Dans le cadre de la déposition géologique profonde des déchets radioactifs, l'argile de Boom est choisie comme une des formations hôtes potentielles dans le programme belge. Par sa formation géologique, cette argile est considérée comme un matériau isotrope transversal. En effet, l'anisotropie de ses propriétés hydraulique et thermique a été mise en évidence dans plusieurs études. Il apparait maintenant nécessaire de mener une étude complète sur son comportement anisotrope. Sur le plan expérimental, l'anisotropie des propriétés thermo-hydro-mécaniques de l'argile de Boom a été mise en évidence à l'aide des mesures de la conductivité thermique, de la conductivité hydraulique, et du module de cisaillement. Grâce à ces mesures sur des carottes fraichement forées, l'endommagement dû à l'excavation de la galerie a été identifié (dans la zone près de la galerie « Connecting » à Mol, Belgique) et modélisé par un modèle empirique dont la variable d'endommagement est basée sur le volume des macro-pores. Ensuite, l'anisotropie du comportement en condition K0 a été étudiée en analysant le comportement de trois types d'éprouvettes différents (0°, 45° et 90° au plan du litage) pendant et après la re-saturation dans des cellules oedométriques et triaxiales à plusieurs états de contraintes différents. Enfin, le comportement anisotrope en condition triaxiale a été étudié en réalisant des essais triaxiaux sur trois types d'éprouvettes. Au cours de ces essais, les mesures des vitesses d'ondes Vs et Vp ont été également effectuées à l'aide des éléments piézoélectriques encastrés dans deux embases supérieure et inférieure d'une cellule triaxiale. Ces résultats ont permis de déterminer les paramètres de l'élasticité anisotrope. Sur le plan de modélisation, un modèle anisotrope avec huit paramètres anisotropes (cinq paramètres élastiques et trois paramètres plastiques) a été développé, en utilisant la théorie de Bohler (Boehler et Sawczuk, 1977). Ce modèle est basé sur un modèle élasto-plastique isotrope à deux surfaces de charge validé précédemment pour l'argile de Boom (Hong, 2013). La validation de ce modèle anisotrope a été réalisée grâce aux résultats expérimentaux des essais oedométriques et triaxiaux obtenus dans cette étude / In the program of deep geological radioactive waste disposal in Belgium, Boom Clay has been chosen as one of the potential host rocks. Due to the geological stratification, this stiff clay has been regarded as a transverse isotropic material. The anisotropy of its hydraulic and thermal properties was shown in several studies. It seems necessary now to conduct a more in-depth study on the anisotropic behaviour of Boom Clay. In terms of experimental works, the anisotropy of the thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of Boom Clay was evidenced using measurements of thermal conductivity, hydraulic conductivity and small-strain shear modulus. Through these measurements on freshly cored Boom Clay samples, the damage due to excavation of the gallery was identified (in the zone near the Connecting gallery at Mol, Belgium) and modelled using an empirical model in which the damage variable is based on the volume of macro-pores. Afterwards, the anisotropy behaviour under K0 condition was studied by analysing the behaviour of three types of specimens (0°, 45°, and 90° to the bedding plane) during and after the re-saturation in the triaxial and oedometer cells under different stress states. Finally, the anisotropic behaviour under triaxial condition was investigated through several triaxial tests on three types of specimens. During these tests, the velocity measurements of seismic waves Vs et Vp were performed thanks to the bender elements installed in the upper and bottom bases of a triaxial cell. These results were used to determine the parameters of anisotropic elasticity. In terms of modelling works, an anisotropic model with eight anisotropic parameters (fives elastic parameters and three plastic parameters) was developed using the theory of Boehler (Boehler et Sawczuk, 1977). This model is based on an elasto-plastic isotropic model with two yield surfaces elaborated previously for Boom Clay (Hong, 2013). The validation of this anisotropic model was made based on the results obtained from oedometer and triaxial tests performed in this study

Les géo-structures telles que les barrages et les digues sont soumises à des écoulements hydrauliques variant dans le temps et dans l'espace. L'eau qui traverse ces milieux poreux peut entraîner le détachement et le transport de certaines particules des sols constituant les structures et leurs fondations. Ce problème est généralement appelé "érosion interne". Le terme suffusion, un type d'érosion interne, se réfère au détachement et au transport de particules les plus fines à traversune matrice de sol poreuse plus grossière en raison d'un écoulement hydraulique. L'évolution temporelle de la suffusion peut modifier les propriétés hydrauliques et mécaniques des sols et peut entraîner des changements importants dans le comportement de telles structures pouvant aller jusqu’à leur effondrement. Ce travail de thèse tente de contribuer à la conception et à la durabilité des ouvrages en ingénierie géotechnique et hydraulique en mettant un accent particulier sur les barrages, les levées et les digues. Il a été consacré à développer un modèle numérique de suffusion en introduisant d’une part le couplage des phénomènes hydrauliques et mécaniques et d’autre part le couplage des phénomènes d'érosion et de filtration. / Geo-structures such as dams and levees or dikes are subjected to seepage varying in time and space. The water flowing through these porous media can lead to the detachment and transport of part of the soil particles within the structures or their foundations. This problem is usually called internal erosion. The term suffusion, one type of internal erosion, refers to the detachment and transport of finer particles through a coarser porous soil matrix due to seepage flow. Suffusion can modify with time the hydraulic and mechanical properties of the soils and may trigger significant damage on such structures and lead eventually to their collapse. This research attempts to contribute to the design and sustainability of geotechnical and hydraulic engineering structures, with a particular focus on embankment dams, levees, and dikes. It aims to develop a numerical model of suffusion by introducing, on the one hand, the coupling of the hydraulic and mechanical phenomena and, on the other hand, the coupling of erosion and filtration.

External gear machines (EGMs) are used in a variety of industries ranging from fluid power machinery to fluid handling systems and fuel injection applications. Energy efficiency requirements and new trends in hydraulic technology necessitate the development of novel EGMs optimized for efficiency and reliability in all of these applications. A crucial piece in the novel EGM development process is a numerical model that can simulate the operation of EGM and predict its volumetric and hydro-mechanical performance.<div><br></div><div>The EGM simulation models developed in the past have focused mostly on the challenges related to the modeling of the theoretical behavior and elementary fluid dynamics, and determining appropriate modeling schemes. Key aspects related to the flow and geometry are either considered in a simplified manner or not considered at all. In particular, the current simulation models assume the fluid to be Newtonian and the leakage flows to be laminar. However, EGMs working in fluid handling applications operate with non-Newtonian fluids. Further, in fuel injection applications, due to low fluid viscosity and high operating speed, the internal leakage flows may not remain laminar.</div><div><br></div><div>With respect to the geometric aspects, the gears in EGMs are prone to manufacturing errors that are not accounted by any simulation model. In addition, there is no method available in the literature for accurately modeling the leakage flows through curve-constricted geometries in EGMs. Further, the goal of current simulation tools is related to the prediction of the volumetric performance of EGMs. However, an equally important characteristic, hydro-mechanical performance, is often ignored. Finally, the energy flow during EGM operation can result in the variation of the fluid temperature. Thus, the isothermal assumption of current simulation tools is another major limitation.</div><div><br></div><div>The work presented in this dissertation is focused on developing numerical methodologies for the modeling of EGMs that addresses all the aforementioned limitations of the current models. In this work, techniques for evaluating non-Newtonian internal flows in EGMs is developed to permit an accurate modelling of EGMs working with non-Newtonian fluids. For fuel injection EGMs, flow regime at the tooth tips of the gears is investigated and it is shown that the flow becomes turbulent for such EGMs. A methodology for modeling this turbulent flow is proposed and its impact on the performance of EGMs is described. To include gear manufacturing errors in the simulation model, numerical techniques are developed for modeling the effects of two common gear manufacturing errors: conicity and concentricity. These two errors are shown to have an opposite impact on the volumetric efficiency of the EGM. For the evaluation of flows through curve-constricted leakage paths in EGMs, a novel flow model is developed in this work that is applicable for a wide range of geometry and flow conditions. Modeling of the hydro-mechanical efficiency of EGMs is accomplished by developing methodologies for the evaluation of torque losses at key interfaces. Finally, to account for the thermal effects in EGMs, a thermal model is developed to predict the temperature distribution in the EGM and its impact on the EGM performance.</div><div><br></div><div><div>To validate the numerical methodologies developed in this work, several experiments are conducted on commercial gear pumps as well as on a custom apparatus designed and manufactured in the course of this research work. The results from the experiments are found to match those obtained from the simulations which indicates the validity of the methodologies developed in this work. </div><div><br></div><div>These numerical methodologies are based on the lumped parameter approach to allow the coupling with mechanical models for gear micromotion and permit fast computations so that the model can be used in optimization algorithms to develop energy efficient and reliable EGMs.</div><div><br></div><div>The methodologies described in the dissertation are useful for accurate analysis of a variety of EGMs working with different types of fluids and at wide range of operating conditions. This capability will be valuable for pump designers in developing novel better performing EGM designs optimized for various applications.</div><div><br></div></div>

To uilize the shallow geothermal energy, heat pumps are often coupled with borehole heat exchangers (BHE) for heating and cooling buildings. In cold regions, soil freezing around the BHE is a potential problem which can seriously influence the underground soil temperature distribution, inlet and outlet fluid temperature of the BHE, and thus the efficiency of the whole GSHP system. The influence of the freezing process on the overall system performance is investigated by comparing different BHE configuration with and without latent heat effect from the frozen groundwater. The coefficient of performance (COP) of the heat pump will alter when freezing process in taken into account and lead to various electricity consumption. Except for the efficiency aspect, the freezing behavior can also lead to the redistribution of pore pressure and fluid flow, and in some extreme cases can even result in frost damage to the BHEs. A fully coupled thermohydro-mechanical model is required for advanced system design and scenario analyses. Based on the framework of the Theory of Porous Media, a triphasic freezing model is derived and solved with the finite element method. Ice formation in the porous medium results from a coupled heat and mass transfer problem with phase transition and is accompanied by volume expansion. The model is able to capture various coupled physical phenomena through the freezing process including the latent heat effect, groundwater flow with porosity change and mechanical deformation. With this kind of THM freezing model, we are also able to solve different kinds of engineering problem, e.g. geotechnics, construction engineering and material engineering.

The use of knowledge-based systems to aid in the diagnosis of faults in physical devices has grown considerably since their introduction during the 1970s. The majority of the early knowledge-based systems incorporated shallow knowledge, which sought to define simple cause and effect relationships between a symptom and a fault, that could be encoded as a set of rules. Though such systems enjoyed much success, it was recognised that they suffered from a number of inherent limitations such as inflexibility, inadequate explanation, and difficulties of knowledge elicitation. Many of these limitations can be overcome by developing knowledge-based systems which contain deeper knowledge about the device being diagnosed. Such systems, now generally referred to as model-based systems, have shown much promise, but there has been little evidence to suggest that they have successfully made the transition from the research centre to the workplace. This thesis argues that knowledge-based systems are an appropriate tool for the diagnosis of faults in complex devices, and that both deep and shallow knowledge have their part to play in this process. More specifically this thesis demonstrates how a wide-ranging knowledge-based system for quality assurance, based upon shallow knowledge, can be developed, and implemented. The resultant system, named DIPLOMA, not only diagnoses faults, but additionally provides advice and guidance on the assembly, disassembly, testing, inspection and repair of a highly complex hydro-mechanical device. Additionally it is shown that a highly innovative modelbased system, named MIDAS, can be used to contribute to the provision of diagnostic, explanatory and training facilities for the same hydro-mechanical device. The methods of designing, coding, implementing and evaluating both systems are explored in detail. The successful implementation and evaluation of the DIPLOMA and MIDAS systems has shown that knowledge-based systems are an appropriate tool for the diagnosis of faults in complex hydro-mechanical devices, and that they make a beneficial contribution to the business performance of the host organisation. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the most effective and comprehensive knowledge-based approach to fault diagnosis is one which incorporates both deep and shallow knowledge, so that the distinctive advantages of each can be realised in a single application. Finally, the research has provided evidence that the model-based approach to diagnosis is highly flexible, and may, therefore, be an appropriate technique for a wide range of industrial applications. / Science and Engineering Research Council, and Alvey Directorate

Le présent travail est consacré à l'étude du comportement thermo-hydro-mécanique linéaire et non linéaire des roches poreuses de type argilites par approche de changement d'échelle. A partir des observations microstructurales de ces matériaux, un modèle conceptuel a été proposé. Dans ce modèle, le volume élémentaire représentatif du milieu hétérogène est composé d'une phase matricielle argileuse contenant des inclusions sphériques de minéraux de quartz et de calcite et des inclusions ellipsoïdales aplaties représentant l'espace poreux. Dans un premier temps, le procédé de la modélisation a été exploité par la détermination des propriétés effectives isotropes et isotrope transverses des argilites : la conductivité thermique et les propriétés thermo-hydro-mécanique croisées. En outre, de nombreuses études numériques ont mis en évidence l'influence de la morphologie de l'espace poreux, de la minéralogie et des schémas d'estimation sur les résultats prédictifs. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons modélisé le comportement mécanique non linéaire (élasto-plastique, élasto-viscoplastique) des roches argileuses. La comparaison entre les simulations numériques et les résultats expérimentaux disponibles (essai de compression triaxiale, essai de fluage) a confirmé la validation du modèle développé / The present work deals with the linear and non-linear thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of porous rocks such as the argillite by the multiscale modelling approach. Based on microstructure observations, a conceptual model was proposed. In this model, the representative elementary volume of a heterogeneous medium is composed of an argillaceous matrix containing spherical inclusions of minerals quartz and calcite and ellipsoidal inclusions representing the pore space. In a first step, the process of modelling has been exploited by determining the isotropic and transversely isotropic effective properties of the argillite: thermal conductivity and thermo-hydro-mechanical properties. Furthermore, many numerical studies have highlighted the influence of the morphology of the pore space, of the mineralogy and of the estimate schemes to the predictive results. In a second step, we modelled the non linear mechanical behaviour (elasto-plastic, elasto-viscoplastic) of argillaceous rocks. The comparison between numerical simulations and available experimental results (triaxial compression test, creep test) confirmed the validation of the model developed

Les structures en béton des centrales nucléaires peuvent être soumises à des contraintes thermo- hydriques modérées, caractérisées par des températures de l’ordre de la centaine de degrés aussi bien en conditions de service qu’accidentelles. Ces contraintes peuvent être à l’origine de désordres importants notamment la fissuration qui a pour effet d’accélérer les transferts hydriques dans la structure. Dans le cadre de l’étude de la durabilité de ces structures, le modèle THMs a été développé au Laboratoire d’Etude du Comportement des Bétons et des Argiles (LECBA) du CEA Saclay pour simuler le comportement du béton face à des sollicitations couplées thermo-hydro-mécaniques. Dans cette thèse on s’est intéressé à l’amélioration dans le modèle THMs d’une part de l’estimation des paramètres mécaniques et hydromécaniques du matériau en conditions partiellement saturées et en présence de fissuration et d’autre part de la description de la fissuration. La première partie a été consacrée à la mise au point d’un modèle basé sur une description multi-échelle de la microstructure des matériaux cimentaires, en partant de l’échelle des principaux hydrates (portlandite, ettringite, C-S-H, etc.) jusqu’à l’échelle macroscopique du matériau fissuré. Les paramètres investigués sont obtenus à chaque échelle de la description par des techniques d’homogénéisation analytiques. Dans la seconde partie on s’est attaché à décrire numériquement de façon précise la fissuration notamment en termes d’ouverture, de localisation et de propagation. Pour cela une méthode de réanalyse éléments finis/éléments discrets a été proposée et validée sur différents cas-test de chargement mécanique. Enfin la procédure a été mise en œuvre dans le cas d’un mur chauffé et une méthode de recalcul de la perméabilité a été proposée permettant de montrer l’intérêt de la prise en compte de l’anisotropie du tenseur de perméabilité lorsqu’on s’intéresse à l’étude des transferts de masse dans une structure en béton fissurée. Mots clés : matériaux cimentaires, homogénéisation, modélisation multi-échelle, microfissures, éléments discrets, éléments finis, chargements thermo-hydro-mécaniques. / The concrete structures of nuclear power plants can be subjected to moderate thermo-hydric loadings characterized by temperatures of the order of hundred of degrees in service conditions as well as in accidental ones. These loadings can be at the origin of important disorders, in particular cracking which accelerate hydric transfers in the structure. In the framework of the study of durability of these structures, a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model denoted THMs has been developed at Laboratoire d’Etude du Comportement des Bétons et des Argiles (LECBA) of CEA Saclay in order to perform simulations of the concrete behavior submitted to such loadings. In this work, we focus on the improvement in the model THMs in one hand of the assessment of the mechanical and hydromechanical parameters of the unsaturated microcracked material and in the other hand of the description of cracking in terms of opening and propagation. The first part is devoted to the development of a model based on a multi-scale description of cement-based materials starting from the scale of the main hydrated products (portlandite, ettringite, C-S-H etc.) to the macroscopic scale of the cracked material. The investigated parameters are obtained at each scale of the description by applying analytical homogenization techniques. The second part concerns a fine numerical description of cracking. To this end, we choose to use combined finite element and discrete element methods. This procedure is presented and illustrated through a series of mechanical tests in order to show the feasibility of the method and to proceed to its validation. Finally, we apply the procedure to a heated wall and the proposed method for estimating the permeability shows the interest to take into account an anisotropic permeability tensor when dealing with mass transfers in cracked concrete structures. Keywords : cement-based materials, homogenization, multi-scale modelling, microcracks, discrete elements, finite elements, thermo-hydro-mechanical loadings.

Le comportement à long terme des excavations souterraines est un enjeu social et économique majeur, en particulier dans le contexte du stockage en formation géologique profonde de déchets nucléaires à Haute Activité et Vie Longue (HAVL). Plusieurs galeries expérimentales ont été creusées dans le laboratoire de recherche souterrain de Meuse/Haute-Marne situé près de Bure en France, où des études sont menées pour comprendre le comportement global de la roche constitutive : l’argilite du Callovo-Oxfordien (COx).L’objectif de cette thèse est d’effectuer une modélisation avec Code_Aster d’ouvrages souterrains, et en particulier d’une des galeries du laboratoire de Meuse/Haute-Marne, en prenant en compte une approche non locale, l’effet du fluage et le couplage hydromécanique dans le cadre de la mécanique des milieux poreux, et de comparer les résultats numériques avec les données expérimentales disponibles.Le modèle élastoviscoplastique spécifiquement utilisé pour cette étude est le modèle L&K : il offre d’une part un couplage entre le comportement instantané et différé, et prend en compte d’autre part la dilatance, paramètre qui gouverne les déformations volumiques du matériau lors d’une sollicitation, et ses fortes variations, caractéristique essentielle des géomatériaux et en particulier du COx. La présence d’un fluide s’écoulant à travers le matériau va ajouter une composante hydraulique à la modélisation, dont le couplage avec la mécanique est assuré par les équations de Biot. Une autre nouveauté de ce travail concerne le couplage entre ce comportement rhéologique complexe et une approche non locale dans un cadre industriel. Parmi les méthodes de régularisation disponibles dans Code_Aster, la méthode second gradient de dilatation a été choisie parce que bien adaptée aux géomatériaux. Son but est de corriger la dépendance au maillage et les solutions numériques localisées.Une fois les outils numériques opérationnels et les paramètres du modèle L&K calés sur des essais effectués en laboratoire sur des échantillons, un bon accord général a été trouvé entre les résultats numériques et les mesures in situ, sans aucun recalage des paramètres. Les effets du temps observés expérimentalement sur l’évolution des déplacements et des pressions d’eau sont retrouvés au sein d’une même modélisation, validant ainsi la démarche prédictive suivie / The long term behaviour of underground excavations is a social and economic stake, in particular in the context of storage in deep geological formation of high activity and long life nuclear waste. Several experimental galleries have been dug in the underground research laboratory (URL) of Meuse/Haute-Marne located close to Bure in France, where studies are leaded in order to understand the global behaviour of the constitutive rock which is the Callovo-Oxfordian (COx) argillite.The purpose of this PhD Thesis is to establish a modelling with Code_Aster of underground excavations, and especially of a Meuse/Haute-Marne laboratory gallery, taking into account non local approach, creep effect and hydromechanical coupling in the framework of the mechanics of porous media, and then to compare numerical results with available experimental data.The specific elastoviscoplastic model used in this study is the L&K model: it offers a coupling between instantaneous and delayed behaviour, and it takes into account the dilation, parameter which governs the volume strains of the material during a solicitation, and its strong variation, a specificity of geomaterials and so of COx argillite. The fluid flowing through the material adds a hydraulic component to the modelling, which is coupled to mechanic component thanks to Biot’s equations.Another novelty of this work concerns the coupling between such complex rheological behaviour and a non local approach in an industrial way. Among methods of regularization available in Code_Aster, the second gradient of dilation is well fitted to geomaterials. Its aim is to correct mesh dependency and numerical localized solutions.After describing numeric tools and setting parameters of the L&K model on laboratory tests, a good general agreement was found between numeric results and in situ measures, without resetting parameters. Time effects experimentally measured on displacement and pore pressure evolution are observed in the same modelling, validating the followed predictive approach

Le comportement des roches-réservoirs souterraines est un sujet important pour de nombreuses applications liées à la production d’énergie (extraction d’hydrocarbures, séquestration de CO2, ...). L'une des principales questions posées est celle de l'effet des déformations sur les propriétés de transfert hydraulique de la roche, en particulier en conditions saturées. En effet, la déformation des géomatériaux est rarement homogène en raison de conditions aux limites complexes et de sa tendance intrinsèque à se localiser. Cette non-uniformité spatiale de la déformation produit un champ de perméabilité hétérogène. Cela remet en question la validité (a) des méthodes traditionnelles d'analyse macroscopique et (b) des mesures établies principalement loin des zones de déformation localisée. Ainsi, pour améliorer la caractérisation des géo-matériaux, il est crucial d’avoir des mesures locales de la perméabilité, et de connaître la relation entre la déformation et la perméabilité, qui gouverne leur comportement hydraulique.Cette thèse porte sur l’étude du couplage hydromécanique des roches par tomographie aux neutrons et aux rayons X, ainsi que sur le développement de nouvelles méthodes d'analyse. Même si le recours à l'imagerie par rayons X en géosciences devient de plus en plus accessible, la détection directe des fluides a été très limitée en raison du faible contraste air/eau dans les géomatériaux. Contrairement aux rayons X, les neutrons sont très sensibles à l’hydrogène présent dans l'eau. La radiographie par neutrons permet donc d'obtenir des images où la détection du fluide est bien plus facile. De plus, les neutrons sont sensibles aux isotopes, ce qui veut dire que l’eau lourde et celle normale, qui ont des propriétés physico-chimiques proches, peuvent être distinguées avec une grande précision. Il faut noter que l’imagerie aux neutrons pour les roches est un domaine expérimental qui est essentiellement inexploré, ou limité à des études 2D d'échantillons secs, avec peu ou pas de contrôle sur les conditions aux limites.Dans le cadre de ce travail, nous avons conçu une nouvelle cellule triaxiale, avec un contrôle asservi, pour effectuer des expériences d'écoulement de fluides multiples dans un échantillon de roche saturé et chargé mécaniquement avec acquisition des données neutroniques en 4D. Une autre originalité du projet est l'utilisation d'installations d'imagerie neutroniques à haute performance (CONRAD-2 au Helmholtz Zentrum à Berlin et NeXT à l'Institut Laue-Langevin à Grenoble), profitant de la technologie de pointe et des lignes de faisceaux les plus puissantes du monde. Cela a permis d'acquérir des données à une fréquence optimale pour notre étude.Ce travail présente les résultats de plusieurs campagnes expérimentales couvrant une série de conditions initiales et de conditions aux limites relativement complexes. Pour quantifier le couplage hydromécanique local, nous avons appliqué un certain nombre de procédures de post-traitement standard et nous avons également développé un ensemble de méthodes de mesure, par exemple pour suivre le front d’eau et déterminer les cartes de vitesse 3D. Les résultats montrent que la vitesse du front d’eau entraîné par imbibition dans un échantillon sec est augmentée à l’intérieur d'une bande de cisaillement compactante, tandis que la vitesse d’écoulement entraîné par la pression est réduite dans les échantillons saturés, quelque soit la réponse volumétrique de la bande de cisaillement (compactante / dilatante). La nature des données 3D et des analyses s'est révélée essentielle dans la caractérisation du comportement mécanique complexe des échantillons et de la vitesse d'écoulement qui en résulte.Les résultats expérimentaux obtenus contribuent à la compréhension de l'écoulement dans les matériaux poreux sous chargement, garantissent la pertinence de l'analyse et permettent d’etablir une méthode expérimentale pour d'autres campagnes hydromécaniques in-situ. / The behaviour of subsurface-reservoir porous rocks is a central topic in resource engineering industry and has relevant applications for hydrocarbon and water production or CO2 sequestration. One of the key open issues is the effect of deformations on the hydraulic properties of the host rock, specifically in saturated environments. Deformation in geomaterials is rarely homogeneous because of the complex boundary conditions they undergo as well as for their intrinsic tendency to localise. This non uniformity of the deformation yields a non uniform permeability field, meaning that the traditional macroscopic analysis methods are outside their domain of validity. These methods are in fact based on measurements taken at the boundaries of a tested sample, under the assumption of internal homogeneity. At this stage, our understanding is in need of direct measurements of the local fluid permeability and its relationship with localiseddeformation.This doctoral dissertation focuses on the acquisition of such local data about the hydro mechanical properties of porous geomaterials in full-field, adopting neutron and x-ray tomography, as well as on the development of novel analysis methods. While x-ray imaging has been increasingly used in geo-sciences in the last few decades, the direct detection of fluid has been very limited because of the low air/water contrast within geomaterials. Unlike x-rays, neutrons are very sensitive to the hydrogen in the water because of their interaction with matter (neutrons interact with the atoms’ nuclei rather than with the external electron shell as x-rays do). This greater sensitivity to hydrogen provides a high contrast compared to the rock matrix, in neutron tomography images that facilitates the detection of hydrogen-rich fluids. Furthermore, neutrons are isotope-sensitive, meaning that water (H 2 0) and heavy water (D20), while chemically and hydraulically almost identical, can be easily distinguished in neutron imaging.The use of neutron imaging to investigate the hydromechanical properties of rocks is a substantially under-explored experimental area, mostly limited to 2D studies of dry, intact or pre-deformed samples, with little control of the boundary conditions. In thiswork we developed a new servocontrolled triaxial cell to perform multi-fluid flow experiments in saturated porous media, while performing in-situ loading and acquiring 4-dimensional neutron data.Another peculiarity of the project is the use of high-performance neutron imaging facilities (CONRAD-2, in Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, and NeXT-Grenoble, in Institut Laue-Langevin), taking advantage of the world’s highest flux and cutting edge technology to acquire data at an optimal frequency for the study of this processes. The results of multiple experimental campaigns covering a series of initial and boundary conditions of increasing complexity are presented in this work.To quantify the local hydro-mechanical coupling, we applied a number of standard postprocessing procedures (reconstruction, denoising, Digital Volume Correlation) but also developed an array of bespoke methods, for example to track the water front andcalculate the 3D speed maps.The experimental campaigns performed show that the speed of the water front driven by imbibition in a dry sample is increased within a compactant shear band, while the pressure driven flow speed is decreased in saturated samples, regardless of the volumetric response of the shear band (compactant/dilatant). The 3D nature of the data and analyses has revealed essential in the characterization of the complex mechanical behaviour of the samples and the resultant flow speed.The experimental results obtained contribute to the understanding of flow in porous materials, ensure the suitability of the analysis and set an experimental method for further in-situ hydromechanical campaigns.

Este trabalho caracterizou os siltitos do Grupo Itararé, rocha branda proveniente da amostragem de pedreira localizada nas proximidades de futuro empreendimento brasileiro, o Trem de Alta Velocidade. Objetivou entender as causas da pronunciada e rápida alteração da rocha intacta, e simular, em condições controladas de laboratório, a degradação hidromecânica causada pela simples variação da umidade relativa do ar. Para tal, estabeleceu-se técnica de amostragem de testemunhos por meio da extração via seca com ar-comprimido, e processo de intemperismo artificial, composto por 4 ciclos de 2 etapas (secagem e umedecimento). O processo se deu em dessecadores, sendo a variação da umidade ocasionada pela técnica do vapor e sílica gel. O acompanhamento da degradação dos corpos de prova efetuou-se com duas técnicas não-destrutivas de propagação de ondas: o pulso ultrassônico e a excitação por impulso (sistema Sonelastic). Em paralelo, realizou-se a caracterização geotécnica dos siltitos em umidade natural, com ensaios mineralógicos, físicos, físico-mecânicos, físico-químicos e de alteração laboratorial. Por meio desta metodologia, foi possível estimar as minorações do módulo de deformabilidade e da resistência, além das causas físico-químicas da degradação. / This work characterized the siltstones of the Itararé Group, a soft rock sampled in a quarry located near a future Brazilian venture, the High Speed Train. It aims at understanding the causes of the pronounced and fast changes of the intact rock, and simulate in controlled laboratory conditions the hydro degradation process caused by simple variation of relative air humidity. Dry sampling technique with compressed air was used to extract samples from blocks, and the process of artificial weathering consisted on 4 cycles of 2 steps (drying and wetting). The process occurred in desiccators, where moisture variation was caused by the vapor technique and silica gel. The monitoring of the specimens degradation was performed with two non-destructive wave propagation techniques: the ultrasonic pulse and the impulse excitation (Sonelastic system). A geotechnical characterization of the siltstones in natural moisture condition was made in parallel, consisting on mineralogical, physical, physical-mechanical, physical-chemical and durability tests. By this methodology, it was possible to estimate the mitigation of the deformability modulus and strength besides the physical- chemical causes of degradation.