Les verres du système BaO – TiO₂ – SiO₂ (BTS) présentent un intérêt majeur pour la synthèse de matériaux piézoélectriques par voie vitrocéramique. La fresnoite Ba₂TiSi₂O₈ possède en effet des propriétés piézoélectriques, ferroélectriques et d'optique non-linéaire. L'étude de la structure de verres BTS par spectroscopie Raman et EXAFS a permis d'expliquer l'évolution de leurs propriétés mécaniques à température ambiante et à Tg. Lorsque la teneur en TiO₂ est importante, ces verres présenteraient une séparation de phase menant à la formation de canaux de barium. Le verre 0,30BaO – 0,20TiO₂ – 0,50SiO₂ fut sélectionné comme matrice vitreuse pour la synthèse de vitrocéramiques texturées à base de fresnoite Ba₂TiSi₂O₈. L'étude de la cinétique de cristallisation a permis de contrôler précisément la cristallisation surfacique de cette phase piézoélectrique. L'utilisation d'un traitement par ultrasons précédent le traitement thermique a permis d'augmenter l'orientation de la croissance des cristaux surfaciques dans la direction de polarisation. Il fut ainsi possible de synthétiser des vitrocéramiques piézoélectriques texturées et transparentes présentant des propriétés mécaniques supérieures à celles de la matrice vitreuse. Les propriétés électriques de ces verres furent étudiées par spectroscopie d'impédance. Ceux-ci présentent à la fois une augmentation de leur conductivité et de leur constante diélectrique lors de l'augmentation de la teneur en TiO₂. Il fut suggéré que ces évolutions sont la conséquence de l'apparition des canaux de barium, facilitant la conduction ionique, et de groupements TiO₅, favorisant la polarisation. Finalement, l'effet d'un champ électrique sur la viscosité d'un verre fut investigué, et notamment le ramollissement du verre sous champ électrique intense. Il fut montré qu'il était possible de réduire grandement la viscosité du verre par application d'un champ AC ou DC. Si l'application d'un champ DC a des effets destructeurs sur le matériau, celui d'un champ AC est bien plus prometteur pour de potentielles applications dans la synthèse de matériau vitreux. / Glasses from the BaO – TiO₂ – SiO₂ (BTS) are of great interest for their use as glass-matrix to synthesise fresnoite glass-ceramics. These materials show numerous potential applications as piezoelectric and non-linear optic devices. It has been found that the addition of TiO2 in these glasses improves the cross-linking degree of the glass network as well as the volume density of energy and the glass temperature sensitivity. When the content of titanium is increasing, island-like Si\Ti rich units surrounded by barium-rich channels might form, leading to a similarity between the fresnoite crystal and the glass structure. Thanks to an ultrasonic and thermal heat-treatment it has been possible to control the growth of oriented fresnoite cristallites from the surface of 0,30BaO – 0,20TiO2 – 0,50SiO2 glass. The transparent glass-ceramic shows improved mechanical properties as well as evidence of piezoelectricity. The electrical properties of BTS glasses were investigated with the use of impedance spectroscopy. They show an increase in electric conductivity and dielectric constant as Ti is added to their composition. One explanation lies in the formation of these Ba-rich channels which may improve the ionic conduction. The formation of TiO5 groups would also be responsible for the overall increase in polarizability of the glass. Finally, the effect of an electric field on the glass viscosity was investigated. The glass showed great reduction of its viscosity under high electric field for both AC & DC. When AC field was applied, the material showed no deterioration which might be very interesting for the potential use of this effect for the synthesis of glassy materials.

Les matériaux thermoélectriques sont des matériaux capables de convertir l’énergie thermique en énergie électrique en exploitant l’effet Seebeck et vice-versa, en exploitant l’effet Peltier. Grâce à ces deux effets, il est possible de récupérer l’énergie perdue sous forme de chaleur dans la plupart des activités humaines (industrie, automobile,…) ou bien de produire du froid de manière efficace et silencieuse. Pour une efficacité optimale, il faut se tourner vers des matériaux qui possèdent simultanément une faible résistivité électrique, (rhô), une faible conductivité thermique (lambda) et un fort pouvoir thermoélectrique (ou coefficient Seebeck alpha). En d’autre termes, on peut monter que le facteur a optimiser est le facteur de mérite ZT = alpha2.T/rhô.lambda (une valeur de ZT de 1 est considérée comme élevée). Les verres de chalcogénures, grâce à leurs structures désordonnées, présentent naturellement un lambda bas mais sont trop résistifs (à l’opposé des matériaux thermoélectriques classiques dont on cherche à diminuer la conductivité thermique). Dans ce travail, deux stratégies ont été mises en places afin d’abaisser la résistivité électrique et d’augmenter ainsi les performances thermoélectriques des verres de chalcogénures. En nous focalisant sur les verres de tellurures, nous avons d’abord cherché à modifier leur composition et ajouter des éléments métalliques tels que Cu. La substitution de Te par Se dans le système Cu-As-Te a également permis d’augmenter la stabilité en température. Finalement pour des matériaux vitreux, un ZT maximum de l’ordre de 0,1 a été obtenu à 375K, pour le composé Cu30As10Te54Se6.La seconde solution consiste en une vitrocéramisation de ces verres : en profitant du mélange de matériau vitreux et de matériau cristallin, il est possible de tirer parti des propriétés de chacun (respectivement une conductivité thermique basse et un résistivité électrique basse) et d’augmenter le facteur ZT. En optimisant les vitrocéramiques de la composition Cu15As30Te55, nous avons pu obtenir un ZT proche de 0,2 à 375K. L’évolution des propriétés en fonction de la fraction cristalline et de la microstructure n’est toutefois pas facile à prédire, ce qui nous a également mené à la mise en place d’un modèle de transport dans les composites biphasés, donnant quelques indications sur les directions à suivre pour finalement améliorer ces matériaux davantage / Thermoelectrics are materials capable of converting thermal energy into electrical energy through Seebeck effect, and vice-versa through Peltier effect. By using these two phenomena, it becomes possible to salvage heat loss from most human activities (industries, cars,…) or on the other side, to efficiently and silently produce cold. To obtain an efficient material, it is necessary to look for materials that simultaneously possess a low electrical resistivity, a low thermal conductivity and a high thermoelectric power alpha (or Seebeck coefficient). In other words, it is possible to show that we need to optimize the figure of merit ZT = alpha2.T/rho.lambda (a ZT as high as 1 can be considered as efficient). Chalcogenide glasses, due to favorably disordered structures, exhibit a naturally low thermal conductivity, but have a too high electrical resistivity (oppositely to classical thermoelectrics of which we seek to lower the thermal conductivity). In this work, two strategies were set up into lowering electrical resistivity and then further enhance the thermoelectric performance of chalcogenide glasses. Focusing on telluride glasses, we firstly tried to modify their composition and add metallic elements such as copper. Substituting Te par Se in the ternary system Cu-As-Te allowed increasing their thermal stability. For vitreous materials, we finally obtained a maximal ZT around 0.1 at 375K, for the compound Cu30As10Te54Se6. The second solution consists in partially crystallizing these glasses: by taking advantage of the favorable properties of each phase (the low thermal conductivity of the glassy phase and the low electrical resistivity of the crystalline phase), the figure of merit can be raised. By optimizing glass-ceramics of composition Cu15As30Te55, a ZT close to 0.2 at 375K has been obtained. However, predicting how the thermoelectric properties evolve with crystalline fraction or microstructure is complex. That led us to set up a transport model for two-phases composites, giving finally some insights to further improve these materials.

In this thesis Moore and Yeo's proposed mapping of the structural glass to the Ising spin glass in a random field is presented. In contrast to Random First Order Theory and Mode Coupling Theory, this mapping predicts that there should be no glass transition at finite temperature. However, a growing correlation length is predicted from the size of rearranging regions in the supercooled liquid, and from this a growing structural relaxation time is predicted. Also presented is a study of the propensity of binary fluids (i.e. fluids containing particles of two sizes) to phase separate into regions dominated by one type of particle only. Binary fluids like this are commonly used as model glass formers and the study shows that this phase separation behaviour is something that must be taken into account.The mapping relies on the use of replica theory and is therefore very opaque. Here a model is presented that may be mapped directly to a system of spins, and also prevents the process of phase separation from occurring in binary fluids. The system of spins produced in the mapping is then analysed through the use of an effective Hamiltonian, which is in the universality class of the Ising spin glass in a random field. The behaviour of the correlation length depends on the spin-spin coupling J and the strength of the random field h. The variation of these with packing fraction and temperature T is studied for a simple model, and the results extended to the full system. Finally a prediction is made for the critical exponents governing the correlation length and structural relaxation time.

Les déchets nucléaires de haute activité, produits en France sous forme de colis de verre lors du traitement du combustible usé, sont destinés à être stockés en couche géologique profonde sur le long terme. L’arrivée de l’eau de l’environnement au contact du colis est prévue après quelques milliers d’années. De nombreuses études sur la durabilité d’un simulant non radioactif du verre industriel ont montré que le verre au contact de l’eau s’altère selon plusieurs régimes de vitesse, aboutissant à la formation d’une pellicule d’altération « passivante » et à l’instauration d’un régime de vitesse résiduelle sur le long terme. Cependant, la matrice vitreuse est soumise à la radioactivité des radioéléments qu’elle confine. Ce travail de thèse a pour objectif de se focaliser sur l’influence de l’irradiation sur la pellicule d’altération formée au cours de ce régime de vitesse résiduelle d’un point de vue structural et mécanistique. Dans ce but, la démarche choisie s’articule selon trois axes complémentaires. Des verres modèles simples non radioactifs ont été altérés et irradiés de façon externe afin d’observer les modifications engendrées par des effets électroniques (irradiations aux électrons et aux particules alpha).Le comportement à l’altération de ces mêmes types de verres, préalablement irradiés par des ions lourds, a été étudié de façon à appréhender l’impact de la dose balistique par le verre avant l’arrivée de l’eau. Enfin, l’altération d’un verre complexe dopé en émetteur alpha a été mise en œuvre afin de se rapprocher d’une situation plus réaliste. / High-level radioactive waste (HLW) remaining after spent nuclear fuel reprocessing is immobilized within a glass matrix, eventually destined for geological disposal. Water intrusion into the repository is expected after several thousand years. The alteration of a non-radioactive surrogate for nuclear glass has been extensively studied and it has been determined that successive leaching mechanisms lead to the formation of a “passivating” alteration layer and to the establishment of a residual rate regime in the long term. However, glass packages are submitted to the radioactivity of confined radioelements. This work focuses on the influence of irradiation on the alteration layer formed during the residual rate regime, in a structural and mechanistic point of view. Three focal areas have been selected. Non-radioactive simple glasses have been leached and externally irradiated in order to determine modifications induced by electronic effects (irradiations with electrons and alpha particles). The same type of glass samples have been previously irradiated with heavy ions and their leaching behavior have been studied in order to assess the impact of ballistic dose cumulated by the glass before water intrusion. Leaching behavior of a complex radioactive glass, doped with an alpha-emitter, has been studied to consider a more realistic situation.

abstract: The primary goal of this thesis is to evaluate the influence of ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyolefin elastomer (POE) encapsulant types on the glass-glass (GG) photovoltaic (PV) module reliability. The influence of these two encapsulant types on the reliability of GG modules was compared with baseline glass-polymer backsheet (GB) modules for a benchmarking purpose. Three sets of modules, with four modules in each set, were constructed with two substrates types i.e. glass-glass (GG) and glass- polymer backsheet (GB); and 2 encapsulants types i.e. ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyolefin elastomer (POE). Each module set was subjected to the following accelerated tests as specified in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard and Qualification Plus protocol of NREL: Ultraviolet (UV) 250 kWh/m2; Thermal Cycling (TC) 200 cycles; Damp Heat (DH) 1250 hours. To identify the failure modes and reliability issues of the stressed modules, several module-level non-destructive characterizations were carried out and they include colorimetry, UV-Vis-NIR spectral reflectance, ultraviolet fluorescence (UVF) imaging, electroluminescence (EL) imaging, and infrared (IR) imaging. The above-mentioned characterizations were performed on the front side of the modules both before the stress tests (i.e. pre-stress) and after the stress tests (i.e. post-stress). The UV-250 extended stress results indicated slight changes in the reflectance on the non-cell area of EVA modules probably due to minor adhesion loss at the cell and module edges. From the DH-1250 extended stress tests, significant changes, in both encapsulant types modules, were observed in reflectance and UVF images indicating early stages of delamination. In the case of the TC-200 stress test, practically no changes were observed in all sets of modules. From the above short-term stress tests, it appears although not conclusive at this stage of the analysis, delamination seems to be the only failure mode that could possibly be affecting the module performance, as observed from UV and DH extended stress tests. All these stress tests need to be continued to identify the wear-out failure modes and their impacts on the performance parameters of PV modules. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Mechanical Engineering 2020

Theoretical part of diploma thesis deals with progressive building materials, namely with aggregate from foam glass. Resources for production, description of production, properties of aggregate and its utilization are included. Production of lightweight gaping concrete, its properties, risks during its production and utilization in building practice are part of diploma thesis as well. Lightweight gaping concrete was made during practical part. It was produced by combining aggregate from foam glass and cement. Testing of required properties was carried out on these made samples.

This master thesis includes a comprehensive review of four-seater sport and leisure aircraft with focus on their cockpit instruments. The description of the selected glass cockpits is listed. Thesis also includes design of instrument panel, which is designed according to the relevant regulations and standard configuration of existing aircrafts. There is also a brief overview of the regulations necessary for the installation of these systems in the aircrafts. At the end of the this work is failure mode and effects analysis, with calculation of probability malfunction for critical functions.

‘...and one of time.' is a reinterpretation of a small musical moment from Philip Glass' opera, Einstein on the Beach, centered around the phrase "Berne, Switzerland 1905." This reinterpretation is realized through the use of several different compositional techniques including spectral composition, micropolyphony and dodecaphony, as well as the application of extra-musical models developed by Alan Lightman, John Gardner, Italo Calvino and Albert Einstein.

We analyze the replica-symmetry-breaking (RSB) construction in the Sherrington - Kirkpatrick (SK) model and in the p-state Potts glass for p ≤ 4. We present a general scheme for deriving an asymptotic solution with an arbitrary number of discrete hierarchies of broken replica symmetry near the critical temperature for both models, and close to the de Almeida- Thouless instability line in the SK model. We show that in the SK model all solutions with finite many hierarchies are unstable and only the scheme with infinite many hierarchies becomes marginally stable in the spin-glass phase. For the Potts glass, we find, moreover, an one-step RSB solution which co- exists with the infinite RSB solution for p > p∗ ≈ 2.82. The former solution is locally stable but has lower free energy than the latter which is marginally stable and has the highest free energy. 1

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