Afin de participer à l’émergence de technologies innovantes et contribuer aux objectifs de développement durable, un consortium composé de 13 partenaires (3 laboratoires académiques et 10 entreprises industrielles) a été formé. Le projet Thermofluid-RT consiste à développer un système de refroidissement à boucle de fluide diphasique à pompage mécanique. Le LMT-Cachan contribue à la conception de l'élément essentiel de la pompe, à savoir, le soufflet. Celui-ci est obtenu en soudant des feuilles d’acier inoxydable à durcissement structural très mince (70 µm) et doit fonctionner sans défaillance pendant 20 ans. Un dimensionnement fiabiliste du soufflet basé sur la théorie du maillon le plus faible est réalisé. Une méthode d'optimisation basée sur la technique d’identification intégrée à la corrélation d'images numériques aboutit à une géométrie d’éprouvette qui minimise l'incertitude des paramètres recherchés. Toutes les données brutes sont combinées à leur juste valeur grâce à une formulation Bayésienne basée sur l’hypothèse de bruits blanc gaussiens. La géométrie optimisée est testée sur Mini-Astrée, la nouvelle machine biaxiale du LMT. Plusieurs lois de comportements sont étudiées et testées sur le matériau étudié. De très fines feuilles du même acier, sont de même testées à l’aide d’essais uni-axiaux et multiaxiaux. Une analyse microscopique est conduite au travers d’un micro-essai de traction sur 2 grains et l’identification de paramètres d’une loi de plasticité cristalline. Enfin, le dimensionnement probabiliste du soufflet est validé à partir de plusieurs mesures expérimentales infra-rouges sur un nouveau banc d’essai. Un modèle probabiliste à deux échelles permet la caractérisation des phénomènes observés relatifs au matériau d’étude et au composant lui-même. / In the context of leveraging and accelerating innovative technological solutions that contribute to meeting sustainable goals, a consortium composed of 13 partners (3 academic laboratories and 10 industrial companies) has been formed. The THERMOFLUID-RT project consists in developing a two-phase fluid loop driven by a mechanical pump. LMT-Cachan contributes to the design of the critical component of the pump, i.e., bellows. This component obtained by welding very thin (70 µm) pre-deformed sheets made of precipitation-hardened stainless steel is expected to operate without failure for 20 years. First, a new probabilistic design methodology allows for the fatigue design of the component. Second, an optimization methodology based on full field measurements and Integrated Digital Image Correlation (IDIC) allows the sample geometry to be designed with the least uncertainty of the sought parameters. All data account for the latter thanks to a Bayesian foundation that equitably weights all measurements. Third, the optimized cruciform geometry has been tested in a new compact biaxial machine, mini-Astrée that allows for a fast, yet robust identification. Several elasto-plastic models with increasing complexity are investigated to probe the material behavior. Ultra-thin sheets are also tested in uniaxial and biaxial experiments thanks to an anti-wrinkling setup. Fourth, a microscopic analysis is also performed via quasi-3D IDIC and a uniaxial micro-specimen allow a crystal plasticity law to be characterized. Last, the probabilistic fatigue design of the bellows based on the weakest link theory and a two-scale probabilistic model is validated with infrared measurements in the high cycle fatigue regime.

"An apparatus for the delivery of radiation to the tip-sample interface of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is demonstrated. The Pulsed Light Delivery System (PLDS) was fabricated to probe photoinduced conformational changes of molecules using an AFM. The PLDS is 67 mm long, 59 mm wide, and 21 mm high, leaving clearance to mount the PLDS and a microscope slide coated with a thin film of photoactive molecules beneath the cantilever tip of a stand-alone AFM. The PLDS is coupled into a fiber pigtailed Nd:Yag frequency doubled laser, operating at a wavelength of 532 nm. The radiation delivered to a sample through the PLDS can be configured for continuous or pulsed mode. The maximum continuous wave (CW) power delivered was 0.903 mW and the minimum pulse width was 12.3 ms (maximal 401 ms), corresponding to a minimal energy of 0.150 nJ (maximal 362 nJ), and had a cycle duration of 10.0 ms. The PLDS consists of micro-optical components 3.0 mm and smaller in diameter. The optical design was inspired by the three-beam pick-up method used in CD players, which could provide a method to focus the pulse of light onto the sample layer. In addition, the system can be easily modified for different operational parameters (pulse width, wavelength, and power). As proof that the prototype design works, we observed a photoinduced ‘bimetallic’ bending of the cantilever, as evidenced by observing no photoinduced bending when a reflective-coated cantilever was replaced by an uncoated cantilever. Using the apparatus will allow investigation of many different types of molecules exhibiting photoinduced isomerization."