The purpose of this work is to test the feasibility of using particle image velocimetry(PIV) for measurements of flow through a porous medium, more specifically in this casea rotating bed reactor S3. The results from experiments preformed can then be usedto validate and improve computational fluid dynamics models. The report presentsdifferent possible combinations of solids and fluids for refractive index matchingand tests some velocity limits of the optical equipment used. PIV appears to be apromising method for measuring flow through a porous medium. The theoreticallimit due to motion blur is an angular velocity of around 3800 RPM, and the actualtested lower bound for this limit is 453 RPM.

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La thèse s’intéresse au contrôle de la température d’un front de combustion propagé dans un milieu poreux contenant du carbone fixe et des carbonates (CaCO3). L’objectif principal est de réduire la température, in situ (récupération d’huile ou production de gaz à partir d’un schiste bitumineux) ou dans un procédé (combustion de semicoke), afin de limiter la décarbonatation du milieu et les émissions induites de CO2. Le milieu réactif retenu pour réaliser les expériences en laboratoire est un schiste bitumineux préalablement broyé (0.5 à 2 mm) et pré-pyrolysé, appelé semicoke. Le front est propagé en co-courant. La première technique testée expérimentalement est l’ajout au semicoke d’un matériaux inerte (sable) et/ou d’un matériaux réactif (CaCO3) afin de faire varier le taux de carbone fixe et le taux de CaCO3 et ceci indépendamment. Nous montrons que l’augmentation de CaCO3 permet de baisser la température à 800 °C, mais pas en dessous, ce qui ne permet pas d’éviter la décarbonatation. Faire chuter le contenu en carbone fixe permet de baisser la température du front, voire d’atteindre l’extinction. Aux températures de propagation les plus basses, la décarbonatation est fortement limitée. En revanche le front ralentit car il n’utilise plus tout l’oxygène alimenté. La deuxième technique originale consiste à ajouter du CO2 (20 %molaire) dans l’air de combustion. Nous montrons que dans le cas d’un front chaud, ceci permet de réduire le taux de décarbonatation de 100% à 70%, et d’augmenter en parallèle la production de CO résultant de l’oxydation du carbone fixe, ce qui augmente le PCI du gaz produit. Sur un front plus froid, la décarbonatation qui était de 20% est totalement évitée par l’ajout de CO2. Enfin, des expériences sont proposées dans le mode de combustion “reaction trailing”, très peu connu et mis en oeuvre. Ce mode a l’intérêt majeur d’éviter les réactions de “Lower Temperature Oxidation” préjudiciables au rendement en huile ou en gaz d’un process in situ. Des expériences stables et répétables sont réalisées avec différents pourcentages d’oxygène dans le gaz alimenté. La température du front est directement liée à ce paramètre ; la décarbonatation est clairement limitée dans ce mode de propagation. Deux types de modélisation sont proposés. Un bilan de matière et d’énergie basé sur des expressions analytiques simples permet d’évaluer la température du front et sa vitesse de propagation. Un modèle numérique développé par l’IMFT se base sur des équations de transfert convectif/diffusif de chaleur et de matière, couplées aux réactions d’oxydation du carbone (en CO et en CO2) et de décarbonatation de CaCO3. Il décrit de façon très satisfaisante les expériences en mode “reaction leading” avec variation de la composition du milieu (première technique). / This PhD thesis focuses on the control of the smoldering front propagating in a porous medium containing fixed carbon and carbonates (CaCO3). The main objective is to reduce the front temperature, in situ (oil recovery or gas production from oil shale) or in process (combustion of semicoke), in order to limit the medium decarbonation and the resulting CO2 emissions. The reactive porous medium retained to realize the laboratory experiments is a crushed (0.5 to 2 mm) and pre-pyrolyed oil shale, called semicoke. The front propagates in co-current. The first technique experimentally tested is the addition to the semicoke of an inert material (sand) and/or a reactive material (CaCO3) to vary the contents of fixed carbon and of CaCO3, independently. We show that the increase of the CaCO3 content enables to reduce the temperature to 800 °C, but not below; this does not allow to avoid decarbonation. Bringing down the fixed carbon content enables to reduce the front temperature, see even to reach extinction. In the lowest temperatures of propagation, the decarbonation is strongly limited. On the other hand, the front slows down because it does not use all of the fed oxygen. The second original technique consists in adding CO2 (20 mol.%) to the oxidizer air. We show that for a hot front, the decarbonated fraction is reduced from 100% down to 70%, and the CO production at fixed carbon oxidation is increased; this leads to increase the LCV of the produced gas. For a cold front, the decarbonation which was 20%, is totally avoided by adding CO2. Finely, experiments are proposed in the “reaction trailing” combustion mode, little known and implemented. This mode has the major interest to avoid the reactions of “Lower Temperature Oxidation” prejudicial for oil or gas yields in in situ process. Stable and repeatable experiments are realized with different oxygen fractions in feeding gas. The front temperature is directly linked to this parameter; the decarbonation is clearly limited in this mode of propagation. Two types of modeling are proposed. A mass and thermal balance based on simple analytical expressions enables to evaluate the front temperature and velocity. A numerical model developed by IMFT is based on convective/diffusive heat and mass transfer equations coupled with the oxidation reactions (into CO and CO2) and CaCO3 decarbonation is proposed. It describes in a very satisfactory way the experiments in the “reaction leading” mode with variation of the medium composition (first technique).

Oriunda da etapa de destilação do caldo do caldo da cana-de-açúcar, a vinhaça é um subproduto da produção de etanol. Apesar de seu difundido uso na agricultura canavieira como fertirrigação, sua disposição no solo tem sido questionada quanto a possíveis riscos ambientais. Uma destinação alternativa à vinhaça e seu tratamento anaeróbio, considerado bastante atrativo haja vista a possibilidade de recuperação de energia na forma de biogás, sem interferir em suas qualidades como biofertilizante. Entre os sistemas de tratamento anaeróbios, os reatores de leito fixo têm sido amplamente utilizados devido à sua estabilidade operacional. A modelagem abrangente destes tipos reatores tende a ser complexa de forma que o estudo dos escoamentos em seu interior do reator é vital. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar e simular numericamente a hidrodinâmica de reator de leito fixo de fluxo ascendente tipo APBR (anaerobic packed bed reactor). Em termos gerais, os resultados obtidos por simulação foram confrontados tanto com os correspondentes valores experimentais como com aqueles obtidos a partir dos modelos uniparamétricos comumente usados para representar reatores não ideais. Para tanto, foram empregados dados pré-existentes de ensaios hidrodinâmicos conduzidos no início e no final da operação, com biorreator alimentado com solução-traçador na forma de degrau a vazões de 4,6 L/dia e 2,3 L/dia. Foram considerados os modelos de dispersão de pequena e grande intensidade bem como o modelo de tanques agitados em série. Quanto às simulações numéricas, foi usado o software de CFD (fluidodinâmica computacional)COMSOL Multiphysics ® 4.3b.As curvas DTR obtidas via simulação e com base nos modelos para reatores não ideais foram confrontadas com as curvas obtidas experimentalmente. Para o reator operando com vazão de 2,3 L/dia, nenhum dos modelos propostos mostrou-se adequado quanto ao final da operação, em razão da incapacidade em representar o surgimento de picos de concentração que podem estar associados ao acúmulo de biomassa no interior do biorreator, mas também ao tipo de traçador utilizado para a realização do experimento. As demais curvas DTR sugerem que o reator em questão aproxima-se do tipo pistonado. O simulador CFD representou de forma bem adequada os dados experimentais em comparação com resultados obtidos a partir dos modelos para reatores não ideais. A simulação numérica de biorreatores para tratamento de efluentes mostrou-se, pois, capaz de fornecer informações mais detalhadas e precisas, geralmente úteis a engenharia do processo. Adicionalmente, foi implementado um simulador com base no método de Boltzmann em rede (lattice Boltzmann method, LBM) capaz de simular escoamento laminar bidimensional em regime permanente no interior de um canal. No escopo de uma linha de pesquisa em simulação LBM de biossistemas agroindustriais, trata-se de um esforço inicial quanto à simulação LBM da hidrodinâmica de biorreatores para tratamento de efluentes em geral. / Resulting from sugarcane juice distillation, vinasse is a by-product from ethanol industry. Despite its widespread use as fertirrigation at crops, direct deposition of vinasse into soils has raised environmental issues. Alternatively, it may undergo anaerobic treatment, which is very attractive in view of energy recovery as biogas while preserving vinasse quality as biofertilizer. Among anaerobic treatment systems, fixed-bed reactors come forward due to their operational stability. Their comprehensive modeling is prone to be complex so that the study of fluid flows prevailing inside is fundamental. Accordingly, the goal of this work was to numerically analyze and simulate the hydrodynamics within a particular upflow fixedbed reactor, namely anaerobic packed bed reactor. In general, results from simulations were compared with experimental counterparts as well as against results from well-known single-parameter models for non-ideal reactors. Existing data from hydrodynamic tests were then used, concerning operation at both start-up and shut-down and bioreactor stepwise feeding with tracer solution flow at 4,6 L/day and 2,3 L/day. Non-ideal reactor models comprised either low or high-dispersion together with continuous stirred-tank reactor model while COMSOL Multiphysics ® 4.3b CFD (computational fluid dynamics) software was employed for simulations. Retention time distribution (RTD) curves from simulations and from model calculations were compared to experimental ones. For operation at 2,3 L/day flow, no models proved to be suitable as far as shut-down operation is concerned, due to biomass accumulation inside the bioreactor. Remaining RTD curves suggested that reactor behavior resembles plug-flow type. Compared to non-ideal reactor models, CFD simulations proved to properly reproduce experimental data while being able to provide detailed and accurate information for process engineering towards effluent treatment. Furthermore, a numerical simulator was implemented as based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) in order to deal with two-dimensional steady-state laminar flow inside a channel. As part of research work on LBM simulation of agroindustrial biosystems, aforesaid simulator contributed to LBM simulation of hydrodynamics within bioreactors for wastewater treatment in general.

Ce travail est consacré à l’analyse et au développement de concepts et d’outils mathématiques en vue de leur application à des problématiques propres aux sites de stockage géologique profond de déchets radioactifs. La première partie porte sur l’estimation en champ lointain de la concentration de radionucléides issus du relâchement des colis de confinement, lorsque les incertitudes sur le relâchement sont prises en compte. En s’appuyant sur les travaux de A. Bourgeat et A. Piatniski sur l’homogénéisation d’une équation de convection-diffusion avec second membre aléatoire, on développe des outils numériques permettant d’approcher le comportement probabiliste du champ de concentration dans une configuration du type site de stockage. Dans une seconde partie, on s’intéresse à la migration de gaz dans et autour d’un site de stockage. Après une revue sur la modélisation physique des écoulements diphasiques de type eau/hydrogène en milieu poreux, on propose une nouvelle formulation mathématique du problème qui décrit, dans un même jeu d’équations, les écoulements à une (liquide) et deux (liquide/gaz) phases. Une étude de l’existence de solutions de cette formulation est menée à l’aide de la théorie générale des équations différentielles quasilinéaires elliptiques-paraboliques introduite par H.W. Alt et S. Luckhaus. Une méthode de résolution numérique du problème est mise en oeuvre pour la simulation de différents cas test, des plus simples au plus représentatif d’un site de stockage géologique. Enfin, l’homogénéisation périodique du modèle est effectuée et appliquée à la simulation de l’exercice Couplex-Gaz proposé par l’ANDRA / The purpose of this work is to analyze and develop mathematical concepts and tools in application to performance assessment of an underground nuclear waste disposal. The first part is concerned with estimating the far field concentration of radionuclides released by containers of waste when uncertainties on the release are taking in account. Using the work of A. Bourgeat and A. Piatniski about homogenization of a convection-diffusion equation with random source term, numerical tools are developed to approximate the random behavior of the concentration field in an underground disposal configuration. In a second part, we are interested in gas migration in and around an underground nuclear waste disposal. After a review on physical models of two-phase flow in porous media for water/hydrogen mixture, we propose a new mathematical formulation describing one- (liquid) and two- (liquid/gas) phase flow with a unique set of equation. Considering the general theory of quasilinear elliptic-parabolic differential equations introduced by H.W. Alt and S. Luckhaus, we study existence of solutions for this formulation. A numerical method to solve the problem is implemented to simulate several test cases. These test cases run from very simple situations to a representative configuration of an underground nuclear waste disposal. Finally, the periodic homogenization of the model is done and applied to simulate the Couplex-Gas exercise proposed by ANDRA.

Dans le cadre d’une thématique générale du Laboratoire Thermique Energétique et Procédés de Pau consacré à l’étude et à la valorisation des déchets tels que la pyrolyse, la combustion et la gazéification, la thèse se focalise sur la modélisation des phénomènes de transports de masse, de quantité de mouvement et d’énergie en milieu multiphasique multiconstituant réactif dans le cas d’un réacteur de gazéification à lit fixe. La première étape de la modélisation consiste à décrire classiquement le mouvement de chacune des phases continues par les équations de conservation de la masse, de la quantité de mouvement et de la chaleur. Bien qu’à cette échelle les mécanismes soient parfaitement décrits, le passage à la simulation impose une étape d’homogénéisation par prise de moyenne. Ce changement d’échelle, décrit dans ce travail, conduit à un système d’équations homogène à l’échelle locale. Ce modèle est appliqué au cas du procédé de gazéification de déchets de la société Europlasma nommé CHO-Power. Les simulations bidimensionnelles instationnaires du problème ont permis de mettre en lumière les différents mécanismes en présence au cours du procédé ainsi qu’un certain nombre de verrous dans l’obtention du chemin de convergence conduisant au régime permanent. / One of the thematics of the “Laboratoire Thermique Energétique et Procédés de Pau” is the study and the valorization of waste as pyrolysis, combustion and gasification for example. In this context, this work deals with modeling of heat, mass and momentum transport in a multiphase multi components reactive medium for a fixed bed gasifier. Conservation equations are first written for each phase. The macroscopic partial differential equations are expressed by integrating these microscopic conservation laws over a representative volume. This change of scale, described in this work, leads to a homogeneous system of equations. This model is applied to the case of the gasification of waste process of the Europlasma company named CHO-Power. The unsteady two-dimensional simulations of the problem allowed to highlight the different mechanisms present during the process and a number of locks in obtaining convergence path leading to the steady state.

Comprendre l'altération du verre nucléaire dans un réseau de fracture au sein d'un bloc de verre vitrifié est important pour la sûreté du conditionnement des déchets nucléaires (quantification des risques associés au relâchement des radionucléides). L’évaluation de la performance du stockage géologique des déchets nucléaires passe obligatoirement par la modélisation de l’altération aqueuse d’un bloc de verre nucléaire fracturé, l’échelle de temps envisagée (plusieurs milliers d’années) dépassant toute possibilité d’expérience directe. Cette thèse vise donc à combler le fossé entre les simulations d'écoulement et de transport à l'échelle du réservoir et la modélisation à l'échelle micrométrique des processus interfaciaux verre-eau, en apportant l'évaluation quantitative de la dégradation aqueuse du verre à l'échelle d’un bloc.Pour aborder ce problème, les objectifs principaux de cette thèse ont été fixés comme suit : (i) la reproduction des résultats expérimentaux obtenus précédemment (pour quelques fractures modélisées de manière discrète en mode diffusif), (ii) l’analyse de l'impact des géométries de fractures sur la quantité de verre altéré pour quelques fissures modélisées de manière discrète, (iii) l’étude de la possibilité d'adaptation du modèle géochimique à la modélisation dans le cadre de l’approche milieu équivalent, (iv) la mise au point d'une méthodologie de caractérisation, (v) la modélisation géostatistique et géométrique de réseau de fractures à l’échelle d’un conteneur de verre, (vi) le calcul des paramètres équivalents diffusifs, hydrauliques et les paramètres qui contrôlent la cinétique de dissolution de verre, et au final, (vii) la modélisation de transport réactif à l’échelle d’un conteneur.À titre illustratif, la méthodologie de la caractérisation de réseau fracturé proposée, basée sur le traitement des images, a été appliquée aux images bidimensionnelles (2D) de haute résolution de deux blocs de verre. Cette application a permis de mettre en œuvre à la fois les données directes obtenues par mesures des paramètres d’un réseau fracturé de verre vitrifié et les données indirectes explicatives issues des simulations thermomécaniques. L’application a abouti à la création de multiples réalisations de tessellation de réseaux fracturés équivalents qui ont ensuite été utilisées comme représentations physiques pour les calculs de la perméabilité équivalente, de la diffusion équivalente et des paramètres contrôlant la cinétique de dissolution de verre borosilicaté. L'évolution de la quantité de verre altéré obtenue en effectuant la modélisation de transport réactif appliquée à plusieurs réalisations de la tessellation de réseau fracturé équivalent a été comparée aux données expérimentales d’un essai d'altération aqueuse d'un conteneur non radioactif de verre nucléaire. Les résultats montrent que la méthodologie conçue offre une opportunité pour mieux comprendre l'impact de la fracturation sur l'altération aqueuse du verre vitrifié et constitue un outil fiable permettant de prendre en compte différents scénarios d'évolution du stockage. / Understanding the alteration of nuclear glass in a fracture network of a vitrified glass block is important for the safe conditioning of nuclear waste (quantification of the risks associated with radionuclide release). Performance assessment of geological nuclear waste repositories entails modelling of the long-term evolution of the fractured nuclear glass block aqueous alteration, because the considered time scale, of several thousands of years, is beyond the range of any direct experimental perspectives. This dissertation aims then to bridge the gap between the reservoir-scale flow and transport simulations and the micron-scale modeling of the glass-water interfacial processes, by bringing the quantitative evaluation of the glass aqueous degradation at the block scale.To tackle this issue, the main objectives of this thesis were fixed as follows: (i) reproduction of the experimental results previously obtained (for some fractures modeled in a discrete way in the diffusive mode),(ii) analysis of the impact of fractures geometries on the quantity of altered glass at the scale of some fractures modeled in a discrete way, (iii) investigation of the possibilities of the geochemical model adaptation for the equivalent homogenous modeling, (iv) establishment of a methodology for glass block fracture network characterization, (v) geostatistical and geometric modeling, (vi) calculation of the equivalent diffusive, hydraulic and glass dissolution kinetics controlling properties and (vii) upcoming reactive transport modeling at the scale of one canister.As an illustrative example, the proposed image processing-based fracture network characterization methodology was applied to two-dimensional (2D) high-resolution images of two blocks of vitrified glass. This application brought into service both hard data obtained by direct measurement of the fracture network and soft physics-based explanatory data and resulted in the creation of multiple realizations of fracture network equivalent tessellation that were further used as physical representation for the calculation of the equivalent hydraulic, diffusive, and alteration kinetics - controlling properties. The evolution of the quantity of altered glass obtained by conducting reactive transport modeling applied to several realizations of the equivalent fracture network tessellation was compared with the experimental data of the aqueous alteration test of a non-radioactive full-scale nuclear glass canister. The results show that implementation of the devised procedure presents an opportunity for better understanding the impact of fracturing on aqueous alteration of borosilicate glass and provides a reliable tool enabling different scenarios of repository evolution to be accounted for.

Analysis of flow and solute transport problem in porous media are affected by uncertainty inbuilt both in boundary conditions and spatial variability in system parameters. The experimental investigation reveals that the parameters may vary in various scales by several orders. These affect the solute plume characteristics in field-scale problem and cause uncertainty in the prediction of concentration. The main focus of the present thesis is to analyze the probabilistic behavior of solute concentration in three dimensional(3-D) heterogeneous porous media. The framework for the probabilistic analysis has been developed using perturbation approach for both spectral based analytical and finite element based numerical method. The results of the probabilistic analysis are presented either in terms of solute plume characteristics or prediction uncertainty of the concentration. After providing a brief introduction on the role of stochastic analysis in subsurface hydrology in chapter 1, a detailed review of the literature is presented to establish the existing state-of-art in the research on the probabilistic analysis of flow and transport in simple and complex heterogeneous porous media in chapter 2. The literature review is mainly focused on the methods of solution of the stochastic differential equation. Perturbation based spectral method is often used for probabilistic analysis of flow and solute transport problem. Using this analytical method a nonlocal equation is solved to derive the expression of the spatial plume moments. The spatial plume moments represent the solute movement, spreading in an average sense. In chapter 3 of the present thesis, local dispersivity if also assumed to be random space function along with hydraulic conductivity. For various correlation coefficients of the random parameters, the results in terms of the field scale effective dispersivity are presented to demonstrate the effect of local dispersivity variation in space. The randomness of local dispersivity is found to reduce the effective fields scale dispersivity. The transverse effective macrodispersivity is affected more than the longitudinal effective macrodispersivity due to random spatial variation of local dispersivity. The reduction in effective field scale longitudinal dispersivity is more for positive correlation coefficient. The applicability of the analytical method, which is discussed in earlier chapter, is limited to the simple boundary conditions. The solution by spectral method in terms of statistical moments of concentration as a function of space and time, require higher dimensional integration. Perturbation based stochastic finite element method(SFEM) is an alternative method for performing probabilistic analysis of concentration. The use of this numerical method for performing probabilistic analysis of concentration. The use of this numerical method is non common in the literature of stochastic subsurface hydrology. The perturbation based SFEM which uses FEM for spatial discretization of the steady state flow and Laplace transform for the solute transport equation, is developed in chapter 4. The SFEM is formulated using Taylor series of the dependent variable upto second-order term. This results in second-order accurate mean and first-order accurate standard deviation of concentration. In this study the governing medium properties viz. hydraulic Conductivity, dispersivity, molecular diffusion, porosity, sorption coefficient and decay coefficient are considered to vary randomly in space. The accuracy of results and computational efficiency of the SFEM are compared with Monte Carle Simulation method(MCSM) for both I-D and 3-D problems. The comparison of results obtained hby SFEM and MCSM indicates that SFEM is capable in providing reasonably accurate mean and standard deviation of concentration. The Laplace transform based SFEM is simpler and advantageous since it does not require any stability criteria for choosing the time step. However it is not applicable for nonlinear transport problems as well as unsteady flow conditions. In this situation, finite difference method is adopted for the time discretization. The first part of the Chapter 5, deals with the formulation of time domain SFEM for the linear solute transport problem. Later the SFEM is extended for a problem which involve uncertainty of both system parameters and boundary/source conditions. For the flow problem, the randomness in the boundary condition is attributed by the random spatial variation of recharge at the top of the domain. The random recharge is modeled using mean, standard deviation and 2-D spatial correlation function. It is observed that even for the deterministic recharge case, the behavior of prediction uncertainty of concentration in the space is affected significantly due to the variation of flow field. When the effect of randomness of recharge condition is included, the standard deviation of concentration increases further. For solute transport, the concentration input at the source is modeled as a time varying random process. Two types of random source at the source is modeled as a time varying random process. Two types of random source condition are considered, firstly the amount of solute mass released at uniform time interval is random and secondly the source is treated as a Poission process. For the case of multiple random mass releases, the stochastic response function due to stochastic system is obtained by using SFEM. Comparing the results for the two type of random sources, it sis found that the prediction uncertainty is more when it is modeled as a Poisson process. The probabilistic analysis of nonlinear solute transport problem using MCSM is often requires large computational cost. The formulation of the alternative efficient method, SFEM, for nonlinear solute transport problem is presented in chapter 6. A general Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm is considered to model the equilibrium mass transfer between aqueous and sorbed phase. In the SFEM formulation, which uses the Taylor Series expansion, the zeroth-order derivatives of concentration are obtained by solving nonlinear algebraic equation. The higher order derivatives are obtained by solving linear equation. During transport, the nonlinear sorbing solutes is characterized by sharp solute fronts with a traveling wave behavior. Due to this the prediction uncertainty is significantly higher. The comparison of accuracy and computational efficiency of SFEM with MCSM for I-D and 3-D problems, reveals that the performance of SFEM for nonlinear problem is good and similar to the linear problem. In Chapter 7, the nonlinear SFEM is extended for probabilistic analysis of biodegrading solute, which is modeled by a set of PDEs coupled with nonlinear Monod type source/sink terms. In this study the biodegradation problem involves a single solute by a single class of microorganisms coupled with dynamic microbial growth is attempted using this methods. The temporal behavior of mean and standard deviation of substrate concentration are not monotonic, they show peaks before reaching lower steady state value. A comparison between the SFEM and MCSM for the mean and standard deviation of concentration is made for various stochastic cases of the I-D problem. In most of the cases the results compare reasonably well. The analysis of probabilistic behavior of substrate concentration for different correlation coefficient between the physical parameters(hydraulic conductivity, porosity, dispersivity and diffusion coefficient) and the biological parameters(maximum substrate utilization rate and the coefficient of cell decay) is performed. It is observed that the positive correlation between the two sets of parameters results in a lower mean and significantly higher standard deviation of substrate concentration. In the previous chapters, the stochastic analysis pertaining to the prediction uncertainty of concentration has been presented for simple problem where the system parameters are modeled as statistically homogeneous random. The experimental investigations in a small watershed, point towards a complex in geological substratum. It has been observed through the 2-D electrical resistivity imaging that the interface between the layers of high conductive weathered zone and low conductive clay is very irregular and complex in nature. In chapter 8 a theoretical model based on stochastic approach is developed to stimulate the complex geological structure of the weathered zone, using the 2-D electrical image. The statistical parameters of hydraulic conductivity field are estimated using the data obtained from the Magnetic Resonance Sounding(MRS) method. Due to the large complexity in the distribution of weathered zone, the stochastic analysis of seepage flux has been carried out by using MCSM. A batter characterization of the domain based on sufficient experimental data and suitable model of the random conductivity field may help to use the efficient SFEM. The flow domain is modeled as (i) an unstructured random field consisting of a single material with spatial heterogeneity, and (ii) a structured random field using 2-D electrical imaging which is composed of two layers of different heterogeneous random hydraulic properties. The simulations show that the prediction uncertainty of seepage flux is comparatively less when structured modeling framework is used rather than the unstructured modeling. At the end, in chapter 9 the important conclusions drawn from various chapters are summarized.

Une mauvaise étanchéité à l’air dans un bâtiment peut entraîner des surconsommations énergétiques et poser un certain nombre de problèmes tels que l’apparition de moisissures dans les murs ou encore une mauvaise qualité de l’air intérieur. Les constructions à ossature bois sont particulièrement sujettes aux infiltrations d’air, d’où la nécessité de mieux comprendre ces phénomènes et leurs conséquences afin que ces bâtiments puissent respecter les normes d’étanchéité de plus en plus strictes. Cette étude contribue par plusieurs aspects et à différentes échelles à l’évaluation de l’impact des infiltrations d’air sur les performances d’un bâtiment.Les infiltrations d’air à travers l’enveloppe peuvent perturber le bon fonctionnement de la ventilation mécanique et augmenter les pertes thermiques. Cette problématique est d’abord traitée numériquement à l’échelle du bâtiment, avec l’étude d’une grande variété de maisons et de conditions météorologiques. Des modèles simplifiés applicables à tout niveau d’étanchéité ont été établis pour la prise en compte des infiltrations naturelles dans les calculs de débit total de ventilation. Une plus petite échelle est ensuite considérée pour l’étude de l’étanchéité à l’air, avec la caractérisation expérimentale de parois ossature bois, de matériaux et de détails de construction, notamment grâce à la construction d’un banc d’essai adapté. Un certain nombre de tests de pressurisation ont permis de quantifier les fuites d’air induites par des défauts d’étanchéité spécifiques et peuvent être utilisés pour les simulations numériques à l’échelle du bâtiment.L’impact des infiltrations d’air sur les performances hygrothermiques d’une paroi est intimement lié à la dispersion de l’air à l’intérieur de celle-ci, mais il y a actuellement un manque d’études et de techniques expérimentales pour la déterminer. Une nouvelle méthode a donc été développée, à savoir l’utilisation de microparticules de fluorescéine comme traceur à l’intérieur des isolants. L’établissement de cartographies de la concentration en fluorescéine a permis d’étudier l’impact de certains paramètres tels que la vitesse d’air, le matériau isolant ou encore la géométrie sur les infiltrations d’air, et a mis en évidence des phénomènes tels que l’apparition de lames d’air entre les composants de la paroi. Par ailleurs un modèle du transport des particules de fluorescéine a été développé et couplé à un modèle CFD pour des analyses plus fines du chemin de l’air.Enfin, une étude de cas a été effectuée sur des parois simplifiées afin de comparer les différentes méthodes expérimentales, de vérifier leur applicabilité à l’étude du chemin de l’air, et d’obtenir des données pour la validation de modèles numériques. La dispersion de l’air en entrée/sortie de l’isolant a été étudiée par thermographie infrarouge et PIV. Le chemin de l’air à l’intérieur de l’isolant a lui été étudié par 3 techniques : des mesures de température avec des thermocouples ; d’humidité relative avec des capteurs capacitifs SHT 75 ; et l’utilisation de microparticules de fluorescéine. Les avantages et inconvénients de chaque méthode ont été identifiés pour aider à sélectionner la plus adaptée pour de futures études. / Poor airtightness in buildings can lead to an over-consumption of energy and to many issues such as moisture damage and poor indoor climate. The timber frame constructions are particularly subject to air leakage and further knowledge in this field is needed to meet the regulation requirements tightened by the development of low-energy and passive houses. This study focuses on the impact of air infiltration on the buildings’ performance, both at the building and the wall assembly scales.The air infiltration through the envelope can disrupt the proper functioning of mechanical ventilation and increase the global energy load. This issue was first investigated numerically at the building scale on a wide range of housing and weather conditions. Simplified models working across the whole airtightness spectrum were established for the inclusion of natural infiltration in buildings’ total ventilation rate calculations. The airtightness was then considered at a smaller scale with the experimental characterization of timber frame wall assemblies, components and construction details, in particular with an original test set-up built for this purpose. A number of pressurization tests enabled to quantify the additional leakage air flow induced by specific airtightness defects and may be of use for building scale numerical simulations.The impact of air infiltration on the hygro-thermal performance of a wall is closely linked to the air dispersion inside it, but there is a lack of experimental studies and methods for the air path investigation. A new technique has therefore been developed, consisting in an innovative use of fluorescein micro-particles as tracer inside the insulation material. It was first applied to specific configurations: straight/angled air channels in contact with porous media. A simple analysis of the fluorescein concentration mappings enabled to investigate the impact of parameters such as the flow velocity, the insulation material and the geometry on the air infiltration in the glass wool, and gave evidences of phenomena such as the appearance of thin air gaps between the components of the wall. A fluorescein transport model was developed and coupled to a CFD model for finer analysis.Finally a case study on simple wall assemblies was carried out to compare experimental techniques, to verify their applicability to the air path study and to provide data for possible numerical model validation. The air dispersion at the inlet/outlet of the insulation was studied with both infrared thermography and the PIV. The air path inside the insulation layer was investigated using three experimental approaches: a temperature monitoring with thermocouples; a relative humidity monitoring with capacitive sensors SHT 75; and the use of fluorescein tracer micro-particles. The respective benefits and limitations of the various methods were identified to help in the selection of the most appropriate one for further studies.

Les Installations de Stockage des Déchets Non Dangereux modernes nécessitent pour satisfaire les enjeux environnementaux, sanitaire et / ou économiques une gestion contrôlée des effluents liquides et gazeux. Le travail réalisé dans cette thèse porte sur la compréhension et la modélisation numérique des phénomènes de transferts de fluides avec une attention particulière pour les différents procédés mis en oeuvre durant l'exploitation des sites (injection de liquide, récupération de liquide et gaz). Pour chacune des trois applications étudiées, les phénomènes physiques majeurs sont identifiés ainsi que les échelles de temps et d'espace associées de manière à pouvoir proposer des versions simplifiées d'un modèle général. Ceci permet en particulier de renseigner ces modèles par des données principalement expérimentales. Un attachement particulier est porté au caractère hétérogène et déformable du matériau déchet. La description fine de l'injection de lixiviat nécessite une description de type double milieu associée à un modèle d'écoulements préférentiels. Ce type d'écoulement est peu favorable à une augmentation de l'humidité du milieu en conditions gravitaires. Concernant le pompage, le milieu semble réagir comme un milieu homogène mais un comportement hystérétique spécifique au matériau est mis en évidence. Enfin, la prise en compte de la déformabilité du déchet conduit à la prédiction d'une structure d'écoulement originale lors du captage de biogaz. / Modern Municipal Solid Waste landfills require, in order to satisfy the environmental, sanitary and / or economical stakes, a controlled management of liquid and gaseous flows. This thesis work concerns the understanding and numerical modelling of fluid transfers considering especially various processes used during landfill site exploitation (liquid injection, liquid and gas recovery). For each of the three studied operational procedures, the major physical phenomena are identified as well as the time and space scales in order to define a simplified version of a general model. These choices aim at reducing the number of fitting parameters and at using mostly experimental characteristics. Particular attention is drawn towards the heterogeneous and deformable nature of waste material. The fine description of leachate injection requires a double medium description associated with a preferential flow model. The resulting flow behaviour makes difficult the increase in moisture content under gravitary conditions. For the pumping operation, the medium seems to have a homogeneous response. However, a specific hysteretic behaviour of the material is demonstrated. Finally, the consideration of waste deformability leads to the prediction of an original flow structure during the recovery of biogas.