Cette thèse présente diverses applications de la photopolymérisation radicalaire dans les puces microfluidiques. Dans un premier temps, nous décrirons l'importance des modifications de surfaces des puces microfluidiques afin de conférer à la surface un caractère hydrophile et neutre. Nous présenterons une modification de surface par photopolymérisation radicalaire in-situ de polyacrylamide pour des puces d'une part en PDMS, sur lequel la longévité des modifications de surface est difficile à obtenir, et d'autre part sur le COC qui étant inerte chimiquement, est difficilement modifiable. Dans une autre application la photopolymérisation sera effectuée en volume et nous permettra d'intégrer très simplement des MEMS, in-situ dans le microcanal. L'intégration de réseaux de colonnes fonctionnalisées avec des protéines sera présentée, ainsi que l'implémentation de deux capteurs de flux. Un capteur de flux basé sur l'élongation d'une structure déformable s'est montré très performant en terme de large gamme de mesures, de sensibilité et de reproductibilité. Le deuxième capteur de flux est basé sur la rotation d'un objet autour d'un axe. Sa mesure est indépendante de la viscosité du fluide malgré ses moindres performances.

La gestion du trafic aerien (air-traffic management, ATM) consiste en une composante predictive (planification du trafic) et en une composante adaptative (controle du trafic). Le but de la composante predictive est de trouver un equilibre entre la demande de l'espace et la capacite disponible. Une fois que les avions ont decolle, la composante adaptative doit les guider en toute securite vers leurs destinations. Des incertitudes, telles que retards ou defaillances techniques, creent des phenomenes d'ecarts entre la composante predictive et adaptative. Cela entraine des problemes de securite ainsi qu'une utilisation sous-optimale de capacite. Meme si les causes majeures des incertitudes sont connues (incertitude de demande, incertitude de capacite, incertitude de gestion de flux), les mecanismes perturbateurs restent inconnus. L'approche de cette these est d'analyser des donnees d'ecoulement de trafic afin d'engendrer de nouvelles hypotheses sur les mecanismes qui causent des ecarts entre la composante predictive et adaptative dans l'ATM. C'est un premier pas pragmatique dans l'analyse d'un phenomene physique. Il est fonde sur le calcul des probabilites et plus precisement sur l'interpretation frequentiste des probabilites. On utilise des techniques d'analyse de donnees multi-variees et des processus ponctuels stochastiques afin d'inferer de nouvelles connaissances sur le phenomene. Nos resultats principaux sont: (i) des ecarts systematiques existent dans tous les secteurs evalues. Leur taille peut etre caracterisee par des distributions de Poisson et on constate une tendance systematique a supprimer le trafic sur des niveaux eleves de planification. C'est un resultat contre-intuitif car l'on s'attend a ce que les differents facteurs d'incertitude s'annullent en moyenne. Ensuite on montre que des perturbations aleatoires d'un processus d'arrivee causent des ecarts systematiques dans deux classes de plan de vol. On conclut que meme si toutes les incertitudes controlables etaient eliminees, des ecarts systematiques entre le nombre planifie et observe de vols apparaisseraient. Ce resultat est utile pour la planification tactique des flux. De nouvelles contraintes pour le probleme de l'allocation de creneaux peuvent etre formulees en identifiant des plans de vol qui sont robustes aux perturbations aleatoires. (ii) on montre que les ecarts se propagent uniquement le long des routes aeriennes. Aucune propagation non-attendue n'est identifiee. Cela indique que les controlleurs aeriens n'utilisent pas systematiquement le re-routage pour compenser les ecarts. On remarque egalement des probabilites de queue elevees et on propose deux (nouveaux) modeles de series chronologiques qui decrivent les caracteristiques du processus de perturbation des plans de vol. Cela indique que les perturbations sont d'une nature heterogene et non-independante. Le resultat est empirique et on affirme que le comportement observe est du a des dependances entre les avions intervenant sur un long-terme. Comme travaux futurs on propose de continuer l'identification des ordonnancements de vol qui absorbent l'impact des incertitudes non-controlables et de developper des modeles statistiques qui expliquent les echantillons long-terme de congestion. Ceci constitue une base pour la quantifiaction de l'impact des decisions locales sur la performance globale du reseau de transport.

Graduation date: 1991

Critical Heat Flux (CHF) is an important safety parameter for the design of nuclear reactors. The most commonly used predictive tool for determination of CHF is a look-up table developed using tube data with an average hydraulic test diameter of 8 mm. There exist in the world today nuclear reactors whose geometry is annular, not tubular, and whose hydraulic diameter is significantly smaller than 8 mm. In addition, any sub-channel thermal hydraulic model of fuel assemblies is annular and not tubular. Comparisons were made between this predictive tool and annular correlations developed from test data. These comparisons showed the look-up table over-predicts the CHF values for annular channels, thus questioning its ability to perform correct safety evaluations. Since no better tool exists to predict CHF for annular geometry, an effort was undertaken to produce one. A database of open literature annular CHF values was created as a basis for this new tool. By compiling information from eighteen sources and requiring that the data be inner wall, unilaterally, uniformly heated with no spacers or heat transfer enhancement devices, a database of 1630 experimental values was produced. After a review of the data in the database, a new look-up table was created. A look-up table provides localized control of the prediction to overcome sparseness of data. Using Shepard's Method as the extrapolation technique, a regular mesh look-up table was produced using four main variables: pressure, quality, mass flux, and hydraulic diameter. The root mean square error of this look-up table was found to be 0.8267. However, by fixing the hydraulic diameter locations to the database values, the root mean square error was further reduced to 0.2816. This look-up table can now predict CHF values for annular channels over a wide range of fluid conditions. / Graduation date: 2001

Graduation date: 1997

The computational ability to accurately simulate boiling water reactor operation under the full range of standard steady-state operation, along with the capability to fully track the isotopic distribution of any fueled region in any location in the core has been developed. This new three-dimensional node-by-node capability can help designers track, for example, a full suite of minor and major actinides, fission products, and even light elements that result from depletion, decay, or transmutations. This isotopic tracking capability is not restricted to BWRs and can be employed in the modeling of PWRs, CANDUs, and other reactor types that can be modeled with the NESTLE code, the base core simulator employed in this research. To accurately simulate boiling water reactor operation, a major thermal-hydraulics upgrade was performed which involved the implementation of a drift-flux solution scheme to model steady-state boiling water flow. Sub-cooled boiling and bulk boiling are accurately modeled and a scheme for computing the correct flow distribution has been implemented. In addition, the incorporation of a nodal ORIGEN-based microscopic depletion solution has been included which allows for exceptional detail in tracking a large number of elements in every node of a core design, thus accounting for spectral dependencies such as moderator density effects, moderator temperature effects, fuel temperature effects, as well as controlled or uncontrolled conditions. The results of this study show the excellent fidelity of the two-phase solution for accurately predicting the boiling of water when compared to experimental results. Likewise, the isotopic inventory results show near-identical agreement with the well-established and validated ORIGEN-based SCALE/TRITON isotopic depletion sequence. The aim of these developments is to eventually produce a publicly available three-dimensional core simulator capable of assessing detailed isotopic inventories, a capability particularly valuable for the evaluation of recycling scenarios and actinide management in a variety of reactor types and fuel designs.

Marine aggregates are an important means of carbon transfers downwards to the deep ocean as well as an important nutritional source for benthic organism communities that are the ultimate recipients of the flux. During these last 10 years, data on size distribution of particulate matter have been collected in different oceanic provinces using an Underwater Video Profiler. The cruise data include simultaneous analyses of particle size distributions as well as additional physical and biological measurements of water properties through the water column. First, size distributions of large aggregates have been compared to simultaneous measurements of particle flux observed in sediment traps. We related sediment trap compositional data to particle size (d) distributions to estimate their vertical fluxes (F) using simple power relationships (F=Ad^b). The spatial resolution of sedimentation processes allowed by the use of in situ particle sizing instruments lead to a more detailed study of the role of physical processes in vertical flux. Second, evolution of the aggregate size distributions with depth was related to overlying primary production and phytoplankton size-distributions on a global scale. A new clustering technique was developed to partition the profiles of aggregate size distributions. Six clusters were isolated. Profiles with a high proportion of large aggregates were found in high-productivity waters while profiles with a high proportion of small aggregates were located in low-productivity waters. The aggregate size and mass flux in the mesopelagic layer were correlated to the nature of primary producers (micro-, nano-, picophytoplankton fractions) and to the amount of integrated chlorophyll a in the euphotic layer using a multiple regression technique on principal components. Finally, a mesoscale area in the North Atlantic Ocean was studied to emphasize the importance of the physical structure of the water column on the horizontal and vertical distribution of particulate matter. The seasonal change in the abundance of aggregates in the upper 1000 m was consistent with changes in the composition and intensity of the particulate flux recorded in sediment traps. In an area dominated by eddies, surface accumulation of aggregates and export down to 1000 m occured at mesoscale distances (<100 km).

Three-Phase Voltage Source Converters (VSCs) are finding widespread applications in grid integrated power conversion systems. The control systems of such VSCs are in an increasing number of these applications required to operate during voltage disturbances and unbalanced conditions. Control systems designed for grid side voltagesensor- less operation are at the same time becoming attractive due to the continuous drive for cost reduction and increased reliability of VSCs, but are not commonly applied for operation during unbalanced conditions. Methods for voltage-sensor-less grid synchronization and control of VSCs under unbalanced grid voltage conditions will therefore be the main focus of this Thesis. Estimation methods based on the concept of Virtual Flux, considering the integral of the converter voltage in analogy to the flux of an electric machine, are among the simplest and most well known techniques for achieving voltage-sensor-less grid synchronization. Most of the established techniques for Virtual Flux estimation are, however, either sensitive to grid frequency variations or they are not easily adaptable for operation under unbalanced grid voltage conditions. This Thesis addresses both these issues by proposing a simple approach for Virtual Flux estimation by utilizing a frequency-adaptive filter based on a Second Order Generalized Integrator (SOGI). The proposed approach can be used to achieve on-line frequency-adaptive varieties of conventional strategies for Virtual Flux estimation. The main advantage is, however, that the SOGI-based Virtual Flux estimation can be arranged in a structure that achieves inherent symmetrical component sequence separation under unbalanced conditions. The proposed method for Virtual Flux estimation can be used as a general basis for voltage-sensor-less grid synchronization and control during unbalanced conditions. In this Thesis, the estimated Virtual Flux signals are used to develop a flexible strategy for control of active and reactive power flow, formulated as generalized equations for current reference calculation. A simple, but general, implementation is therefore achieved, where the control objective and the power flow characteristics can be selected according to the requirements of any particular application. Thus, the same control structure can be used to achieve for instance balanced sinusoidal currents or elimination of double frequency active power oscillations during unbalanced conditions. In case of voltage sags, current references corresponding to a specified active or reactive power flow might exceed the current capability of the converter. The limits for active and reactive power transfer during unbalanced conditions have therefore been analyzed, and generalized strategies for current reference calculation when operating under current limitations have been derived. The specified objectives for active and reactive power flow characteristics can therefore be maintained during unbalanced grid conditions, while the average active and reactive power flow is limited to keep the current references within safe values. All concepts and techniques proposed in this Thesis have been verified by simulations and laboratory experiments. The SOGI-based method for Virtual Flux estimation and the strategies for active and reactive power control with current limitation can also be easily adapted for a wide range of applications and can be combined with various types of inner loop control structures. Therefore, the proposed approach can potentially be used as a general basis for Virtual Flux-based voltage-sensor-less operation of VSCs under unbalanced grid voltage conditions.

In this study, the sediment cores taken in the northern South China Sea (SCS) as well as the settling particulates collected from time-series sediment traps deployed in the same area have been analyzed for Pb-210 activities in order to estimate the sedimentation rate and mass flux from core data and to obtain temporal variations in mass flux and Pb-210 from the time-series sediment traps. The main purposes are to compare and to discuss the mass balance problem between the sediment trap and core results in terms of mass flux, Pb-210 activity and its fluxes. The time-averaged particulate fluxes measured from different depths at M3S and M1T sites in the northern SCS generally increase with depth, reflecting an increasing effect of the lateral transport. The upper and middle traps display a synchronous trend in mass flux variations. The mean particulate flux at S5 site near Luzon Strait is clearly higher than the two sites mentioned above probably because of the effect of topography and bottom current. Distributions of Pb-210 are influenced by particulate scavenging: the longer the settling particles stay in the water column the more the surrounding Pb-210 will be scavenged. The temporal variations of Pb-210 at M3S show a similar trend and an increase with depth. At M1T site, the temporal variations of Pb-210 show no clear trend due to insufficient samples. It has been commonly observed in the marginal sea that Pb-210 activity is inversely correlated with the associated mass flux, i.e. higher Pb-210 is associated with lower mass flux in terms of their temporal variations. This study is also in line with such observations. The mean water content of the core at I located near the shelf break in the northern SCS is about 28%, and its mean loss on ignition (L.O.I.) is 3.2%. These are similar to those observed previously in the northern SCS (water content: 25-37%; L.O.I.: 3%-8%). The sedimentation rate as determined from the excess Pb-210 profile at core I is 18cm/100yr which is at the lower end of the previous study (16-52 cm/100yr) (Wu, 2006). The sediment flux and sedimentation rate estimated from both the Pb-210 inventory (I) and the upper limit of sedimentation rate are identical, respectively, at 0.32 g/cm2/yr and 18cm/100yr. Thus the mixing effect could be neglected. The Pb-210 flux estimated from the deep sediment trap at 2163m (M3S, 77.4 dpm/m2/d) is much lower than that observed from the core sediment (F, 761.1 dpm/m2/d). Although the specific Pb-210 activity of the particles is much greater than that in the surface sediment, the particle flux is too small relative to the mass flux of the sediment, suggesting that additional sediment with Pb-210 has been transported laterally from elsewhere and deposited here. This results in a large imbalance between the sinking particulates and the underlying sediment in mass flux and Pb-210 flux.

A novel photon flux monitor has been designed and tested for use at the Duke University High Intensity Gamma Source, where the photon beam produced is essentially mono-energetic but it is not tagged. Direct counting of the number of photons using a high-efficiency detector is not possible because of the high photon fluxes expected. Therefore, a direct counting detector with a low, accurately known efficiency was required.<p> The photon flux monitor based on a five scintillator paddle system detects recoil electrons and positrons from photoelectric, Compton and pair-production processes. It has been designed to be insensitive to gain and detector threshold changes and to be usable for photon energies above 5 MeV. It has been calibrated using direct counting with a NaI detector and its efficiency has been shown to be well predicted by a GEANT4 simulation.<p> Results of measurements, calibration and calculations required to characterize the 5-paddle photon flux monitor are presented. The photon flux monitor has met its design specifications of being able to determine the number of photons incident on it during the live time of a measurement to within a systematic error of 2%.<p> A paper based on the work for this thesis has been published in the Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Journal.