Blood is a complex suspension of deformable particles, red blood cells, which exhibits a sophisticated dynamics when flowing in the microvasculature. Most of these complex phenomena, non-linear rheology, structuration of the suspension, heterogeneities of the hematocrit distribution, are directly connected to the rich microscopic dynamics of individual red blood cells, and their hydrodynamics interactions. We investigate a few aspects of the dynamics of red blood cells and giant vesicles - a simple model for RBCs. A study on the dynamics of very deflated vesicles, with shapes similar to those of red blood cells, shows that these objects which haven't received a lot of attention so far can exhibit richer than expected dynamics. We then mainly focus on the still unexplored problem of hydrodynamic interactions between vesicles or red blood cells and their consequences at the scale of the suspension. An experimental study of the interaction of two identical vesicles in shear flow shows that there is a net repulsion between the cells that leads to an increase of the distance between vesicles in a suspension. Scaling arguments are proposed for this interaction and a comparison with numerical results is performed and a quantitative estimation of a shear induced diffusion coefficient obtained by averaging the results for pair interactions is found. Finally, we investigate the diffusion of a cloud of red blood cells in Poiseuille flow in order to directly determine diffusion coefficients. The experiment shows that the cloud widens when traveling along the channel with a power law behaviour indicating sub-diffusion. This effect is confirmed by a theoretical analysis of a few limit cases. / Blood is a complex suspension of deformable particles, red blood cells, which exhibits a sophisticated dynamics when flowing in the microvasculature. Most of these complex phenomena, non-linear rheology, structuration of the suspension, heterogeneities of the hematocrit distribution, are directly connected to the rich microscopic dynamics of individual red blood cells, and their hydrodynamics interactions. We investigate a few aspects of the dynamics of red blood cells and giant vesicles - a simple model for RBCs. A study on the dynamics of very deflated vesicles, with shapes similar to those of red blood cells, shows that these objects which haven't received a lot of attention so far can exhibit richer than expected dynamics. We then mainly focus on the still unexplored problem of hydrodynamic interactions between vesicles or red blood cells and their consequences at the scale of the suspension. An experimental study of the interaction of two identical vesicles in shear flow shows that there is a net repulsion between the cells that leads to an increase of the distance between vesicles in a suspension. Scaling arguments are proposed for this interaction and a comparison with numerical results is performed and a quantitative estimation of a shear induced diffusion coefficient obtained by averaging the results for pair interactions is found. Finally, we investigate the diffusion of a cloud of red blood cells in Poiseuille flow in order to directly determine diffusion coefficients. The experiment shows that the cloud widens when traveling along the channel with a power law behaviour indicating sub-diffusion. This effect is confirmed by a theoretical analysis of a few limit cases.

Une « boue » est constituée de particules submillimétriques immergées dans un fluide. Nous étudions des boues concentrées (ou « pâtes granulaires »), où la concentration en particules est proche du maximum réalisable. Les particules peuvent être plus denses que le fluide, et sédimenter, ou être équilibrées en densité. Ces deux cas sont examinés, à l’aide d’une boue modèle. Nous étudions les écoulements de ces boues dans une cellule de Couette. Les expériences utilisent des méthodes innovantes, permettant de mesurer les vitesses des grains individuellement et collectivement, et les profils de concentration sous cisaillement. Les expériences apportent des informations nouvelles sur les écoulements, comme l’existence de courants de re-circulation. Les résultats sur les vitesses azimutales et concentrations sont en accord avec la théorie de Morris et Boulay d’équilibre des forces normales, pour un rapport convenable des coefficients viscométriques des forces tangentielle et normales. / Wet granular materials are made of solid particles in high concentration, immersed in a viscous fluid. We investigated particle dynamics in a model granular suspension in Couette geometry, at low Reynolds/Taylor numbers for density and non density matched suspension. We used innovated techniques such as: Single Particle Tracking (SPT), Multi Particles Video Trajectography (MPVT) and Concentration Photometry (CP). These experiments allow us to provide information about single and collective motion of grains as well as particle repartition (local volume fraction). We investigated fully 3D velocity profiles in concentrated suspensions, diffusion coefficients, particle fluctuations and recirculation motion, also differential flows. We observe that the flow of non density matched suspensions is localized near the inner cylinder in the low shear rate regime, resulting in a sheared layer only a few particle diameters in thickness, in a way very similar to sheared dry granular materials. At high enough angular velocity, the initially localized flow crosses over to full fluidization: in this regime the granular suspension nearly behaves as a density-matched suspension. Dependence between particles’ velocity and associated fluctuation amplitude is evidenced. Experiments as velocity and concentration profiles were compared with theoretical prediction based on the force balance model and different viscometric laws were investigated for normal and shear forces.

J'ai étudié expérimentalement, à l'échelle de la taille des particules, les mécanismes à l'origine de l'intensification des transferts ayant lieu dans les suspensions cisaillées de particules non-inertielles et non-Browniennes. Dans un premier temps, l'expérience de Taylor est revisitée en étudiant l'évolution d'une goutte de colorant soumise à un cisaillement périodique. Au-delà d'une amplitude critique de déformation, la présence des particules brise la réversibilité du système et induit une forte dispersion de la goutte de colorant. Ensuite, en m'intéressant au transfert en proche paroi, j'ai montré que la rotation des particules sur la paroi induit un transport à flux constant d'un scalaire jusque dans le bulk de la suspension, brisant la couche limite diffusive. Une solution analytique du profil de concentration dans cette zone est proposée, en bon accord avec les expériences. Finalement, des mesures PIV haute résolution du fluide interstitiel dans le bulk de la suspension ont été réalisées. A partir de ces champs de vitesses, on a reconstruit l'historique d'étirement de lignes matérielles du fluide et ainsi déterminé les lois d'étirement, information fondamentale pour la compréhension du processus de mélange. La présence des particules change les lois d'étirement qui passent de linéaires dans un fluide pur, à exponentielles en présence de particules. Un modèle d'étirements multiplicatifs est proposé, qui prédit quantitativement l'évolution de la moyenne, de la variance, et la forme log-normale des distributions d'étirements mesurées expérimentalement. L'inhomogénéité des étirements dans les suspensions cisaillées implique une large distribution du temps de mélange. / Mainly based on experiments, I investigated at a particle scale the mechanisms at the origin of the transfer enhancement in sheared non-Brownian and non-inertial particulate suspensions. First, I revisited Taylor's experiment, investigating the evolution of a drop of dye in a periodic shear. Beyond a critical strain amplitude, the presence of the particles breaks the reversibility of the system and the drop of dye is rapidly dispersed in the surrounding medium. Then, investigating the transfer process in the wall vicinity, I showed that in this region, the rotation of the particles convectively transport a scalar at a constant rate directly from the wall towards the bulk of the suspension, breaking the diffusive boundary layer. An analytical solution for the concentration profile in this region is proposed, in good agreement with experimental measurements. Lastly, high-resolution PIV measurements of the fluid phase were performed in the bulk of the suspension. Using these velocity fields, we reconstructed the stretching histories of fluid material lines to determine the stretching laws, crucial for the understanding of the mixing process. The presence of the particles changes the very nature of the stretching laws from linear, in a pure fluid, to exponential in the presence of particles. A multiplicative stretching model is proposed, which quantitatively predicts the experimentally measured evolution of the mean and the variance of the elongations of the fluid material lines as well as their evolution towards a log-normal distribution. The strong stretching inhomogeneity in sheared suspensions results in a broad distribution of the mixing time.

Cette thèse expérimentale s’inscrit dans le domaine des sciences séparatives et se base sur la technique de SPLITT (SPLIT-flow Thin fractionation). Son objectif consiste en l’étude des mécanismes qui sont à l’origine de la séparation, en continu et sans membrane, d’objets de taille micrométrique dans des mini-séparateurs fluidiques (Step-SPLITT). Les expériences menées, en laboratoire et lors de vols paraboliques, ont révélé le couplage complexe comme l’influence des effets hydrodynamiques et du champ gravitationnel sur la migration transverse des espèces en écoulement. Des visualisations tridimensionnelles par holographie digitale ont corroboré nos résultats et dévoilé des comportements inattendus. Les capacités séparatives des Step-SPLITT ont rendu possible l’analyse et la séparation d’objets biologiques et biomimétiques. Enfin, cette étude complétée par une modélisation tridimensionnelle de l’écoulement nous a permis de mettre au point un nouveau prototype de séparateur. This experimental thesis belongs to the field of separative sciences and is based on the SPLITT technique (SPLIT-flow Thin fractionation). The objective is to study the mechanisms that are at the origin of continuous and membraneless separation of micron-size species in mini fluidic separators (Step-SPLITT). Experiments undertaken in laboratory and during parabolic flights revealed the complex coupling of the hydrodynamic effects and the gravitational field influencing the transverse migration of the flowing species. Three-dimensional visualizations performed by digital holography confirmed our results and disclosed unexpected behaviours. The separation capacities of Step-SPLITT made the analysis and the separation of biological and biomimetic species possible. In addition this study in conjunction with a three-dimensional flow modelling enabled us to develop a new prototype of separator.

Cette thèse expérimentale s’inscrit dans le domaine des sciences séparatives et se base sur la technique de SPLITT (SPLIT-flow Thin fractionation). Son objectif consiste en l’étude des mécanismes qui sont à l’origine de la séparation, en continu et sans membrane, d’objets de taille micrométrique dans des mini-séparateurs fluidiques (Step-SPLITT). Les expériences menées, en laboratoire et lors de vols paraboliques, ont révélé le couplage complexe comme l’influence des effets hydrodynamiques et du champ gravitationnel sur la migration transverse des espèces en écoulement. Des visualisations tridimensionnelles par holographie digitale ont corroboré nos résultats et dévoilé des comportements inattendus. Les capacités séparatives des Step-SPLITT ont rendu possible l’analyse et la séparation d’objets biologiques et biomimétiques. Enfin, cette étude complétée par une modélisation tridimensionnelle de l’écoulement nous a permis de mettre au point un nouveau prototype de séparateur.<p><p>This experimental thesis belongs to the field of separative sciences and is based on the SPLITT technique (SPLIT-flow Thin fractionation). The objective is to study the mechanisms that are at the origin of continuous and membraneless separation of micron-size species in mini fluidic separators (Step-SPLITT). Experiments undertaken in laboratory and during parabolic flights revealed the complex coupling of the hydrodynamic effects and the gravitational field influencing the transverse migration of the flowing species. Three-dimensional visualizations performed by digital holography confirmed our results and disclosed unexpected behaviours. The separation capacities of Step-SPLITT made the analysis and the separation of biological and biomimetic species possible. In addition this study in conjunction with a three-dimensional flow modelling enabled us to develop a new prototype of separator. / Doctorat en sciences appliquées / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished