This is a practice-based research thesis situated in the research context of the 'Internet of Things', and critiques contemporary theoretical discourse related to the 21st century turn of connecting everyday objects to the World Wide Web. In the last decade we have seen the 'Internet of Things' articulated predominately through three commercial design fictions, each a response to the shift towards pervasive", "ubiquitous" (Weiser 1991), or "context-ware" (Schilit, 1994) computing; where we inhabit spaces with objects capable of sensing, recording and relaying data about themselves and their environments. Through reflecting upon these existing design fictions, through a new combination of theories and practice-based research that embodies them, this thesis proposes a recovery to understanding the role of objects in the 'Internet of Things', which this author believes has been lost since its conception in the mid 2000s. In 2000, HP Labs presented Cooltown, which addressed what HP identified as the 'convergence of Web technology, wireless networks, and portable client devices provides'. Cooltown's primary discourse was to provide 'new design opportunities for computer/communications systems, through an infrastructure to support "web presence" for people, places and things.' (Anders 1998; Barton & Kindberg 2002). IBM's Smarter Planet followed this in 2008 and shifted importance from the act of connecting objects to understanding the value of data as it flows between these objects in a network (Castells 1996; Sterling 2005; Latour 2005). Finally, Cisco presented The Internet of Everything in 2012 and moved the argument on one stage further, identifying that the importance of connected objects lies in the sum of their communication across silos of networks, where data can provide potential insight from which you can improve services (Bleecker 2006). Despite these design and theoretical fictions, the affordances of the Internet of Things first proposed in the mid 2000s has regressed from data to product, driven largely by unchanged discourse argued by those designers at its conception and also the enticement of being the next Google acquisition; instead of pigeons reporting on the environmental conditions of a city (Da Costa 2006), we have thermostats controllable from your smartphone (www.scottishpower.co.uk/connect). Therefore the aim of this thesis is to re-examine the initial potential of the Internet of Things, which is tested through a series of design interventions as research for art and design, (produced as part of my EPSRC funded doctoral studies on the Tales of Things and Electronic Memory research project and also whilst employed as a research assistant on two EPSRC funded research programmes of work Sixth Sense Transport, and The Connected High Street), to understand how we use data to allow an alternative discourse to emerge in order to recover the role of a networked object, rather than producing prototypical systems.

A distribuição do tamanho de bolhas é uma importante característica em sistemas bifásicos. A área interfacial de bolhas está fortemente relacionada às taxas de reações químicas e de transferência de massa em aplicações industriais como colunas de destilação e fermentação, sistemas biológicos, oxidação, hidrogenação, tratamento de água, e em processos naturais, como dinâmicas de aerossóis e transferência de gás oceano-atmosfera. Pontas de provas intrusivas são largamente usadas para determinar a distribuição do tamanho de bolhas em colunas de borbulhamento bifásicas. Embora o tamanho de bolhas não possa ser obtido diretamente pelo uso de uma simples ponta de prova porque estas medem somente comprimentos perfurados em bolhas, é possível relacionar distribuições de cordas à distribuição de tamanho de bolhas usando análises estatísticas. Este trabalho apresenta a implementação de um sistema capaz de medir distribuição de tamanho de bolhas em uma coluna de borbulhamento composta por água e ar através de uma ponta de prova condutiva. Imagens obtidas por uma câmera de vídeo CCD (Charge-Coupled Devices) monocromática são usadas para validar e calibrar o sistema. / The distribution of bubble sizes is a critical feature in two–phase systems. The interfacial area of bubbles is strongly related to chemical reaction and mass transfer rates in industrial applications such as distillation and fermentation columns, biological systems, oxidation, hydrogenation, waste water treatment and in natural processes such as aerosol dynamics and air-sea gas transfer. Intrusive probes are widely used to determine bubble size distribution in two-phase bubble columns. Although bubble size cannot be obtained by a simple probe because it measures only the pierced length of the bubbles, it is possible to relate chord distributions to bubble size distribution by the use of statistical analysis. This work proposes a system implementation which is able to determine bubble size distribution in a water-air bubble column using an intrusive conductance probe. Images obtained by a monochromatic video camera CCD (Charge-Coupled Devices) are used to validate and calibrate the system.

Este trabalho representa a continuidade de estudos envolvendo a problemática dos escoamentos com superfície livre, contemplando a análise do fenômeno transiente em canais, a partir do modelo matemático unidimensional de Saint-Venant. Para tanto, é desenvolvido um modelo computacional em linguagem FORTRAN, capaz de avaliar o comportamento do escoamento não permanente. As equações hidrodinâmicas completas são discretizadas por um esquema completamente implícito de diferenças finitas e aplicadas no modelo computacional para a avaliação de dois casos. O modelo é previamente testado para um caso simples, cujos resultados são analisados viabilizando o modelo. No primeiro caso, o modelo é aplicado ao canal de alimentação da Usina Hidrelétrica Monjolinho em São Carlos-SP, para avaliar a necessidade de vertedouro quando se dá o fechamento brusco da turbina, e a ocorrência da entrada de ar na mesma quando da sua abertura repentina. No segundo caso, procurou-se avaliar o desenvolvimento do escoamento no Canal do Trabalhador, responsável pelo abastecimento da cidade de Fortaleza-CE. Com manobras de enchimento e esvaziamento do sistema, é possível determinar o tempo de antecedência de liga-desliga do sistema de recalque a partir das alturas dágua e velocidades de ocorrência, permitindo também a automação para as operações de controle. Em ambos os casos o modelo reproduziu resultados que ilustram com coerência os conceitos pré-estabelecidos, constituindo numa ferramenta útil para análise do fenômeno transiente nos escoamentos em condutos livres. / This work presents a computational model developed in FORTRAN language for the study of unsteady open-channel flows with the use of Saint-Venant one-dimensional equation. The discretization of hydrodynamic equations are presented in a completely implicit method of finite differences and applied in the model for the investigation of two cases, besides the one used previously to test the model. In the first case, the model is applied for a channel that supplies the Monjolinho hydroelectric plant in Sao Carlos SP, aiming to evaluate the need of a spillway when the turbine is closed and the flow abruptly stopped, as well as the occurrence of air entering the turbine when it is opened instantaneously. In the second case, the model simulates the development of the flow in the Trabalhador channel, responsible for the water supply in the city of Fortaleza - CE, in order to make possible the automation of operational control, based on data of flow velocity and water level. In both cases the model is presented as a useful tool for the analysis of unsteady open-channel flows, showing results and coherency with theory.

O tema deste trabalho é o estudo de métodos numéricos para a simulação de escoamentos incompressíveis com superfície livre a baixos Reynolds, por meio da metodologia GENSMAC e suas formulações explícita e implícita. Neste contexto, temos especial interesse na formulação implícita, objetivando o enfraquecimento da restrição de estabilidade parabólica no passo temporal em escoamentos com superfície livre. O trabalho pode ser dividido em duas partes: na primeira, algumas modificações são discutidas, propostas e testadas com o objetivo de tornar a formulação implícita mais eficiente e precisa; em seguida, aproveitamos os resultados obtidos e generalizamos o método numérico existente para simular escoamentos viscoelásticos modelados pela equação constitutiva SXPP. Em ambos os casos, a formulação explícita também é usada para comparação e teste. Resultados que demonstram a eficiência e robustez das técnicas desenvolvidas são apresentados por meio da simulação numérica de complexos problemas envolvendo superfície livre.O tema deste trabalho é o estudo de métodos numéricos para a simulação de escoamentos incom- pressíveis com superfície livre a baixos Reynolds, por meio da metodologia GENSMAC e suas formulações explícita e implícita. Neste contexto, temos especial interesse na formulação implícita, objetivando o en- fraquecimento da restrição de estabilidade parabólica no passo temporal em escoamentos com superfície livre. O trabalho pode ser dividido em duas partes: na primeira, algumas modificações são discutidas, propostas e testadas com o objetivo de tornar a formulação implícita mais eficiente e precisa; em seguida, aproveitamos os resultados obtidos e generalizamos o método numérico existente para simular escoamentos viscoelásticos modelados pela equação constitutiva SXPP. Em ambos os casos, a formulação explícita também é usada para comparação e teste. Resultados que demonstram a eficiência e robustez das técnicas desenvolvidas são apresentados por meio da simulação numérica de complexos problemas envolvendo superfície livre / The purpose of this work is the study of numerical methods for low Reynolds number incompressible free surface flows, including the GENSMAC methodology and its explicit and implicit formulations. In this context, we have special interest in the implicit formulation, in order to circumvent the parabolic stability restriction in the time step for free surface flows. The work can be divided into two parts: firstly, some modifications are proposed, discussed, and tested with the purpose of making the implicit formulation more e¢ cient and accurate; secondly, we take advantage of the results derived in the first part to generalize the numerical method for simulating viscoelastic free surface flows modeled by the constitutive equation SXPP. In both cases, the explicit formulation is also used for comparison and tests. Results that demonstrate the e¢ ciency and robustness of the developed techniques are presented and illustrated by the numerical simulation of complex problems involving free surface flows

Esta dissertação tem o propósito de analisar a dinâmica da circulação no Brasil através da navegação de cabotagem de carga. Cabotagem é definida como aquela navegação realizada entre portos brasileiros, utilizando exclusivamente a via marítima ou a via marítima e as interiores, ou seja, é todo transporte aquaviário nacional que se realiza totalmente ou parcialmente pela via marítima costeira. No atual período histórico, a convergência da técnica, da ciência, da informação, e do processo de mundialização do capital criam maiores possibilidades para a especialização dos lugares, não havendo mais a necessidade de se produzir todo o tipo de demandas por mercadorias, estabelecendo-se uma intensa divisão territorial do trabalho onde a circulação emerge como elemento intrínseco aos processos produtivos, pois é somente através da movimentação das mercadorias que os ciclos produtivos se efetivam. Esse processo vem contribuindo para uma intensificação dos fluxos materiais e imateriais que ocorrem em espaços cada vez mais amplos do mercado internacional, aumentando dessa forma a tendência ao espraiamento geográfico das atividades econômicoprodutivas. No Brasil esses aspectos ganham ênfase, sobretudo a partir da década de 1990, quando na maior parte do mundo ocorreram alterações econômicas, políticas e sociais que impuseram aos países, e ao Brasil, um novo padrão de organização do território pautado, dentre outros fatores, na busca de uma maior racionalidade e fluidez territorial devido à intensificação dos fluxos e a inserção cada vez mais vigorosa do país no mercado mundializado. Assim, em um país de dimensão continental que apresenta mais de sete mil quilômetros de costa, com uma faixa litorânea onde se localizam a maioria das principais cidades e centros consumidores, a navegação de cabotagem se apresenta como um modal potencial para realização da circulação de mercadorias, sobretudo no contexto da intermodalidade pretendida em um país ainda essencialmente rodoviarista. Os agentes privados, defendendo seus interesses, e, sobretudo o Estado, na sua esfera de ação tem dinamizado recentemente o setor aquaviário. Dessa maneira, nos propomos compreender a atuação do agente estatal sobre o setor dos transportes, especificamente sobre a navegação de cabotagem de carga no Brasil, bem como compreender a atuação dos principais armadores nacionais, que se utilizam da navegação de cabotagem para oferecem seus serviços baseados em soluções logísticas que buscam otimizar a circulação material de seus clientes. Desse modo, busca-se perpassar pelos caminhos e conteúdos da cabotagem brasileira, bem como analisar os principais circuitos espaciais da produção que se utilizam dessa modalidade de transporte, com ênfase para os circuitos produtivos: do petróleo, do alumínio (bauxita) e da celulose (madeira). / This study aimed to analyze the dynamics of circulation in Brazil through the coastal shipping cargo. Coastal shipping or cabotage is defined as that navigation between Brazilian ports, using only the sea or the sea and the rivers, in other words, is a national waterway transportation that takes place totally or partially by sea coast. In the current historical period, the convergence of technical, science, information, and the process of capital globalization create greater opportunities towards specialization of places, there was no longer a need to produce all kinds of demands for goods, establishing an intense territorial division of labor where circulation emerges as an element intrinsic to the production processes, therefore it is only through the circulation of goods that the production cycles become effected. This process has contributed to an intensification of the material and immaterial flows that occur in wider spaces increasingly globalized thereby increasing the tendency to geographical spreading of economic-productive activities. In Brazil these aspects acquire emphasis, especially since the 1990s, when most of the world, economic, political and social changes occurred imposed to all the countries, and to Brazil, a new pattern of organization of the territory ruled, among other factors, in the search of a better rationality and territorial fluidity due to the intensification of flows and increasingly forceful insertion of the country in the globalization. Therefore, in a country of continental dimension presenting over seven thousand kilometers of coastline, with a coast where are located most of the major cities and consumer centers, coastal shipping appears as a modal transport with potential for circularion of goods, especially in the context of intermodality intented in a country still essentially based on road transportation. Private agents, defending their interests, and above all the State, within its sphere of action has recently dynamized the water transportation sector. In this way, we propose to understand the action of the State on the transport sector, specifically on coastal shipping cargo in Brazil, as well as understanding the role of the main national shipowners, that use the cabotagae to offer their services based in logistics solutions aimed to optimize material circulation of their customers. Therefore, it is intended to pervade the ways and contents of Brazilian cabotage as well as analyze the main spatial circuits of production that use this mode of transport, with emphasis on productive circuits of: petroleum, aluminum (bauxite) and cellulose (wood).

L’objectif de cette thèse est proposer des méthodes de traitement des signaux ultrasonores pour améliorer le calcul des vitesses d’écoulements transitoires à l’intérieur des conduites en mode non intrusive et en conditions complexes de mesure. Par conditions complexes nous entendons des fortes et, respectivement, des basses vitesses d’écoulement ainsi que des mesures en contexte d’un écoulement transitoire ou turbulent. Classiquement, la vitesse de l’écoulement d’un fluide peut être estimée, de manière non intrusive, avec des ultrasons par le biais des débitmètres à temps de transit. Les débitmètres à temps de transit conventionnels sont basés sur l’émission alternée des pulses acoustiques mono-fréquentielles (donc, à bande étroite) et le calcul de la différence absolue entre les temps de vol dans le sens de l’écoulement (direct) et le sens opposé (inverse). La vitesse du fluide (et le débit), ou plutôt la précision de ces grandeurs, reposent principalement sur l’estimation de cette différence. La partie sensible de cette technique est le choix du seuil (en admettant que le signal reçu n’est pas affecté par d’autres phénomènes comme des échos parasites, atténuation excessive ou des effets Doppler) déterminé principalement de façon empirique: au-dessus de 50% ou 80% de la valeur maximale attendue du signal. Des techniques pour automatiser et réduire l’erreur de mesure sont tout à fait envisageables et qui assurent une précision acceptable dans des conditions de mesure presque idéales. Néanmoins, hormis les cas des figures ayant des conditions de mesure idéalisées, il existe plusieurs scénarii où les techniques actuelles sont déficitaires: le désalignement des capteurs, une vitesse d’écoulement trop forte qui conduit à l’effet «flow blow», les écoulements bi-phasiques et/ou la présence de l’effet Doppler. Ces constats, présentés dans le deuxième chapitre du manuscrit, nous ont conduit à envisager, dans le cadre de cette thèse, des axes de recherche qui ont pour objectif commun de fournir les outils de traitement du signal capables de lever les verrous opérationnels. Ainsi, les principes de traitement du signal envisagés pour répondre à cet objectif sont: le principe des signaux à large bande qui confère au système de traitement du signal une résolution plus fine et une meilleure robustesse aux perturbations; le concept de compressive sensing afin de reconstruire les échantillons perdus suite aux interférences au point de réception; le principe de formation de voie et le principe des multi-cordes qui permet d’évaluer le profil de vitesse dans une section de la conduite. / The purpose of this thesis is to propose ultrasonic signal processing methods in order to improve the transitory flow velocity non-intrusive detection through pipes, in complex measurement conditions. By complex measurement conditions, we refer to high or very low flow rates and also to transitory or turbulent flows. Usually, the flow velocity can be non-intrusive estimated, using ultrasonic flow meters based on transit time estimation. Conventional transit time flowmeters are based on the alternating emission of single-frequency acoustic pulses (ie, narrow-band acoustic pulses) and the calculation of the absolute difference between flight times in the direction of flow (direct) and in the opposite direction (reverse). The fluid velocity (and the flow rate), or rather the precision of estimation of these quantities, rest mainly on the estimation of this difference. The sensitive part of this technique is the choice of the threshold (assuming that the received signal is not affected by other phenomena such as echoes, excessive attenuation or Doppler effects) determined mainly empirically: above 50% or 80% of the maximum expected value of the signal. Techniques for reducing measurement errors are quite conceivable and provide acceptable accuracy under almost ideal measurement conditions. However, apart from the case with idealized measurement conditions, there are several scenarios where current techniques are deficient: sensor misalignment, excessive flow velocity which leads to the “flow blow” effect, two-phase flow and / or the presence of the Doppler effect. These facts, presented in the second chapter of the manuscript, led us to consider, within the framework of this thesis, research axes whose common objective are to provide the signal processing tools capable of lifting the operational locks. Thus, the signal processing principles considered to meet this objective are: the principle of wide-band signals which gives the signal processing system a finer resolution and better robustness to disturbances; the concept of compressing sensing in order to reconstruct the missing samples due to interference at the reception point; the principle of beamforming and the principle of multi-paths which makes it possible to evaluate the velocity profile in a pipe section.

abstract: A continuously and stably stratified fluid contained in a square cavity subjected to harmonic body forcing is studied numerically by solving the Navier-Stokes equations under the Boussinesq approximation. Complex dynamics are observed near the onset of instability of the basic state, which is a flow configuration that is always an exact analytical solution of the governing equations. The instability of the basic state to perturbations is first studied with linear stability analysis (Floquet analysis), revealing a multitude of intersecting synchronous and subharmonic resonance tongues in parameter space. A modal reduction method for determining the locus of basic state instability is also shown, greatly simplifying the computational overhead normally required by a Floquet study. Then, a study of the nonlinear governing equations determines the criticality of the basic state's instability, and ultimately characterizes the dynamics of the lowest order spatial mode by the three discovered codimension-two bifurcation points within the resonance tongue. The rich dynamics include a homoclinic doubling cascade that resembles the logistic map and a multitude of gluing bifurcations. The numerical techniques and methodologies are first demonstrated on a homogeneous fluid contained within a three-dimensional lid-driven cavity. The edge state technique and linear stability analysis through Arnoldi iteration are used to resolve the complex dynamics of the canonical shear-driven benchmark problem. The techniques here lead to a dynamical description of an instability mechanism, and the work serves as a basis for the remainder of the dissertation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Supplemental Materials Description File / zip file containing 10 mp4 formatted video animations, as well as a text readme and the previously submitted Supplemental Materials Description File / Doctoral Dissertation Mathematics 2019

U.S. Small Business Administration reports that small businesses are one of the pillars of the U.S. economy, providing employment, innovation, and productivity. However, these businesses are constantly faced with challenges resulting from limited resources and continuous technological advances. This qualitative multiple-case study was performed to explore the strategies that small business owners (SBOs) in Maryland use to acquire capital to sustain their businesses financially for more than 5 years. The study's framework, the strategic management theory, was applied to determine the most effective approaches for the small businesses. Face-to-face interviews with 6 recruited SBOs were performed. A qualitative thematic analysis was then used to analyze the interviews. The main strategies to sustain capital were to create a business plan focusing on long-term goals and invest in employee knowledge and skills. In the process of measuring success, participants mostly determined their success by their ability to acquire customers based on feedback and good service. The interviewees managed their cash by minimizing debt, maximizing the use of technology, and keeping track of cash flows. The SBOs also shared that the challenges in business were endured by staying debt-free, adjusting their strategies with the market changes, and conserving cash and expenses. Contributions to social change include helping small businesses sustain by leveraging strategic planning, management, and implementation in their businesses, thereby providing jobs and contributing to the overall economic vitality of the community.

L’étude des Réacteurs à Lit Bouillonnant (RLB) est à l’origine de ce projet de thèse. Ce type de réacteur chimique est très étudié en génie des procédés, en raison notamment de son utilisation pour l’hydrocraquage des charges lourdes. Des phénomènes complexes ont lieu dans un RLB, ce qui rend leur design et leur optimisation difficiles. Certains des mécanismes physiques prenant place dans les RLBs sont également des champs de recherche actifs en mécanique des fluides. Par conséquent, cette étude se concentre sur des mécanismes locaux participant à l’hydrodynamique des RLBs avec des catalyseurs cylindriques. Dans un premier temps, l’impact de l’anisotropie du catalyseur sur sa chute est étudié. Nous réalisons une étude expérimentale de la chute libre d’un cylindre en fluide au repos, afin de déterminer l’effet de l’anisotropie du corps sur sa dynamique. Les paramètres d’intérêt du problème sont le nombre d’Archimède du cylindre (Ar) et son rapport d’élongation (L/d). Les expériences sont menées avec deux caméras orthogonales, et des techniques de traitement d’images avancées sont développées pour parvenir à une mesure précise de la position et de l’orientation du corps en 3D. Pour (200 < Ar < 1100, 2 < L/d < 20), les cylindres adoptent différents types de trajectoire. Les deux principaux sont la chute rectiligne, durant laquelle l’axe du cylindre reste horizontal, et un mouvement de fluttering, qui est analysé en détail. D’autres types de mouvement plus complexes sont observés et discutés. De surcroît, le sillage du cylindre est analysé et caractérisé. De nombreuses particules sont présentes dans un RLB (40% de fraction massique environ). Les interactions entre ces corps multiples ont un impact fort sur le mouvement de chacun d’entre eux, mais sont très complexes. En première approximation, nous rendons compte de la présence de multiples particules en introduisant un milieu confiné. Nous étudions expérimentalement la chute d’un seul cylindre dans une cellule confinée verticale, dans laquelle le cylindre n’est libre de se mouvoir que dans deux directions. Le rapport d’élongation du cylindre (3<L/d<40) et son rapport de densité ( c / f = 1,16, 2,70, 4,50) sont les deux paramètres d’intérêt. Le nombre d’Archimède du cylindre se trouve entre les mêmes bornes qu’en milieu non confiné, et les deux modes principaux de mouvement sont aussi la chute rectiligne et le fluttering. Cependant, pour des paramètres (Ar,L/d) comparables, il existe des différences importantes dans le déplacement du cylindre comparé au cas non confiné. Nous avons également étudié l’interaction entre un cylindre en chute libre et un nuage de bullesascendantes. Cette étude a été menée expérimentalement dans la cellule confinée utilisée pour la seconde partie de la thèse. Des cylindres de plusieurs rapports de densité ( c / f = 1,16, 2,70, 4,50) and rapports d’élongation (3<L/d<20) ont été lâchés dans un nuage de bulles de fraction volumique de gaz comprise entre 2% et 5%. Plusieurs mécanismes d’interaction entre le cylindre et les bulles ont été identifiés (contact direct, interaction avec des perturbations du fluide. . .), et leur effet a été caractérisé. Nous avons effectué une étude statistique du mouvement du cylindre dans le nuage de bulles, et nous l’avons comparée aux résultats obtenus en milieu confiné et en fluide au repos. Les rapports de densité et d’élongation du cylindre jouent tous deux un rôle important dans son mouvement au sein du nuage de bulles. Des statistiques conditionnelles nous permettent d’approfondir notre analyse du contact entre le cylindre et les bulles, ainsi que du rôle de l’orientation du cylindre. Enfin, la dispersion du mouvement du cylindre dans le nuage est caractérisée. Un des principaux effets du nuage de bulles est d’accroître, via les contacts bulle cylindre, l’orientation du cylindre jusqu’à-ce qu’il soit presque vertical, ce qui a un effet très fort sur sa cinématique en comparaison avec le fluide au repos / The origin of this PhD thesis lies in the study of Ebullated Bed Reactors (EBRs). These chemical reactors are very active research topics in chemical processes, notably thanks to their usage in heavy oil processing. Many complex phenomena take place within EBRs, and make their design and optimization difficult. In fluid mechanics, a lot of physical mechanisms present in EBRs are active fields of study (three-phase flow, fluid-body interaction...). Hence, in the present work, a study of the mechanisms participating in the hydrodynamics of an EBR with cylindrical catalysts is performed. In a first part, the impact of the catalyst anisotropy on its fall is investigated. In order to gain insight on the effect of the body anisotropy on its fall dynamics, we investigate experimentally the free fall of a solid cylinder in a fluid at rest. The sensitivity to two dimensionless parameters, the Archimedes number (Ar) and the aspect ratio of the cylinder (L/d) is examined. Experiments are conducted with two orthogonal cameras, and advanced image processing techniques are developed in order to measure the position and orientation of the cylinder in 3D. Within the range of parameters studied (200 < Ar < 1100, 2 < L/d < 20), the cylinders adopt different types of falling motion. Two main types of paths are observed, the first one is a rectilinear fall of the cylinder that keeps its axis horizontal, and the second one is a fluttering oscillatory motion. Other more complex types of motion are observed and discussed. The fluttering motion of the cylinder is analyzed in details. On top of the study of the body motion, the cylinder wake is also visualized and characterized. A large number of particles are present at the same time inside an EBRs (about 40% of the mass). Interactions between multiple objects have a strong impact on the motion of each individual particle, but are very complex. In a first approximation, we take into account the presence of numerous particles by introducing a confined medium. We study experimentally the fall of a single cylinder in a confined vertical thin-gap cell, where the cylinders are free to move in only two directions. The cylinder elongation ratio (3<L/d<40) and density ratio ( c / f = 1.16, 2.70, 4.50) are the two parameters of interest. The Archimedes number of the cylinder lies within the same range as in the unconfined medium, and the two main modes of motion of the cylinder are a rectilinear motion, and a fluttering one. However, for the same parameters (Ar,L/d), the motion of the cylinder in the confined cell is strongly different in form to that in the unconfined medium. We also studied the interaction between a freely falling cylinder and a rising swarm of bubbles. This investigation was performed experimentally, in the confined cell used in the second part. Cylinders of various density ratio ( c / f = 1.16, 2.70, 4.50) and elongation ratio (3<L/d<20) are released in a bubble swarm of gas volume fraction between 2% and 5%. The cylinder motion is greatly modified by the bubble swarm. Several mechanisms of interaction between the cylinder and the bubbles are identified (direct contact, interactions with fluid perturbations...), and their effect is characterized. We perform a statistical analysis of the cylinder motion in the swarm, and compare it to results in the confined fluid at rest. The cylinder density ratio and elongation ratio both play an important role in its motion in the bubble swarm. Conditional statistics allow us to further investigate the effect of the contact between the cylinder and a bubble, and of the cylinder orientation in the swarm. Finally, the dispersion of the cylinder motion in the swarm is characterized. A major effect of the bubble swarm is to increase, through bubble-cylinder contacts, the probability of the cylinder to be in nearly vertical orientations. This drastically changes the kinematics of the cylinder as compared to its motion in the fluid at rest

The Green River canyons of the eastern Uinta Mountains have experienced a 5- year period of high debris flow activity. Catchment factors were studied in watersheds and on debris fans with recent debris flows, leading to the development of a conceptual framework of the hillslope and debris flow processes that deliver sediment to the Green River. Two recent fan deposits were monitored to determine the magnitude and processes of reworking that occur during mainstem floods of varying magnitude. The dominant debris flow initiation mechanism, termed the firehose effect, occurs when overland flow generated on bedrock slopes cascades down steep cliffs and saturates and impacts colluvium stored in bedrock hollows, causing failure. The dry climate and high strength of bedrock cause hillslopes to be weathering-limited, prohibiting the formation of extensive regolith and vegetative cover. This reduces the degree vegetation regulates geomorphic processes and causes wildfire to have little influence on debris flow initiation. The dry climate and strong rocks also lead to high runoff ratios and steep escarpments that result in debris flow initiation via the firehose effect. This initiation process also dominates in Grand Canyon, where geologic and topographic characteristics are similar, but differs from locations in the Rocky Mountains where fire has a strong influence on debris flow processes. Monitoring of two recently aggraded debris fans shows that mainstem floods with magnitudes as low as 75% of the pre-dam 2-year flood cause significant erosion of fan deposits, whereas floods with magnitudes less than 40% of the pre-dam 2-year flood do little reworking. Armoring of the debris fan surface limited the degree ofreworking done by successive floods. Eroded material was deposited directly downstream of the fan, not at the expansion gravel bar. This depositional location represents a change in the organization of the fan-eddy complex, potentially altering the location of recirculating eddies and associated backwater habitats. These results indicate that the firehose effect may be the dominant initiation processes in the steep canyons of the Colorado Plateau and that dam releases that significantly rework fan deposits are within the operational range of large dams in the Colorado River system.