One outstanding challenge to understanding the behaviors of organisms and other complexities found in nature through the use of computational fluid dynamics simulations lies in the ability to accurately model the highly tortuous geometries and motions they generally exhibit. Descriptions must be created in a manner that is amenable to definition within some operative computational domain, while at the same time remaining fidelitous to the essence of what is desired to be understood. Typically models are created using functional approximations, so that complex objects are reduced to mathematically tractable representations. Such reductions can certainly lead to a great deal of insight, revealing trends by assigning parameterized motions and tracking their influence on a virtual surrounding environment. However, simplicity sometimes comes at the expense of fidelity; pared down to such a degree, simplified geometries evolving in prescribed fashions may fail to identify some of the essential physical mechanisms that make studying a system interesting to begin with. In this thesis, and alternative route to modeling complex geometries and behaviors is offered, basing its methodology on the coupling of image analysis and level set treatments. First a semi-Lagrangian method is explored, whereby images are utilized as a means for creating a set of surface points that describe a moving object. Later, points are dispensed with altogether, giving in the end a fully Eulerian representation of complex moving geometries that requires no surface meshing and that translates imaged objects directly to level sets without unnecessary tedium. The final framework outlined here represents a completely novel approach to modeling that combines image denoising, segmentation, optical flow, and morphing with level set- based embedded sharp interface methods to produce models that would be difficult to generate any other way.

A two-dimensional (2-D), mathematical model is adopted to investigate the development of circulation patterns for compressible, laminar, and shear driven flow inside a rectangular cavity. The bottom of the cavity is free to move at a specified speed and the aspect ratio of the cavity is changed from 1.0 to 1.5. The vertical sides and the bottom of the cavity are assumed insulated. The cavity is filled with a compressible fluid with Prandtl number, Pr =1. The governing equations are solved numerically using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) package ANSYS FLUENT 2015 and compared with the results for the primitive variables of the problem obtained using in house CFD code based on Coupled Modified Strongly Implicit Procedure (CMSIP). The simulations are carried out for the unsteady, lid driven cavity flow problem with moving boundary (bottom) for different Reynolds number, Mach numbers, bottom velocities and high initial pressure and temperature.

It is well-known that, increasing the flow rate in polymer extrusion, the flow becomes unstable and the smooth extrudate surface becomes wavy and disordered to an increasing degree. In order to investigate the mechanisms responsible for these instabilities we perform a linear stability analysis of the steady extrusion of a viscoelastic fluid flowing through a planar die under creeping flow conditions. We consider the Phan-Thien-Tanner (PTT) model to account for the viscoelasticity of the material. We employ the mixed finite element method combined with an elliptic grid generator to account for the deformable shape of the interface. The generalized eigenvalue problem is solved using Arnoldi’s algorithm. We perform a thorough parametric study in order to determine the effects of all material properties and rheological parameters. We investigate in detail the effect of interfacial tension and the presence of a deformable interface. It is found that the presence of a finite surface tension destabilizes the flow as compared to the case of the stick-slip flow. We recognize two modes which are found to become unstable beyond a critical value of the Weissenberg number and perform an energy analysis to examine the mechanisms responsible for the destabilization of the flow and compare against the mechanisms that have been suggested in the literature. / --

Au moins 30% de l'énergie produite par les moteurs à combustion interne est dissipée sous forme de chaleur dans les gaz d'échappement. L'intérêt des constructeurs pour les systèmes de récupération de chaleur bases sur le cycle thermodynamique de Rankine est justifié par des réductions de consommation espérées entre 5 et 10%. L'ambition de cette thèse est de contribuer à lever les principaux verrous liés à la gestion des procédés Rankine pour des applications ≪ mobiles ≫. Ce manuscrit s'appuie sur trois cas d'étude avec, pour chacun, un procédé pilote destiné à être intégré respectivement sur des véhicules légers à moteur essence, sur des camions poids-lourds et sur des trains à propulsion hybride Diesel électrique. Pour cela, des approches de l'automatique à base de modèle ont été développées. Une nouvelle loi de commande non-linéaire, permettant l'asservissement de la température et de la pression en sortie d'évaporateur, est proposée. Il est montré expérimentalement que le système peut être maintenu dans des conditions permettant la récupération d'énergie sans discontinuer, même sur des cycles routiers très dynamiques. La supervision énergétique du cycle de Rankine à bord d'un véhicule est ensuite abordée. Il s'agit de trouver les consignes pour la commande rapprochée qui permettent de maximiser l'efficacité énergétique d'un véhicule équipé d'un système de récupération d'énergie par cycle de Rankine. Il est montré que le gain énergétique apporté par l'optimisation dynamique temps réel proposée est important, comparé à une stratégie basée sur l'optimisation statique du système habituellement employée dans la littérature / More than 30% of the energy produced by internal combustion engines (ICE) is dissipated as heat through the exhaust gases. The interest of manufacturers in heat recovery systems based on the thermodynamic Rankine cycle is justified by announced reductions in fuel consumption ranging from 5 and 10% depending on the system and the driving cycle. The aim of this thesis is to help remove the main barriers associated with supervising and controlling Rankine processes for ≪ mobile ≫ applications. This dissertation is based on three study cases, each corresponding to a pilot process installed in engine test benches at IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN). These are applications to be integrated respectively on board light-duty vehicles with spark-ignition engine, heavy-duty trucks and trains with Diesel-electric propulsion. An original nonlinear (model-based) control law for the temperature and the pressure tracking at the evaporator outlet is proposed. It is shown experimentally that the system can be maintained under conditions allowing continuous energy recovery, even during highly transient road cycles. Then the supervision of Rankine systems is addressed, resulting in the choice of optimal set-points (in term of energy management) for the low-level controller. An optimal control problem is formulated, allowing online implementation via dynamic real-time optimization.The proposed approach is validated on a realistic simulator, showing significant benefits in the amount of energy recovered when compared with the classical (static) approach found in Rankine cycle literature