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The overall goal of this dissertation is to determine and develop optimal strategies for inversely calibrating transmissivities (T), elastic and inelastic skeletal storage coefficients (Ske and Skv) of the developed-zone aquifer and conductance (CR) of the basin-fill faults for the entire Las Vegas basin, and to investigate future trends of land subsidence in Las Vegas Valley. This dissertation consists of three separate stand-alone chapters. Chapter 2 presents a discrete adjoint parameter estimation (APE) algorithm for automatically identifying suitable hydraulic parameter zonations from hydraulic head and subsidence measurements. Chapter 3 compares three different inversion strategies to determine the most accurate and computationally efficient method for estimating T and Ske and Skv at the basin scale: the zonation method (ZM), the adaptive multi-scale method and the Differential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis Markov chain Monte Carlo scheme (DREAM MCMC). Chapter 4 outlines a fine-scale numerical model capable of capturing far more hydrologic detail than any previously developed model of Las Vegas Valley The new model is calibrated using high-resolution InSAR data and hydraulic head data from 1912 to 2010. The calibrated model is used to investigate the influence of faults and their potential role on influencing clay thicknesses and land subsidence distributions, and to investigate future trends of land subsidence in Las Vegas Valley. / Ph. D.

Motivé par l'étude de tissus biologiques, ce travail contribue aux développements d'outils numériques permettant de prédire la réponse mécanique de matériaux hétérogènes non linéaires dans lesquels les énergies d'interfaces deviennent prépondérantes. Ainsi, une méthode d'homogénéisation multi échelle combinée à une technique de réduction de modèle basée sur la décomposition orthogonale aux valeurs propres est proposée dans un cadre thermique et hyperélastique. Les énergies d'interfaces entre les différentes phases des composites sont décrites par un modèle d'interface cohérent et prises en compte numériquement par une approche liant la méthode des éléments finis étendus et la méthode level-set. Une étude de l'étalement d'une cellule vivante entre deux lamelles fixes est ensuite réalisée. Les deux modèles utilisés pour les simulations montrent que l'assemblage cortex d'actine-membrane plasmique ne joue qu'un rôle minime dans la réponse mécanique cellulaire / Motivated by the study of biological tissues, this work contributes to developing numerical tools to predict the mechanical response of nonlinear heterogeneous materials in which the energies of interfaces can no longer be ignored. First, a computational homogenization strategy combined with a model reduction technique based on the proper orthogonal decomposition is implemented in the cases of large elastic deformations and highly nonlinear conduction. The interfaces between the different phases of a composite are described by means of a coherent interface model and taken into account numerically by an extended finite element method in tandem with a level-set technique. Finally, experimental results of single cell spreading between two fixed parallel microplates are exploited through finite element modelling. Our two models show that the bilayer membrane and the actin cortex do not play a significant role in the cell mechanical response

Certaines applications industrielles nécessitent des niveaux d’étanchéité exceptionnels pour permettre la réalisation d’un vide poussé ou pour répondre à des enjeux de sécurité radiologique par exemple. Ces niveaux de haute étanchéité statique sur des assemblages démontables sont obtenus à l’aide de joints entièrement métalliques. La fuite résultante de l’assemblage n’est due qu’à la persistance d’un champ des ouvertures à l’interface entre le joint d’étanchéité et la bride d’assemblage, conséquence d’un contact imparfait entre les deux surfaces rugueuses. Le champ des ouvertures à l’interface de contact est assimilable à une fracture rugueuse hétérogène, de nature multi-échelle, et peut en principe être obtenu par un calcul de déformations mécaniques préalable. Dans ce travail, on s’intéressera plus particulièrement à l’écoulement gazeux raréfié dans le régime glissant au sein de cette fracture. Pour les régimes modérément raréfiés,l’écoulement est modélisé par l’équation de Reynolds faiblement compressible avec correction de glissement de premier ordre aux parois que l’on développe. On effectue ensuite un changement d’échelle par la méthode de la prise de moyenne volumique, permettant d’établir un modèle macroscopique d’écoulement à l’échelle d’un élément représentatif, où le débit massique est relié au gradient de pression via le tenseur de transmissivité. Celui-ci, caractéristique de l’élément représentatif de fracture, est calculé par résolution d’un problème de fermeture et est dépendant de la microstructure ainsi que du libre parcours moyen représentatif sur l’élément. Pour remonter à l’écoulement dans l’ensemble de la fracture, hétérogène à cette échelle, celle-ci est subdiviséeen pavés sur chacun desquels est calculé un tenseur de transmissivité local par la méthode sus-citée. Ensuite, l’écoulement dans ce champ de tenseurs est résolu par une méthode des éléments finis de frontière, donnant la transmissivité apparente glissante du joint dans son ensemble. Cette approche à deux échelles, vue comme outil d’aide à la conception, permet une réduction de la complexité de calcul par rapport à une simulation directe, rendant possible une analyse plus efficace du comportement d’un système d’étanchéité. Pour valider l’utilisation du modèle de glissement d’un point de vue macroscopique et s’affranchir des incertitudes sur le calcul de déformation mécanique, des puces nanofluidiques de type réseau hétérogène de canaux droits sont fabriquées par photolithographie par niveaux de gris. Des essais expérimentaux de mesure de fuite sont réalisés sur ces géométries modèles, représentant des joints idéalisés. Ces essais sont effectués en appliquant une forte différence de pression d’hélium par utilisation d’un spectromètre de masse mesurant la fuite, produisant une condition de vide en sortie de puce.Selon les puces, les régimes de raréfaction atteints vont alors du régime glissant au régime moléculaire. Le débit de fuite mesuré est alors supérieur à celui prédit par le modèle de premier ordre, l’écart restant inférieur à un ordre de grandeur quel que soit le régime / Some industrial applications require exceptional sealing levels to maintain ultra-high vacuumconditions or for radiological safety concerns for example. Such high performance static sealingconditions on mechanical assemblies are reached using entirely metallic gaskets. The resultingleak-rate is only due to the persistence of an aperture field at the seal-flange interface,consequence of a non-ideal contact between the two rough surfaces. This aperture field can beviewed as a rough and heterogeneous fracture, of multi-scale nature, and can be obtained by aprior contact mechanics computation. In this work, we are interested on the rarefied flow of a gasin this fracture, drawing our attention to the slip regime. For such moderately rarefied regime, theflow is described by the slightly compressible Reynolds equation with a first-order slip-flowcorrection at the walls, which we develop. Using the method of volume averaging, an upscalingprocedure is performed to derive the macroscopic flow model at the scale of a representativeelement, and where the mass flow rate is related to the pressure gradient by the transmissivitytensor. This latter is characteristic of the representative fracture element and is obtained by solvingan auxiliary closure problem which depends on the micro-structure as well as the representativemean free path on the element. To compute the flow in the whole fracture, heterogeneous at thisscale, it is subdivided in tiles on which a transmissivity tensor is locally computed by theaforementioned method. Then, the flow problem in this tensor field is solved using a boundaryelement method, leading to the apparent slip-corrected transmissivity of the entire aperture field.This two-scale approach is a conception tool which reduces the overall complexity with respect toa direct numerical simulation, allowing a more efficient analysis of the behavior of a sealingassembly. To validate the use of slip models at the macroscopic level and to eliminate theuncertainties of the contact mechanics computation, nanofluidic chips composed ofheterogeneous network of straight channels are fabricated using a grayscale photolithographytechnique. Experimental measurements of the leak-rate are performed on these idealizedgeometries that mimic a seal assembly. They are realized by applying a strong helium pressuredifference on the chip using a mass spectrometer to measure the leak, which produces a nearvacuum condition at the outlet. Depending of the chip, the rarefaction regime ranges from slip tofree-molecular. The measured leak-rate is greater than predicted by the first order model, thoughbeing of the same order of magnitude whatever the regime

There are two big challenges which restrict the extensive application of fully coupled geomechanics-reservoir modeling. The first challenge is computational effort. Consider a 3-D simulation combining pressure and heat diffusion, elastoplastic mechanical response, and saturation changes; each node has at least 5 degrees of freedom, each leading to a separate equation. Furthermore, regions of large p, T and σ′ gradients require small-scale discretization for accurate solutions, greatly increasing the number of equations. When the rock mass surrounding the reservoir region is included, it is represented by many elements or nodes. These factors mean that accurate analysis of realistic 3-D problems is challenging, and will so remain as we seek to solve larger and larger coupled problems involving nonlinear responses. To overcome the first challenge, the displacement discontinuity method is introduced wherein a large-scale 3-D case is divided into a reservoir region where Δp, ΔT and non-linear effects are critical and analyzed using FEM, and an outside region in which the reservoir is encased where Δp and ΔT effects are inconsequential and the rock may be treated as elastic, analyzed with a 3D displacement discontinuity formulation. This scheme leads to a tremendous reduction in the degrees of freedom, yet allows for reasonably rigorous incorporation of the reactions of the surrounding rock. The second challenge arises from some forms of numerical instability. There are actually two types of sharp gradients implied in the transient advection-diffusion problem: one is caused by the high Peclet numbers, the other by the sharp gradient which appears during the small time steps due to the transient solution. The way to eliminate the spurious oscillations is different when the sharp gradients are induced by the transient evolution than when they are produced by the advective terms, and existing literature focuses mainly on eliminating the spurious spatial temperature oscillations caused by advection-dominated flow. To overcome the second challenge, numerical instability sources are addressed by introducing a new stabilized finite element method, the subgrid scale/gradient subgrid scale (SGS/GSGS) method.

There are two big challenges which restrict the extensive application of fully coupled geomechanics-reservoir modeling. The first challenge is computational effort. Consider a 3-D simulation combining pressure and heat diffusion, elastoplastic mechanical response, and saturation changes; each node has at least 5 degrees of freedom, each leading to a separate equation. Furthermore, regions of large p, T and σ′ gradients require small-scale discretization for accurate solutions, greatly increasing the number of equations. When the rock mass surrounding the reservoir region is included, it is represented by many elements or nodes. These factors mean that accurate analysis of realistic 3-D problems is challenging, and will so remain as we seek to solve larger and larger coupled problems involving nonlinear responses. To overcome the first challenge, the displacement discontinuity method is introduced wherein a large-scale 3-D case is divided into a reservoir region where Δp, ΔT and non-linear effects are critical and analyzed using FEM, and an outside region in which the reservoir is encased where Δp and ΔT effects are inconsequential and the rock may be treated as elastic, analyzed with a 3D displacement discontinuity formulation. This scheme leads to a tremendous reduction in the degrees of freedom, yet allows for reasonably rigorous incorporation of the reactions of the surrounding rock. The second challenge arises from some forms of numerical instability. There are actually two types of sharp gradients implied in the transient advection-diffusion problem: one is caused by the high Peclet numbers, the other by the sharp gradient which appears during the small time steps due to the transient solution. The way to eliminate the spurious oscillations is different when the sharp gradients are induced by the transient evolution than when they are produced by the advective terms, and existing literature focuses mainly on eliminating the spurious spatial temperature oscillations caused by advection-dominated flow. To overcome the second challenge, numerical instability sources are addressed by introducing a new stabilized finite element method, the subgrid scale/gradient subgrid scale (SGS/GSGS) method.

La modélisation des défauts de planéité apparaissant en ligne en laminage à froid des tôles minces est abordée comme un problème de flambage de tôles minces sous contraintes résiduelles. Celles-ci sont les contraintes engendrées au-delà de l'emprise par le laminage lui-même. Pour cela, un modèle de flambage et post-flambage de tôle (forme, amplitude, contraintes) fondé sur la méthode multi-échelle de Damil et Potier-Ferry, et nommé MSBM pour Multi-Scale Based Method, a été développé. En entrée, on y introduit une carte de contraintes post-emprise venant d'un calcul de laminage. Les hypothèses simplificatrices du modèle de flambement permettent de ramener sa résolution à un ensemble de problèmes éléments finis 1D, mais de ce fait restreignent l'analyse aux défauts de type bord long ou centre long. Dans sa version découplée, ce modèle a été comparé avec succès à des résultats de la littérature. Il permet d'effectuer des études paramétriques d'intérêt pratique, comme l'influence du frottement ou de la force de contre-flexion des cylindres sur l'état de contrainte et la géométrie de la tôle.Dans un second temps, ce modèle est introduit comme modèle de flambage intégré dans le logiciel éléments finis de laminage Lam3/Tec3. Comme dans le modèle précédent implémenté par Abdelkhalek en 2010, MSBM calcule un champ de déformation lié spécifiquement aux déplacements hors-plan caractérisant le flambage, champ de déformation qui est ajouté à la décomposition élastique – plastique et réactualisé à chaque itération du calcul éléments finis. Des comparaisons ont été effectuées avec les deux modèles couplés précédemment implantés par Abdelkhalek. Elles montrent les insuffisances du présent modèle de flambage, unidirectionnel, qui ne permet pas de traiter toutes ensemble les diverses instabilités, d'orientations différentes, qui ont lieu après la sortie d'emprise et se révèlent fortement couplées entre elles. Des pistes d'amélioration sont proposées en conséquence. / Modelling of on line manifest flatness defects in thin strip cold rolling is addressed as a problem of buckling under residual stresses. The latter are stresses built beyond the roll bite by the rolling process itself. To this aim, a buckling / post buckling model has been developed, giving strip shape, amplitude and stresses, based on Damil and Potier-Ferry's method and hereafter named MSBM like Multi-Scale Based Method. Its input is a post-bite stress map computed by a rolling model. Simplifications of the buckling model make it amenable to a series of 1D FEM solutions, but restrict its application to simple flatness defects such as wavy edges or wavy centre. In a decoupled version, it has been successfully compared with literature results. It allows parametric studies of practical interest, such as the influence of friction or work roll bending force on post-buckled strip shape and stress.In a second stage, this model is implemented as the internal buckling model in the FEM software Lam3/Tec3. As the previous one, implemented by Abdelkhalek in 2010, MSBM computes a strain field strictly due to the out-of-plane displacement which characterizes buckling. This strain field is introduced into the elastic – plastic decomposition and updated at each iteration of the finite element computation. Comparisons have been performed with the two models previously coupled to Lam3/Tec3 by Abdelkhalek. They show the limits of the present unidirectional buckling model, which cannot deal with all instabilities together, which have different orientations and take place after roll bite exit, which furthermore prove to be strongly interacting. Ideas for future generalization of the coupled model are proposed accordingly.

La simulation numérique des écoulements turbulents en aérodynamique est très complexe. Elle consiste en l'étude de l'interaction entre un fluide et un profilimmergé. On observe à la surface du profil une zone de vitesse ralentie, nommée couche limite. L'étude fine de la couche limite est primordiale pour la résolution précise de l'écoulement. Elle nécessite de ce fait un maillage particulièrement fin et structuré. Nous proposons une procédure automatique permettant de générer un maillage adapté pour la résolution précise de la couche limite en accord avec la théorie et les caractéristiques physiques de l'écoulement. De plus, afin de décrire l'écoulement turbulent dans toute sa complexité à moindres coûts, nous proposons de combiner le maillage couche limite à une méthode d’adaptation de maillage dynamique.A cet effet, nous avons utilisé une version avancée de l'adaptation de maillagesur l'erreur a posteriori basée sur les arêtes et développé une méthode permettant à la fois de conserver la structure et le raffinement dans la couche limite mais également de décrire précisément les recirculations et le sillage. La nouvelle méthode d'adaptation volume-couche limite a été validée sur des cas2D et 3D à géométries complexes. Les résultats mettent en relief le potentiel decette approche et ouvre des perspectives intéressantes pour l'adaptation de maillage en mécanique des fluides. / Numerical simulation of turbulent aerodynamics flows remains challenging. Such fluid-structure interaction problem involves generally a thin layer close to the wall where the fluid is slow down, called boundary layer. This latter requires a carefull study of the boundary layer since it is crucial regarding the accuracyof the complete flow computation. Therefore, a fine and structured mesh is needed close to the wall. In this work, we propose a novel automatic procedure to build a correct boundary layer mesh according to the theory and the flow parameters. Moreover, in order to describe exactly the behaviour of the flow on the whole domain, the boundary layer mesh is combined with a dynamic mesh adaptation method.It follows an advanced version of the edge based mesh adaptation method. Combined together, they ensure a fine and structured mesh in the boundarylayer while all the flow vortices are accurately resolved. This new method, called boundary-volume mesh adaptation, has been validated on several 2D and 3Dtest cases with complex geometries. Results emphasises the capacity ofthe approach and offer opportunities of improvement for numerical fluid mechanics mesh adaptation.

Les simulations en mécanique du solide présentent des difficultés comme le traitement de l'incompressibilité ou les non-linéarités dues aux grandes déformations, aux lois de comportement et de contact. L'objectif principal de ce travail est de proposer des méthodes éléments finis capables de gérer l'incompressibilité en grandes déformations en utilisant des éléments de faible ordre. Parmi les approches de la littérature, les formulations mixtes offrent un cadre théorique intéressant. Dans ce travail, une formulation mixte à trois champs (déplacements, pression, gonflement) est introduite. Dans certains cas, cette formulation peut être condensée en formulation à deux champs. Cependant, il est connu que le problème discret obtenu par une approche éléments finis de type Galerkin n'hérite pas automatiquement de la condition de stabilité “inf-sup” du problème continu : les éléments finis utilisés, et notamment les ordres d'interpolation doivent être choisis de sorte à vérifier cette condition de stabilité. Cependant, il est possible de s'affranchir de cette contrainte en ajoutant des termes de stabilisation à la formulation EF Galerkin. Cette approche permet entre autres d'utiliser des ordres d'interpolation égaux. Dans ce travail, des éléments finis stables de type P2/P1 sont utilisés comme référence, et comparés à une formulation P1/P1, stabilisée soit avec une fonction bulle, soit avec une méthode VMS (Variational Multi-Scale) basée sur un espace sous-grille orthogonal à l'espace EF. Combinées à un modèle grandes déformations basé sur des déformations logarithmiques, ces approches sont d'abord validées sur des cas académiques puis sur des cas industriels. / Simulations in solid mechanics exhibit difficulties as dealing with incompressibility or nonlinearities due to finite strains, constitutive laws and contact. The basic motivation of our work is to propose efficient finite element methods capable of dealing with incompressibility in finite strain context, and using low order elements. Among the approaches in the literature, mixed formulations offer an interesting theoretical framework. In this work, a three-field mixed formulation (displacement, pressure, volumetric strain) is investigated. In some cases, this formulation can be condensed in a two-field formulation. However, it is well-known that the discrete problem given by the Galerkin finite element technique, does not inherit the “inf-sup” stability condition from the continuous problem: the finite elements used, and in particular the interpolation orders must be chosen so as to satisfy this stability condition. However, it is possible to circumvent it, by adding terms stabilizing the FE Galerkin formulation. The latter approach allows the use of equal order interpolation. In this work, stable finite elements of type P2/P1 are used as reference, and compared to a P1/P1 formulation, stabilized with a bubble function, or with a VMS method (Variational Multi-Scale) based on a sub-grid-space orthogonal to the FE space. Combined to a finite strain model based on logarithmic strain, these approaches are first validated on academic cases and then on industrial cases.

This research investigates the realization of parametric amplification in superconducting circuits and structures where nonlinearity is provided by Josephson junction (JJ) elements. We aim to develop a systematic analysis over JJ-based devices toward design of novel traveling-wave Josephson parametric amplifiers (TW-JPA). Chapters of this thesis fall into three categories: lumped JPA, superconducting periodic structures and discrete Josephson transmission lines (DJTL). The unbiased Josephson junction (JJ) is a nonlinear element suitable for parametric amplification through a four-photon process. Two circuit topologies are introduced to capture the unique property of the JJ in order to efficiently mix signal, pump and idler signals for the purpose of signal amplification. Closed-form expressions are derived for gain characteristics, bandwidth determination, noise properties and impedance for this kind of parametric power amplifier. The concept of negative resistance in the gain formulation is observed. A design process is also introduced to find the regimes of operation for gain achievement. Two regimes of operation, oscillation and amplification, are highlighted and distinguished in the result section. Optimization of the circuits to enhance the bandwidth is also carried out. Moving toward TW-JPA, the second part is devoted to modelling the linear wave propagation in a periodic superconducting structure. We derive closed-form equations for dispersion and s-parameters of infinite and finite periodic structures, respectively. Band gap formation is highlighted and its potential applications in the design of passive filters and resonators are discussed. The superconducting structures are fabricated using YBCO and measured, illustrating a good correlation with the numerical results. A novel superconducting Transmission Line (TL), which is periodically loaded by Josephson junctions (JJ) and assisted by open stubs, is proposed as a platform to realize a traveling-wave parametric device. Using the TL model, this structure is modeled by a system of nonlinear partial differential equations (PDE) with a driving source and mixed-boundary conditions at the input and output terminals, respectively. This model successfully emulates parametric and nonlinear microwave propagation when long-wave approximation is applicable. The influence of dispersion to sustain three non-degenerate phased-locked waves through the TL is highlighted. A rigorous and robust Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) solver based on the explicit Lax-Wendroff and implicit Crank-Nicolson schemes has been developed to investigate the device responses under various excitations. Linearization of the wave equation, under small-amplitude assumption, dispersion and impedance analysis is performed to explore more aspects of the device for the purpose of efficient design of a traveling-wave parametric amplifier. Knowing all microwave characteristics and identifying different regimes of operation, which include impedance properties, cut-off propagation, dispersive behaviour and shock-wave formation, we exploit perturbation theory accompanied by the method of multiple scale to derive the three nonlinear coupled amplitude equations to describe the parametric interaction. A graphical technique is suggested to find three waves on the dispersion diagram satisfying the phase-matching conditions. Both cases of perfect phase-matching and slight mismatching are addressed in this work. The incorporation of two numerical techniques, spectral method in space and multistep Adams-Bashforth in time domain, is employed to monitor the unilateral gain, superior stability and bandwidth of this structure. Two types of functionality, mixing and amplification, with their requirements are described. These properties make this structure desirable for applications ranging from superconducting optoelectronics to dispersive readout of superconducting qubits where high sensitivity and ultra-low noise operation is required.