fast dynamics inside the channels of β-zeolite. It is seen that both translational and rotational diffusivities are in the order D (124 TMB) > D (123 TMB) > D (135 TMB). 124 TMB seems to perform jumps between perpendicular channels more frequently whereas 123 and 135 isomers experience more hindrance to these jumps. It is also shown that there is a lower energetic barrier for 124 TMB across the window that separates two perpendicular channels in β-zeolite. Reorientational correlation functions suggest that reorientation of C6 axis (axis perpendicular to the plane of the phenyl ring) is highly restricted in case of 135 TMB. Reorientation of C2 axis (axis on the plane of the phenyl ring) seems to be more facile than that of C6 axis in case of both 123 TMB and 135 TMB. And interestingly, C6 and C2 axis reorientations are equally facile in case of 124 TMB. Chapter 10 presents molecular dynamics simulation results carried out on an equimolar binary mixture of cumene (isopropyl benzene) and pseudo-cumene (1,2,4-trimethyl benzene) in zeolite-NaY at four different temperatures. We compare different structural, energetic and dynamic properties of cumene and pseudo-cumene in zeolite-NaY. Our results suggest that both translational and rotational diffusivities are higher for cumene as compared to pseudo-cumene. Potential energy landscapes show that there is an energetic barrier for diffusion past the 12 MR window plane that separates two neighboring super cages. Such an energetic barrier is large for pseudo-cumene (3 kJ/mol) as compared to that of cumene (1.5 kJ/mol). Activation energies corresponding to both translational and rotational diffusion suggest that pseudo-cumene encounters larger energetic barriers for both translation and rotation as compared to cumene. Reorientational correlation functions suggest that reorientation of C2 axis is more facile than that of C6 axis in case of both cumene and pseudo-cumene. Activation energies corresponding to reorientational relaxations suggest that C6 axis encounters larger energetic barriers as compared to C2 axis in case of both cumene and pseudo-cumene. Chapter 11 discusses the main conclusions of the thesis and directions for future work.

It is quite well known that fracture behavior of concrete is complex and is influenced by several factors. Apart from material properties, geometric parameters influence fracture behavior and one notable phenomenon is size effect. The existence of the size effect in concrete is well known and various attempts to model the behavior is well documented in literature. However the approach by Bazant to describe the size effect behavior in concrete has received considerable attention. The major advantage of developing the size effect law for concrete is the ability to describe the fracture behavior (namely failure strength) of large size structures inaccessible to laboratory testing. The prediction of size effect is done on the basis of laboratory testing of small size geometrically similar structures. In all the models developed earlier heterogeneity of concrete has not been quantitatively simulated. Hence, the complete description considering heterogeneity in concrete is attempted using the lattice model to understand size effect behavior in concrete. In the present study, a detailed description of the heterogeneity in concrete is at- tempted by 3D lattice structure. Analytical treatment to gain insights to fracture behavior is difficult and hence a numerical approach capable of handling the het- erogeneous nature of the material is adopted. A parametric study is performed to understand the influence of various model parameters like mesh size, failure criterion, softening model. The conventional size effect studies for 2D geometrically similar structures are performed and a comparison is done with experimentally observed behavior. The variation of fracture process zone with respect to structure size is observed as the reason for size effect. The influence of variation in properties of ag- gregate, matrix and interface are studied to explain the deviation in pre-peak and post-peak response. A statistical study is performed to establish the size dependence of linear regression parameters (Bf ‘t and D0) which are used in Bazant size effect law. An analytical framework is also proposed to substantiate the above results. Size effect in concrete is generally attributed to the effect of depth viz. the dimension in the plane of loads. However although the effect of thickness viz. a dimension in a plane perpendicular to that of the loads is not considered in concrete. The same is quite well known in fracture of metals. Therefore the variation in grading of aggregates along with the influence of thickness on fracture behavior is analysed. To understand the thickness effect a comparison of 2D and 3D geometrically similar structures is performed to understand the effect of thickness on fracture parameters. Heterogeneity is a matter of scale. A material may be homogeneous at a coarser scale while at a finer scale it is heterogeneous. Hence only way to capture the effect of the behavior at micro level on the behavior at meso level particularly in a heterogeneous material like concrete is by a multi-scale modelling. The best numerical tool for multiscale model of a heterogeneous material is lattice model. The heterogeneous nature of concrete is not just due to the presence of aggregates but is evident right from the granular characteristics of cement. The hydration of cement grain leads to the development of products with varying mechanical and chemical properties. As the micro-crack initiation and development of thermal cracking is observed at the micron level, understanding of hydration behavior in concrete can be thought of as a pre-requisite for complete understanding of fracture behavior. The properties of matrix and interface observed during hydration modelling can also be used as an input for fracture predictions at upper scale models (eg. mesoscale). This can also be used to study the coupling of scales to understand the multi-scale fracture behavior in concrete. A numerical model is hence developed to study the hydration of concrete. Due to the existence of complex mechanisms governing the hydration behavior in con- crete and the large number of parameters affecting its rate, the hydration of a grain is assumed to proceed in isolation. A single particle hydration model is developed to study the hydration of isolated grain. A shrinking core model usually used to describe the burning of coal is adopted as a base model for analytically describing the hydra- tion behavior. The shrinkage core model in literature is modified to be applicable to hydration of cement matrix. The effect of particle diameter as well as changing water concentration is incorporated into the model whereas the influence of reduction in pore sizes as well as the effect due to embedding of particles and the constraint due to hydration of neighbouring particles is accounted using correction factor. The effect of temperature on rate of hydration is considered to be independent of the physical and chemical aspects of grain. Hence a temperature function developed using Arrhe- nius equation and activation energy is incorporated separately. The porous nature of reaction products affects the diffusivity leading to the development of tortuous path for flow of water through the hydrated portion. Knowing the tortuosity it is possible to obtain the diffusivity which in turn can be used as an input to the lattice model. An algorithm is developed to determine the tortuosity in diffusion of water through the reaction products. The tortuosity depends on the distribution of pores in the hydrated system. This requires the use of simulation technique to generate the initial position of voids. A simulation technique is also required to generate the initial con- figuration of hydrating cement system. In order to generate the initial configurations of such systems a numerical technique to generate a large scale assembly of particles is proposed. In the present work, parameters of Bazant's size effect law Bf’t and D0 are shown to depend on structure size and heterogeneity. The span to thickness ratio of the structure increases fracture energy and also substantially influences the response of structure. The variation in failure load occurring due to the heterogeneous nature of the material is shown to follow a normal distribution. The fracture behavior of a material is seen to be influenced strongly by the variation in the strength of matrix and interface. The model proposed to describe the hydration process of cement can be used to determine the properties of matrix and interface. The degree of hydration as well as the embedded centre plane area can be adopted as a measure of strength of matrix and interface. The understanding of the hydration process and the wall effect around the aggregate surface can possibly improve our ability to predict the strength of interface. The material strength of the interface is certainly a necessary input to the lattice model. Infact experimental determination of interface strength is a lot more complicated than the present numerical approach. The only weakness of the present numerical approach is the assumption regarding certain empirical constants which of course may be improved further. Understanding of material behavior can be further improved if a molecular dynamics approach is adopted to describe the hydration behavior of cement. The approach via molecular dynamics is suggested as a problem for future research.

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.

De nos jours, l’apport de la miniaturisation a permis d’innombrables progrès scientifiques et techniques : de la microélectronique à la microfluidique et dernièrement les nanotechnologies. Autant de domaines où les enjeux économiques de suivi de qualité ou d’optimisation de production peuvent nécessiter une étape de caractérisation des propriétés intrinsèques des constituants. Parmi ces propriétés, les données thermophysiques permettent notamment de définir la capacité à stocker ou diffuser la chaleur (conductivité, effusivité ou conductivité thermique par exemple). Une manière d’estimer ces propriétés passe par la connaissance du champ de température. Aux échelles microscopiques, seules des mesures de températures sans contact sont plus adaptées. Les travaux de cette thèse rentrent dans cette catégorie en présentant une méthode de caractérisation de propriétés thermophysiques aux échelles microscopiques par le biais de la thermographie infrarouge. En prenant exemple sur les méthodes hétérodynes développées pour la thermoréflectance, nous avons mis au point un stroboscope électronique dédiée à la thermographie infrarouge et permettant de suivre des excitations thermiques locales et périodiques de fréquences caractéristiques de l’ordre du kilohertz avec fréquence d’acquisition caméra de 25 Hz. En couplant cette méthode, que nous qualifierons de méthode d’Hétérodynage, avec une observation microscopique nous pouvons ainsi observer des phénomènes de diffusion longitudinale localisée à la surface d’échantillons diffusifs tels que les métaux et impossible à obtenir avec les applications standard de thermographie infrarouge. A partir de ces données expérimentales, nous montrons sur deux échantillons la manière de remonter à des valeurs de diffusivité dans le plan et dans l'épaisseur. De ces résultats, nous discuterons sur les limitations des estimations notamment dues à l'effet filtre passe bas du temps d'intégration de la caméra prépondérant lorsque l'excitation devient haute fréquence ou à la présence d'une couche émissive (dépôt de spray de peinture noire pour augmenter le contraste thermique) qui peut empêcher la propagation des ondes thermiques de la source au sein du matériau à caractériser dés que la fréquence d'excitation dépasse un seuil dépendant des propriétés thermiques du bicouche étudié. D'une autre manière, nous montrerons que des estimations de diffusivité thermique dans le plan ou transverse peuvent également être possible par une méthode d'hétérodynage en flash périodique. A titre d'applications futures, nous présenterons une première approche académique de modèle de diffusion avec transport sur un disque tournant pour des futures applications d'écoulement en goutes pour la microfluidique, une extension des estimations de diffusivité dans le plan pour obtenir des cartographies en scannant la zone étudiée et des résultats d'hétérodynage en régime périodique transitoire qui pourraient s'assimiler à une réponse de température en échelon. / Nowadays, the contribution of the miniaturization has led to countless advances in science and technology: microelectronics, microfluidics, nanotechnologies... All areas where the economics of quality monitoring and the optimization of production may require a step of characterizing the intrinsic properties of these constituents. Among these porperties, the thermophysical datas can defined the ability to store or distribute the heat (thermal conductivity, effusivity, diffusivity for example). A way to estimate these properties needs the knowledge of the temperature field. At microscale, the measurement temperature without contact is well adapted. The work of this thesis fall into this category by offering a method to characterize the thermophysical properties at microscopic scales by means of infrared thermography. With the help of the heterodyne methods developed for the Thermoreflectance, an electronic stroboscope has been developped. This method is dedied to the infrared thermography and allowing to follow thermal local and periodical excitations with a characteristic frequency around with a frame camera frequency of . By coupling this heterodyne method with microscope lens, it is possible to observe thermal diffusion phenomena longitudinal and transverse localized to the surface of the diffusive sample like metals and impossible to obtain with standard infrared thermography. From experimental data, the values of in-plane or transverse thermal diffusivity are obtained on two samples. Depending of these results, a debate is organized about the limitation of these estimations as the lowpass filter effect of the intregation time of the infrared camera which becomes important with high frequency excitation or the presence of an emissive of thin layer on the surface of the sample (dark spray coating for enhancing the thermal contrast) which can stopped the thermal waves propagation into the layer sample to characterize soon as the excitation frequency exceeds a threshold dependent on the thermal properties of the sample studied. In another way, the estimation of thermal in-plane or transverse diffusivity with an heterodyne method with repeated flash is shown in first results. For future applications, a first academic approach of thermal diffusion model with transport on rotating disk, an extension of the thermal in-plane diffusivity estimation to obtain cartography by scanning the sample area and few heterodyne results in transient periodic regime which are assilimated to a response level were shown.

Since the inverse problem in Diffusive Optical Tomography (DOT) is nonlinear and severely ill-posed, only low resolution reconstructions are feasible when noise is added to the data nowadays. The purpose of this thesis is to improve image reconstruction in DOT of the main optical properties of tissues with some novel mathematical methods. We have used the Landweber (L) method, the Landweber-Kaczmarz (LK) method and its improved Loping-Landweber-Kaczmarz (L-LK) method combined with sparsity or with total variation regularizations for single and simultaneous image reconstructions of the absorption and scattering coefficients. The sparsity method assumes the existence of a sparse solution which has a simple description and is superposed onto a known background. The sparsity method is solved using a smooth gradient and a soft thresholding operator. Moreover, we have proposed an improved sparsity method. For the total variation reconstruction imaging, we have used the split Bregman method and the lagged diffusivity method. For the total variation method, we also have implemented a memory-efficient method to minimise the storage of large Hessian matrices. In addition, an individual and simultaneous contrast value reconstructions are presented using the level set (LS) method. Besides, the shape derivative of DOT based on the RTE is derived using shape sensitivity analysis, and some reconstructions for the absorption coefficient are presented using this shape derivative via the LS method.\\Whereas most of the approaches for solving the nonlinear problem of DOT make use of the diffusion approximation (DA) to the radiative transfer equation (RTE) to model the propagation of the light in tissue, the accuracy of the DA is not satisfactory in situations where the medium is not scattering dominant, in particular close to the light sources and to the boundary, as well as inside low-scattering or non-scattering regions. Therefore, we have solved the inverse problem in DOT by the more accurate time-dependant RTE in two dimensions.

This thesis deals with an experimental study regarding the effects of the thermal conductivity of contact bodies on the friction, lubricant film thickness and temperature distribution in EHL contact. The thesis focuses on the configuration of the ball on disc contact. The contact body materials are characterized by a wide range of thermal properties. New contact pairs are proposed and used in the study in order to make the contact bodies’ thermal properties dependent on the behaviour of EHL contact. The colorimetric interferometry method is used to measure the lubricant film thickness and the infrared thermography method is used to observe the temperature distribution in EHL contact. The author presents the assumed mechanism of heat transfer within EHL contact on the basis of different heat transfer mechanisms. The same conditions – such as the Hertz pressure, mean entrainment speed, sliding speed and ambient temperature – are induced for all the contact pair combinations. That is why the differences in the results are attributed to the different thermal phenomena in the contact, caused by the thermal properties of the contact bodies. In the case of contact bodies with a reduced heat dissipation capability, a reduction of the friction coefficient of up to 50 % is observed, which is attributed to an increase in the lubricant temperature, resulting in a decrease in its viscosity. This is confirmed by the infrared thermography method, whereby a significantly higher lubricant temperature is observed in the case of a combination of contact materials with a lower heat dissipation capability.

Diploma thesis explores the possibility of using diffusion-weighted images in medicine. The paper is a brief physical principle of operation of the magnetic resonance as a tool for non-destructive imaging of the internal structure of substances, the principle of the display contrast as T1, T2 and diffusion weighted images, the course of the sequence for obtaining images with different contrast. Medicine is faced with the problem of classification of pathological tissue in the brain. Contrast diffusion-weighted images does not visually determine the shape of pathological tissue in the form of a tumor or edema. With the T1 and T2 weighted images were calculated mask corresponding tumor and edema, that have been applied to the diffusion-weighted images. Images of the tumor and edema have been subjected diffusivity measurements and statistical evaluation for the purpose of classifying the type of tumor. Investigations were seven findings glioma and metastatic five awards. The research was focused on classifying pathological tissue.