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Nanofluids as an innovative class of heat transfer fluids created by dispersing nanometre-sizedmetallic or non-metallic particles in conventional heat transfer fluids displayed the potential toimprove the thermophysical properties of the heat transfer fluids. The main purpose of this study is toinvestigate the influence of the use of nanofluids on two-phase heat transfer, particularly on thethermal performance of the heat pipes. In the first stage, the properties of the nanofluids were studied,then, these nanofluids were used as the working fluids of the heat pipes. The thermal performance ofthe heat pipes when using different nanofluids was investigated under different operating conditionsexperimentally and analytically. The influences of the concentration of the nanofluids, inclinationangles and heat loads on the thermal performance and maximum heat flux of the heat pipes wereinvestigated.This study shows that the thermal performance of the heat pipes depends not only on thermophysicalproperties of the nanofluids but also on the characteristics of the wick structure through forming aporous coated layer on the heated surface. Forming the porous layer on the surface of the wick at theevaporator section increases the wettability and capillarity and also the heat transfer area at theevaporator of the heat pipes.The thermal performance of the heat pipes increases with increasing particle concentration in all cases,except for the heat pipe using 10 wt.% water/Al2O3 nanofluid. For the inclined heat pipe, irrespectiveof the type of the fluid used as the working fluid, the thermal resistance of the inclined heat pipes waslower than that of the heat pipes in a horizontal state, and the best performance was observed at theinclination angle of 60o, which is in agreement with the results reported in the literature. Otheradvantages of the use of nanofluids as the working fluids of the heat pipes which were investigated inthis study were the increase of the maximum heat flux and also the reduction of the entropy generationof the heat pipes when using a nanofluid.These findings revealed the potential for nanofluids to be used instead of conventional fluids as theworking fluid of the heat pipes, but the commercialization of the heat pipes using nanofluids for largescale industrial applications is still a challenging question, as there are many parameters related to thenanofluids which are not well understood. / <p>QC 20170228</p>

Ce travail porte sur le développement de protocoles de croissance par CVD à injection directe de liquide (DLI-CVD) de films catalytiques poreux potentiellement utilisables dans les piles à combustible de type PEMFC. Les objectifs étaient de contrôler et de réduire au maximum la charge en platine, d’obtenir des matériaux à grande surface spécifique, c'est-à-dire très poreux, mais aussi d’utiliser des précurseurs à bas coût.Dans un premier temps, le platine a été promu par de l’oxyde de cérium, matériau qui possède lui-même des propriétés catalytiques. L’optimisation des paramètres de croissance a montré le rôle majeur de la température de dépôt mais aussi du flux des précurseurs sur la morphologie finale des films. Un dopage contrôlé en platine de la surface de l’oxyde de cérium a ainsi pu être mis au point à partir du dépôt simultané de cérine et de platine. Le flux de précurseur du platine a alors permis d’ajuster la charge et l’état d’oxydation de cet élément au sein des films sans pour autant modifier leur porosité. Il est, par exemple, possible d’élaborer des films minces d’oxyde de cérium composés de particules nanométriques dopées en extrême surface avec 5 % de platine à l’état +II. L’effet du flux de précurseur sur l’état d’oxydation du platine a été confirmé pour le système Pt/TiO2. Dans un second temps, des oxycarbures de tungstène ont été synthétisés de façon à éliminer totalement le platine du catalyseur. Un procédé en deux étapes a été mis au point permettant d’obtenir des dépôts d’oxycarbure de tungstène possédant de grandes surfaces spécifiques en déposant un film utra-mince et conforme d’oxycarbure sur une couche poreuse d’oxyde de tungstène. / This work is focused on development of growth protocols by direct liquid injection chemical vapor deposition (DLI-CVD) of catalytic porous films which could be used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The aim of this work was to reduce or even proscribe platinum in catalysts having large specific surface area i.e. being very porous. Besides, the aim is also to use mainly low cost precursors.Cerium oxide, which is a material widely used as catalyst, has been chosen to partially substitute platinum. Porous CeO2 layers were obtained by the optimization of processing parameters such as deposition temperature or precursors flow rates. Controlled platinum doping of cerium oxide surface has been obtained from deposition of ceria and platinum at the same time. The platinum precursor flow rate has allowed adjusting the load and the oxidation state of Pt in films without changing their porosity. For example, it was possible to synthesize thin cerium oxide films composed of surface Pt doped nanoparticles. In such a case, the Pt content is 5% in top most layers and its oxidation state is +II. The effect of precursor flow rate on the platinum oxidation state was confirmed from the study of the Pt / TiO2 system. Finally, platinum has been fully replaced by tungsten oxycarbide. A two steps process has been developed to obtain porous oxycarbide layers by depositing a conformed tungsten oxycarbide ultra-thin film on a porous tungsten oxide layer.

Au vu des limitations rencontrées par la miniaturisation des circuits microélectroniques, l’augmentation de performances des systèmes repose largement aujourd’hui sur la fabrication d’empilements de couches minces complexes et innovants pour offrir davantage de compacité et de flexibilité. L’intérêt grandissant pour la réalisation de structures innovantes temporaires, i.e. permettant de réaliser des circuits sur les deux faces d’un même film, nous a mené à évaluer les potentialités d’une technologie combinant le transfert de films minces monocristallins, i.e. la technologie Smart Cut™, et un procédé de de porosification partielle du silicium afin de mettre au point une technologie de double report de film monocristallin. En ce sens, des substrats de silicium monocristallin ont été partiellement porosifiés par anodisation électrochimique. La mise en œuvre de traitements de substrats partiellement poreux a nécessité l’emploi de techniques de caractérisation variées pour dresser une fiche d’identité des couches minces poreuses après anodisation et évaluer l’évolution des propriétés de ces couches en fonction des différents traitements appliqués. Les propriétés chimiques, structurales et mécaniques des couches de Si poreux ont ainsi été étudiées via l’utilisation de différentes techniques de caractérisation (XPS-SIMS, AFM-MEB-XRD, nanoindentation, technique d’insertion de lame, etc.). Ces études ont permis d’appréhender et de décrire les mécanismes physiques mis au jeu au cours des différents traitements et de déterminer les caractéristiques {porosité, épaisseur} optimales des couches poreuses compatibles avec les séquences de la technologie proposée. La technologie Smart Cut™ a ainsi été appliquée à des substrats partiellement porosifiés menant à la fabrication réussie d’une structure temporaire de type Silicium-sur-Isolant avec une couche de silicium poreux enterrée. Ces structures temporaires ont été « démontées » dans un second temps par collage polymère ou collage direct et insertion de lame menant au second report de film mince monocristallin par rupture au sein de la couche porosifiée et donc fragile. Les structures fabriquées ont été caractérisées pour vérifier leur intégrité et leurs stabilités chimique et mécanique. Les propriétés cristallines du film mince de Si monocristallin, reporté en deux temps, ont été vérifiées confirmant ainsi la compatibilité des structures fabriquées avec des applications microélectroniques telles que les applications de type « Back-Side Imager » nécessitant une implémentation de composants sur les deux faces du film. Ainsi une technologie prometteuse et performante a pu être élaborée permettant le double report de films minces monocristallins et à fort potentiel pour des applications variées comme les imageurs visibles ou le photovoltaïque. / As scaling of microelectronic devices is confronted from now to fundamental limits, improving microelectronic systems performances is largely based nowadays on complex and innovative stack realization to offer more compaction and flexibility to structures. Growing interest in the fabrication of innovative temporary structures, allowing for example double sided layer processing, lead us to investigate the capability to combine one technology of thin single crystalline layer transfer, i.e. the Smart Cut™ technology, and partial porosification of silicon substrate in order to develop an original double layer transfer technology of thin single crystalline silicon film. To this purpose, single crystalline silicon substrates were first partially porosified by electrochemical anodization. Application of suitable treatments of porous silicon layer has required the use of several characterization methods to identify intrinsic porous silicon properties after anodization and to verify their evolution as function of different applied treatments. Chemical, structural and mechanical properties of porous silicon layers were studied by using different characterization techniques (XPS-SIMS, AFM-MEB-XRD, nanoindentation, razor blade insertion, etc.). Such studies allowed comprehending and describing physical mechanisms occurring during each applied technological steps and well determining appropriated {porosity, thickness} parameters of porous silicon layer with the developed technological process flow. The Smart Cut™ technology was successfully applied to partially porosified silicon substrates leading to the fabrication of temporary SOI-like structures with a weak embedded porous Si layer. Such structures were then “dismantled” thanks to a second polymer or direct bonding and razor blade insertion to produce a mechanical rupture through the fragile embedded porous silicon layer and to get the second thin silicon film transfer. Each fabricated structure was characterized step by step to check its integrity and its chemical and mechanical stabilities. Crystalline properties of the double transferred silicon layer were verified demonstrating the compatibility of such structures with microelectronic applications such as “Back-Side Imagers” needing double-sided layer processing. Eventually, a promising and efficient technology has been developed to allow the double transfer of thin single crystalline silicon layer which presents a high potential for various applications such as visible imagers or photovoltaic systems.

Hydrogen production via the electrolysis of water has gained a lot of attention in the last couple of years. Research related to electrolysers is mostly aimed towards decreasing the noble–metal catalyst content. In this study the presently used catalyst application techniques were reviewed and critically examined to find commercially applicable and effective methods. Selected methods were then practically applied to determine their feasibility and to gain “know–how” related to the practical application of these techniques. The selected techniques were the hand paint, inkjet print, screen print and spray paint techniques. Meaningful comparisons were made between the methods in terms of parameters such as practicality, waste of catalyst and microstructure. The results point out that the hand paint and spray paint methods are feasible methods although there are improvements to be made. The hand paint method was improved by applying a carbon micro porous layer to the gas diffusion layer before the painting is carried out. The addition of the carbon layer reduced the soaking of the catalyst–containing ink through the gas diffusion layer. A method not initially investigated was identified an evaluated and showed promising results in lowering the mass of catalyst applied. This method comprised of sputtering a layer of catalyst material onto a prepared gas diffusion layer. It also came to light from the results that electrodes, and therefore membrane electrode assemblies, can be produced at a much lower cost than the commercial available membrane electrode assemblies. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Hydrogen production via the electrolysis of water has gained a lot of attention in the last couple of years. Research related to electrolysers is mostly aimed towards decreasing the noble–metal catalyst content. In this study the presently used catalyst application techniques were reviewed and critically examined to find commercially applicable and effective methods. Selected methods were then practically applied to determine their feasibility and to gain “know–how” related to the practical application of these techniques. The selected techniques were the hand paint, inkjet print, screen print and spray paint techniques. Meaningful comparisons were made between the methods in terms of parameters such as practicality, waste of catalyst and microstructure. The results point out that the hand paint and spray paint methods are feasible methods although there are improvements to be made. The hand paint method was improved by applying a carbon micro porous layer to the gas diffusion layer before the painting is carried out. The addition of the carbon layer reduced the soaking of the catalyst–containing ink through the gas diffusion layer. A method not initially investigated was identified an evaluated and showed promising results in lowering the mass of catalyst applied. This method comprised of sputtering a layer of catalyst material onto a prepared gas diffusion layer. It also came to light from the results that electrodes, and therefore membrane electrode assemblies, can be produced at a much lower cost than the commercial available membrane electrode assemblies. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.