This diploma thesis discusses the problems of defects and faults of external thermal insulation composite systems. The first part describes the correct procedures for application systems, the next part describes defects, faults and their causes and the end of the thesis describes the contactless diagnostic methods used for the survey of ETICS. This part is mainly focus on detection of anchors. The example shows the calculation of anchoring.

Boiling is used in a wide variety of industries, including electronics cooling, distillation, and power generation. Fundamental studies on the boiling process are needed for effective implementation. Key performance characteristics of boiling are the heat transfer coefficient, which determines the amount of heat flux that can be dissipated for a given superheat, and critical heat flux(CHF), the failure point that occurs when vapor blankets the surface. The wettability of a surface is one of the key parameters that affects boiling behavior. Wetting surfaces(e.g., hydrophilic surfaces), typically characterized by a static contact angle below 90°,have better critical heat flux due to effective rewetting, but compromised heat transfer coefficients due to increased waiting times between nucleation of each bubble. Meanwhile, nonwetting surfaces (e.g., hydrophobic surfaces), characterized by static contact angles greater than 90°, have better heat transfer coefficients due to improved nucleation characteristic, but reach critical heat flux early due to surface dry out. However, recent studies have shown that the static contact angle alone offers and incomplete, and sometimes inaccurate, description of this behavior, which is instead governed entirely by the dynamic wettability. Specifically, the receding contact angle impacts the size and contact area of bubbles forming on a surface during boiling, while the advancing contact angle determines how the bubble departs. With this more complete set of wettability descriptors, three characteristic wetting regimes define the boiling behavior: hygrophilic surfaces having advancing and receding contact angles both under 90°; hygrophobic surfaces having both these dynamic contact angles over 90°;and ambiphilic surfaces having a receding contact angle less than 90°, but an advancing contact angle greater than 90°.The goal of this thesis is to experimentally characterize and compare the behavior of boiling surfaces in each of these regimes, observe the contact line behavior, and explain the mechanisms for their differences in performance.

[pt] A termografia por infravermelho (TIV) tem sido usada como ferramenta de avaliação não destrutiva para detectar falhas em componentes estruturais, desempenhando um papel importante nos programas de inspeção, de fabricação e manutenção. A TIV também pode ser aplicada para avaliar limites de fadiga para materiais estruturais a partir de testes de tensão cíclica uniaxial ou de tração uniaxial quase-estáticos. Recentemente, o método quase-estático para medir o limite de fadiga via TIV, foi estendido para estados de tensão biaxial atuando na superfície de corpos de prova de tamanho real de dutos com anomalias geométricas. Os resultados mostraram que o método biaxial quase-estático previu satisfatoriamente a localização de pontos críticos para a iniciação da fadiga em espécimes tubulares com mossas. Neste trabalho, as distribuições de tensões e deformações nos pontos críticos foram determinadas usando correlação de imagens digitais (DIC), aplicada a sete espécimes dog bone, padrão uniaxial, e oito espécimes de dutos de três metros de comprimento com tampas de cabeça plana fabricados a partir de tubos de aço API 5L Grau B. A determinação do estado de deformação superficial via DIC e a determinação das variações de temperatura correspondentes para os pontos do material de superfície observados ao longo dos testes, permitiram determinar não apenas o limite de fadiga do material, mas também o que conveniou-se chamar de temperatura mínima característica (TMC). Os testes uniaxiais usando espécimes dog bone para o mesmo material indicam que as TMCs medidas estão intimamente relacionadas com o limite de escoamento do material (MYS). Esta pesquisa destaca as observações experimentais relacionadas às medidas de tensão-deformação-temperatura no início do escoamento em pontos observados em ensaios uniaxiais e biaxiais. O objetivo deste trabalho é usar o monitoramento da temperatura de estruturas sob carga crescente quase-estática para prever a que distância do início do MYS estão os estados de tensão dos pontos observados. / [en] Infrared thermography (IRT) has been applied in several areas of science. Particularly in the field of engineering, which has proven to be an excellent tool in non-destructive evaluations of structural components. In addition, IRT has also been applied to assess fatigue limits for structural materials from uniaxial cyclic stress tests or quasi-static uniaxial tensile tests. Recently, the quasi-static method to measure the fatigue limit via IRT was extended to biaxial stress states acting on the surface of real size pipeline specimens with dents. The results showed that the quasi-static biaxial method satisfactorily predicted the location of the hot spots for fatigue initiation in tubular specimens with dents. In this dissertation, the strain distributions at the critical points were determined from mechanical test using digital image correlation (DIC) applied to seven uniaxial standard dog bone and eight 3-meter-long pipeline specimens with plane headed caps fabricated from API 5L Grade B steel. The determination of the deformation state via DIC and the corresponding temperature variations for observed points on the material surface allowed to determine not only the material endurance limit, but also what may be called as the characteristic minimum temperature (TMC). Uniaxial tests using dog bone specimens for the same material indicate that the measured TMC are closely related to the material yield strength (MYS). This work brings originality in the definition and determination of the TMC point. In uniaxial tests the TMC point is determined through the temperature-strain-stress curves, while in biaxial tests, it is located in the temperature-pressure-strain curves.

<p dir="ltr">Transportation and energy production industries strongly rely on improvements in gas turbine performance. The quantification of these improvements is dependent on the accuracy of the measurements performed during testing. An increase of 0.5\% in efficiency is sufficient to secure a new development program worth millions of dollars, but in the case of temperature measurements, uncertainties below 0.5 K are required, which presents a challenge. This work selects heat flux estimation and total temperature measurement uncertainties as major contributors for efficiency uncertainty.</p><ul><li>Heat flux measurements are critical to evaluate the impact on the efficiency. Additionally, thermal fatigue in turbine airfoils defines the life cycle of the engine core. This work performs an estimation of the heat transfer via a simplified numerical model that uses infrared (IR) measurements in the surface of the casing to predict the temperature of the passage wall. The model is validated with real cool-down data of the turbine to yield results within a 10\% of the actual temperature.</li><li>Total temperature measurement suffers from errors due to heat transfer effects in the probe. Two dominant sources of errors are convection and conduction between the thermocouple wires, the probe support, and the flow. These effects can be treated in two different categories: the velocity error, created by a non-isentropic reduction of the flow velocity upstream the thermocouple junction, and the thermal equilibrium effects between the junction and the probe support, involving heat transfer through the wire to the shield and the probe stem due to temperature differences between each component (the so-called \emph{conduction error}). An open jet stand is used to evaluate the effects of velocity error at various Mach numbers. The conduction error is addressed with the design and manufacturing of dual-wire thermocouple probes. The readings from two wires with different length-to-diameter ratios are used to correct for the flow total temperature. This probe yielded a recovery factor of 0.99 +/- 0.01 at Mach 0.6.</li></ul><p></p>

No description available.

<p dir="ltr">Bridge decks in Indiana face the brunt of the deterioration mechanisms associated with structural deficiencies. These deficiencies do not always present themselves in noticeable ways, however, their detection is imperative to the performance of the deck and the bridges’ overall health. The inspection of these bridge decks presents engineers with not only a timely, but dangerous process as maintenance of traffic (MOT) from the states’ department of transportation (DOT) is not a viable option for most inspections. This results in engineers taking an unnecessary risk to inspect these decks for deteriorations. The most detrimental of these structural deficiencies, delaminations, do not always result in visual confirmation. Leading to more time spent in the roadway trying to sound for these defects. This thesis introduces a state-of-the-art review of previous NDT studies in relation to bridge structures along with the validation of their results. Background information on all testing methods being evaluated will also be provided in this study. This thesis also presents an in depth investigation using multiple consultants and a variety of NDT methods to assess the viability of delamination detection in relation to these methods. These methods were verified through coring at select locations on the deck. This thesis then discusses the practical implications of these NDT methods that provide an accurate level of delamination detection on project and network level inspections.</p>

[ES] A medida que aumenta la conciencia climática y se buscan reducir las emisiones globales, se están realizando esfuerzos para producir tecnologías que permitan desarrollar motores más limpios y amigables con el medio ambiente. Los sistemas GDI (inyección directa de gasolina) tienen el potencial de cumplir con los cada vez más estrictos estándares de emisiones y, al mismo tiempo, mejorar el consumo de combustible. El espacio limitado dentro de la cámara de combustión hace que el impacto del chorro con la pared sea un fenómeno común en los motores de inyección directa de gasolina. Este fenómeno tiene un efecto significativo en el desarrollo del chorro y su interacción con el aire en la cámara. En condiciones de arranque en frío, las bajas presiones y temperaturas en la cámara facilitan la deposición del combustible en la superficie del pistón, lo que conduce a un aumento considerable en la formación de hollín y en los hidrocarburos sin quemar. Esta tesis busca proporcionar información sobre las características más relevantes de la interacción chorro-pared en sistemas de inyección directa de gasolina en condiciones de arranque en frío y otras condiciones evaporativas. Para ello, se utilizó una pared plana ubicada a diferentes distancias de impacto y ángulos con respecto a la punta del inyector. Se empleó un inyector solenoide fabricado por Continental y el inyector "Spray G", utilizando iso-octano como combustible inyectado. El estudio se llevó a cabo en diversas instalaciones experimentales cubriendo varias técnicas ópticas. El estudio de la interacción chorro-pared se llevó a cabo utilizando tres campañas experimentales. En la primera, se utilizó una pared de cuarzo transparente para analizar las características macroscópicas del chorro al impactar la pared, observándola lateral y frontalmente con el uso de tres cámaras de alta velocidad gracias a los accesos ópticos de la instalación experimental. En la segunda, se empleó una pared termorregulada de acero inoxidable para medir el efecto que tienen las condiciones de operación y ambientales sobre la transferencia de calor entre la pared y el chorro durante el evento de inyección de combustible. Se observó que la penetración del chorro libre y el desarrollo del chorro sobre la pared son influenciados por la presión de inyección y el ángulo de inclinación de la pared. El ancho del chorro medido después del impacto fue afectado principalmente por la distancia entre el inyector y la pared y por el ángulo de la pared pero más aún por la distancia respecto al punto de impacto sobre la cual fue medida. La semi área de impacto es susceptible a cambios en el ángulo de la pared y la distancia inyector-pared teniendo un papel fundamental en el arrastre de aire entre el chorro y el ambiente. No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre las fases líquida y vapor tanto para la penetración de chorro libre como para el desarrollo del chorro sobre la pared a temperatura ambiente. Por el contrario, con la pared calentada, se obtuvieron diferencias entre la fase líquida y vapor, destacando la contribución de la evaporación de combustible causada por el incremento en la temperatura de la pared. Respecto a la pared instrumentada, tanto la temperatura del combustible como de la pared produjeron los picos más significativos en términos del flujo de calor superficial. Órdenes de magnitud similares respecto al flujo de calor superficial fueron encontrados entre las campañas experimentales de la pared instrumentada y la termografía infrarroja. La aparición del flash boiling en condiciones de menor contrapresión ambiental y mayor temperatura del combustible modificó la morfología del chorro en términos de anchura , lo que tuvo repercusiones significativas en el parámetro R (que depende de la penetración del chorro) y en el número de gotas de líquido presentes en el chorro, afectando tanto a los perfiles de extinción de la luz como a los perfiles del flujo de calor superficial. / [CA] A mesura que augmenta la consciència climàtica i es busquen reduir les emissions globals, s'estan fent esforços per a produir tecnologies que permeten desenvolupar motors més nets i amigables amb el medi ambient. Els sistemes GDI (injecció directa de gasolina) tenen el potencial de complir amb els estrictes estàndards d'emissions i, al mateix temps, millorar el consum de combustible. L'espai limitat dins de la cambra de combustió fa que l'impacte del doll amb la paret siga un fenomen comú en els motors d'injecció directa de gasolina. Aquest fenomen té un efecte significatiu en el desenvolupament del doll i la seua interacció amb l'aire en la cambra. La interacció doll-paret és un fenomen interessant i difícil de comprendre que ocorre durant el procés de combustió. En condicions d'arrancada en fred, les baixes pressions i temperatures en la cambra faciliten la deposició del combustible en la superfície del pistó, la qual cosa condueix a un augment considerable en la formació de sutge i en els hidrocarburs sense cremar. Aquesta tesi busca proporcionar informació sobre les característiques més rellevants de la interacció doll-paret en sistemes d'injecció directa de gasolina en condicions d'arrancada en fred i altres condicions evaporatives. Per a això, es va utilitzar una paret plana situada a diferents distàncies d'impacte i angles respecte a la punta de l'injector. Es va emprar un injector solenoide fabricat per Continental i l'injector "Spray G", utilitzant iso-octà com a combustible injectat. L'estudi es va dur a terme en diverses instal·lacions experimentals cobrint diverses tècniques òptiques. L'estudi de la interacció doll-paret es va dur a terme utilitzant tres campanyes experimentals. En la primera, es va utilitzar una paret de quars transparent per a analitzar les característiques macroscòpiques del doll en impactar la paret, observant-la lateral i frontalment amb l'ús de tres càmeres d'alta velocitat gràcies als accessos òptics de la instal·lació experimental. En la segona, es va emprar una paret termorregulada d'acer inoxidable per a mesurar l'efecte que tenen les condicions d'operació i ambientals sobre la transferència de calor entre la paret i el doll durant l'esdeveniment d'injecció de combustible. Es va observar que la penetració del doll lliure i el desenvolupament del doll sobre la paret són influenciats per la pressió d'injecció i l'angle d'inclinació de la paret. L'ample del doll mesurat després de l'impacte va ser afectat principalment per la distància entre l'injector i la paret i per l'angle de la paret però més encara per la distància respecte al punt d'impacte sobre la qual va ser mesurada. La semi àrea d'impacte és susceptible a canvis en l'angle de la paret i la distancia injector-paret tenint un paper fonamental en l'arrossegament d'aire entre el doll i l'ambient. No es van trobar diferències significatives entre les fases líquida i vapor tant per a la penetració de doll lliure com per al desenvolupament del doll sobre la paret a temperatura ambient. Per contra, amb la paret calfada, es van obtindre diferències entre la fase líquida i vapor, destacant la contribució de l'evaporació de combustible causada per l'increment en la temperatura de la paret. Respecte a la paret instrumentada, tant la temperatura del combustible com de la paret van produir els pics més significatius en termes del flux de calor superficial. Ordres de magnitud similars respecte al flux de calor superficial van ser trobats entre les campanyes experimentals de la paret instrumentada i la termografia infraroja. L'aparició del flaix boiling en condicions de menor contrapressió ambiental i major temperatura del combustible va modificar la morfologia del doll en termes d'amplària, la qual cosa va tindre repercussions significatives en el paràmetre R i en el nombre de gotes de líquid presents en el doll, afectant tant els perfils d'extinció de la llum com als perfils del flux de calor superfial. / [EN] Fuel injection is one of the most important factor that must be considered to achieve cleaner and more efficient internal combustion engines. Its role is more evident when direct injection strategies are used. As awareness of climate change and global emission reduction policies increase, efforts are being made to develop new technologies that enable cleaner and more environmentally friendly engines. The gasoline direct injection systems can fulfill strict emission standards and improve fuel consumption. Because of the space constraints inside the combustion chamber for spray penetration, collision and interaction with the wall are common events in direct injection engines, considerably influencing spray formation and air-spray interaction inside the chamber. In cold-start engine conditions, the lower injection pressures and temperatures in the combustion chamber enhance the fuel deposition over the piston surface, incrementing the soot and the unburned hydrocarbon formation. The present work highlights the fundamental aspects of the spray-wall interaction for the gasoline direct injection (GDI) system under cold-start and other evaporative conditions. For that, a flat wall is located several distances and at different wall angles to the injector tip. Also, this thesis involves using a solenoid injector produced by Continental and the well-known "Spray G" injector using iso-octane as injected fuel covering several techniques and experimental facilities. To analyze the spray-wall interaction, three experimental approaches were used: The first used three high-speed cameras and a quartz wall inside the test rig vessel to study the macroscopic characteristics of the spray, which was observed lateral and frontal by using the optical accesses of the vessel. The second approach used a stainless steel wall to catch the effect of the operating and ambient conditions over the heat flux between the wall and the spray during the fuel injection event and determine how the spray development is affected by the cold-start realistic engine conditions and other evaporative conditions that were included in the test matrix. This wall was coupled with sensors to control the initial surface temperature and to compute the temperature variation in time and the surface heat flux using high-speed thermocouples. The spray under free-jet conditions was also analyzed as a comparison point with the spray-wall interaction conditions. The free spray penetration and the spray spreading over the wall were influenced mainly by the injection pressure and the wall angle. The spray thickness measured after the SWI was affected primarily by the wall-to-tip distance and the wall angle but even more by the distance from the impact point in which it is measured. The semi-circle impact area was susceptible to wall angles and wall-to-tip distance variations, essential in the spray-air entrainment. No remarkable differences were found between the liquid and vapor phases for the free jet or the isothermal wall configuration. In contrast, some differences were obtained for the instrumented and thermoregulated wall, remarking the contribution of fuel evaporation caused by the wall temperature increase. Regarding the thermoregulated wall, the fuel and wall temperatures produced the most important peaks in terms of surface heat flux. A similar order of magnitude regarding the surface heat flux was found between the thermoregulated wall and infrared thermography experimental campaigns. The flash boiling appearance for the lower ambient back pressure and higher fuel temperature condition changed the spray morphology in terms of the width (spray angle), having significant repercussions over the R-parameter (which depends on the spray penetration) and in the number of liquid droplets present in the spray affecting both the light extinction profiles and the surface heat flux profiles. / Esta tesis se ha desarrollado en el marco de una ayuda para la Formación de Personal Investigador (FPI) Subprograma 1 (PAID-01-19) financiada por la Universitat Politècnica de València. / Carvallo García, CL. (2023). Experimental study of the behavior of gasoline direct injection GDI sprays during wall impingement under realistic engine conditions [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/195027

Ces travaux portent sur la résolution successive de deux problèmes inverses en transferts thermiques : l'estimation de la densité de flux en surface d'un matériau puis de la conductivité thermique équivalente d'une couche déposée en surface de ce matériau. Le modèle direct est bidimensionnel orthotrope (géométrie réelle d'un matériau composite), instationnaire, non-linéaire et ses équations sont résolues par éléments finis. Les matériaux étudiés sont les composants face au plasma (tuiles composite carbone-carbone) dans le Tokamak JET. La densité de flux recherchée varie avec une dimension spatiale et avec le temps. La conductivité du dépôt de surface varie spatialement et peut également varier au cours du temps pendant l'expérience (toutes les autres propriétés thermophysiques dépendent de la température). Les deux problèmes inverses sont résolus à l'aide de l'algorithme des gradients conjugués associé à la méthode de l'état adjoint pour le calcul exact du gradient. La donnée expérimentale utilisée pour la résolution du premier problème inverse (estimation de flux surfacique) est le thermogramme fourni par un thermocouple enfoui. Le second problème inverse utilise, lui, les variations spatio-temporelles de la température de surface du dépôt inconnu (thermographie infrarouge) pour identifier sa conductivité. Des calculs de confiance associée aux grandeurs identifiées sont réalisés avec la démarche Monte Carlo. Les méthodes mises au point pendant ces travaux aident à comprendre la dynamique de l'interaction plasma-paroi ainsi que la cinétique de formation des dépôts de carbone sur les composants et aideront au design des composants des machines futures (WEST, ITER). / This work deals with the successive resolution of two inverse heat transfer problems: the estimation of surface heat flux on a material and equivalent thermal conductivity of a surface layer on that material. The direct formulation is bidimensional, orthotropic (real geometry of a composite material), unsteady, non-linear and solved by finite elements. The studied materials are plasma facing components (carbon-carbon composite tiles) from Tokamak JET. The searched heat flux density varies with time and one dimension in space. The surface layers conductivity varies spatially and can vary with time during the experiment (the other thermophysical properties are temperature dependent). The two inverse problems are solved by the conjugate gradient method with the adjoint state method for the exact gradient calculation. The experimental data used for the first inverse problem resolution (surface heat flux estimation) is the thermogram provided by an embedded thermocouple. The second inverse problem uses the space and time variations of the surface temperature of the unknown surface layer (infrared thermography) for the conductivity identification. The confidence calculations associated to the estimated values are done by the Monte Carlo approach. The method developed during this thesis helps to the understanding of the plasma-wall interaction dynamic, as well as the kinetic of the surface carbon layer formation on the plasma facing components, and will be helpful to the design of the components of the future machines (WEST, ITER).

L’étude de l’ébullition transitoire est un enjeu important pour la sureté nucléaire. Un tel phénomène peut se produire lors d’un accident de type RIA (Reactivity Initiated Accident)dans un réacteur nucléaire où le pic de puissance au niveau d’un crayon de combustible peut déclencher une ébullition transitoire conduisant à une forte augmentation de la température de la gaine et à un risque de rupture. Plusieurs études en conditions réacteurs ont permis d’obtenir des courbes d’ébullition transitoires mais la modélisation qui en découle manque encore de fiabilité. Dans le cadre d’une collaboration avec l’Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), une expérience modèle a été construite à l’Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse (IMFT). Elle génère un écoulement de réfrigérant HFE7000 dans un canal de section semi-annulaire, simulant l’écoulement autour d’un crayon de combustible, dont la partie intérieure, composée d’une feuille de métal, est chauffée rapidement par effet Joule, simulant l’échauffement de la gaine du crayon. La thermographie infra-rouge permet de mesurer la température de la paroi externe du métal. L’application d’une peinture noire sur le métal augmente son émissivité mais aussi la résistance thermique de la paroi. La précision de la mesure de la température d’intérêt a été optimisée en fonction de l’épaisseur de peinture et une correction sur le bilan d’énergie prend en compte ce paramètre. Ces mesures sont couplées avec une caméra rapide qui permet de visualiser les régimes d’ébullition et d’obtenir des tailles de bulles à l’aide de la mise en place d’algorithmes de traitement d’image. On représente sur un diagramme flux-température les transferts thermiques lors des différents régimes en stationnaire et en transitoire. Chaque régime d’ébullition, en conditions stationnaire ou transitoire, est alors passé en revue : la convection, le déclenchement de l’ébullition, l’ébullition nucléée, la crise d’ébullition, l’ébullition en film et le remouillage. Les régimes stationnaires sont correctement modélisés par des corrélations usuelles. La convection transitoire est caractérisée sur toute la paroi et son évolution se rapproche de la solution quasistationnaire. Il est montré que les transferts thermiques lors du passage vers l’ébullition nucléée sont dépendants de la formation d’une importante poche de vapeur qui se propage sur la paroi. Une étude locale de cette propagation est alors nécessaire. Afin de simuler des transitoires de température durant l’ébullition nucléée, un système d’asservissement de type P.I.D. permet d’imposer des créneaux ou des rampes de températures (de 5 à 500 K.s 1 ). Les résultats en ébullition nucléée sont conformes avec ceux de la littérature, tant en conditions stationnaire que transitoire. L’expérience permet d’étudier le transfert de chaleur lorsqu’un film de vapeur se forme et isole la paroi. Ce régime d’ébullition en film, pendant la chauffe ou le refroidissement de la paroi peut ainsi être stabilisée pendant plusieurs secondes avec ce système. On caractérise ainsi les conditions de déclenchement de l’ébullition en film, la dynamique de sa propagation et les transferts une fois établi. Enfin, l’implémentation des caractéristiques physiques de notre expérience dans le code SCANAIR de l’IRSN, permet de commencer à calculer et comparer nos résultats expérimentaux avec les simulations numériques. Des calculs de conduction instationnaire sont notamment considérés en imposant la température mesurée pour analyser nos résultats lors du régime de convection et après le déclenchement de l’ébullition. / The study of rapid transient boiling is an important issue in the nuclear safety. Such a phenomenon may occur in the case of a RIA (Reactivity Initiated Accident) in the core of a nuclear reactor powerplant, where a power excursion can trigger the formation of a vapour film around the fuel rod, leading to an important rise of the rod temperature and a risk of failure. Some studies in reactor conditions provided transient boiling curves but the modeling lacks of reliability. In collaboration with the IRSN (Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire), an experiment model was built at the Institute of Fluid Mechanics of Toulouse. It generates the flow of a refrigerant, HFE7000, in a semi-annular section channel, whose inner wall is made of a metal foil rapidly heated by Joule effect, simulating the heating of a fuel rod. Infrared thermography is used to measure the temperature of the metal foil, painted with a black paint to increase its emissivity, causing also an increase of the wall thermal resistance. The measurement accuracy of the interest temperature has been optimized according to the paint thickness and a correction on the energy balance takes account this parameter. These measurements are coupled with a high-speed camera that allows visualizing the boiling regimes and get bubble sizes using image processing algorithms. On a flux-temperature diagram, the heat transfers are represented both for steady and transient regimes. Each boiling regime is then reviewed : convection, onset of nucleate boiling, nucleate boiling, boiling crisis, film boiling and rewetting. Steady regimes are correctly modeled by usual correlations. Transient convection is characterized over the whole wall and its evolution is closed to the quasi-steady solution. It is shown that heat transfer during the transition to nucleate boiling are strongly related to the formation of a large vapor phase that spreads on the wall. A local study of this propagation is then necessary. In order to simulate and control transient temperature during nucleate boiling, a P.I.D. is implemented to impose a steady or ramps temperature (from 5 to 500 K.s 1 ). The results in nucleate boiling make it possible to recover the results of the literature in both steady and transient conditions. The experiment allows to study the heat transfer when a vapor film is formed and insulates the wall. The film boiling regime during heating or the cooling of the wall can thus be stabilized for several seconds with this system. The conditions for triggering of film boiling are thus characterized, as its spread dynamic and its transfers once established. Finally, the implementation of the physical characteristics of our experience in IRSN’s SCANAIR code allows us to begin to calculate and compare our experimental results with numerical simulations. Unsteady conduction calculations are applied to the measured temperature to analyze our results during the convection regime and after the onset of boiling.

Many individuals with severe motor impairments are cognitively capable, but because of their physical impairments, unable to express their intention through conventional means of communication. Access technologies are devices that attempt to translate the intention of these individuals into functional activity by harnessing their residual physical or physiological abilities. The primary objective of this thesis was to design and develop a novel non-invasive and non-contact access technology based on infrared thermal imaging. This access technology translates the local temperature change associated with voluntary mouth opening to activation of a binary switch such as a mouse click or key press. To this end, an algorithm based on motion and temperature analyses, and morphological and anthropometric filters was designed to detect mouth opening activity in thermal video in real-time. The secondary objective of this thesis was to introduce a mutual information measure for objective assessment of binary switch users’ performance. A model was suggested, in which combination of cognitive and physical abilities of the human user of a binary access switch constitute a communication channel. The proposed mutual information measure estimates the rate of information transmission in the ‘human communication channel’ during stimulus response tasks. Using this measure, in a study with ten able-bodied participants, the infrared thermal switch was validated against a conventional chin switch. Impairments in body functions and structures that may contraindicate the use of the infrared thermal switch were explored in a study with seven clients, with severe disabilities. Potential hard and soft technological solutions to mitigate the effect of these impairments on infrared thermal switch use were recommended. Finally the infrared thermal switch was tailored to meet the needs of a young man with severe spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, who had no other means of physical access.