There is currently a great deal of interest within the aviation community in the design of small, slow-flying but manoeuvrable uninhabited vehicles for reconnaissance, surveillance, and search and rescue operations in urban environments. Inspired by observation of birds, insects, fish and cetaceans, flapping wings are being actively studied in the hope that they may provide greater propulsive efficiencies than propellers and rotors at low Reynolds numbers for such Micro-Air Vehicles (MAVs). Researchers have posited the Strouhal number (combining flapping frequency, amplitude and forward speed) as the parameter controlling flapping wing aerodynamics in cruising flight, although there is conflicting evidence. This thesis explores the effect of flapping frequency and amplitude on forces and wake structures, as well as physical mechanisms leading to optimum propulsive efficiency. Two-dimensional rigid airfoils are considered at Reynolds number 2,000 ??? 40,000. A compressible Navier-Stokes simulation is combined with numerical and analytical potential flow techniques to isolate and evaluate the effect of viscosity, leading and trailing edge vortex separation, and wake vortex dynamics. The wake structures of a plunging airfoil are shown to be sensitive to the flapping frequency independent of the Strouhal number. For a given frequency, the wake of the airfoil exhibits ???vortex lock-in??? as the amplitude of motion is increased, in a manner analogous to an oscillating circular cylinder. This is caused by interaction between the flapping frequency and the ???bluff-body??? vortex shedding frequency apparent even for streamlined airfoils at low Reynolds number. The thrust and propulsive efficiency of a plunging airfoil are also shown to be sensitive to the flapping frequency independent of Strouhal number. This dependence is the result of vortex shedding from the leading edge, and an interaction between the flapping frequency and the time for vortex formation, separation and convection over the airfoil surface. The observed propulsive efficiency peak for a pitching and plunging airfoil is shown to be the result of leading edge vortex shedding at low flapping frequencies (low Strouhal numbers), and high power requirements at large flapping amplitudes (high Strouhal numbers). The efficiency peak is governed by flapping frequency and amplitude separately, rather than the Strouhal number directly.

The interaction of a shock wave with a boundary layer is a classic viscous/inviscid interaction problem that occurs over a wide range of high speed aerodynamic flows. For example, on transonic wings, in supersonic air intakes, in propelling nozzles at offdesign conditions and on deflected controls at supersonic/transonic speeds, to name a few. The transonic interaction takes place at Mach numbers typically between 1.1 and 1.5. On an aerofoil, its existence can cause problems that range from a mild increase in section drag to flow separation and buffeting. In the absence of separation the drag increase is predominantly due to wave drag, caused by a rise in entropy through the interaction. The control of the turbulent interaction as applied to a transonic aerofoil is addressed in this thesis. However, the work can equally be applied to the control of interaction for numerous other occurrences where a shock meets a turbulent boundary layer. It is assumed that, for both swept normal shock and unswept normal shock interactions, as long as the Mach number normal to the shock is the same, then the interaction, and therefore its control, should be the same. Numerous schemes have been suggested to control such interaction. However, they have generally been marred by the drag reduction obtained being negated by the additional drag due to the power requirements, for example the pumping power in the case of mass transfer and the drag of the devices in the case of vortex generators. A system of piezoelectrically controlled flaps is presented for the control of the interaction. The flaps would aeroelastically deflect due to the pressure difference created by the pressure rise across the shock and by piezoelectrically induced strains. The amount of deflection, and hence the mass flow through the plenum chamber, would control the interaction. It is proposed that the flaps will delay separation of the boundary layer whilst reducing wave drag and overcome the disadvantages of previous control methods. Active control can be utilised to optimise the effects of the boundary layer shock wave interaction as it would allow the ability to control the position of the control region around the original shock position, mass transfer rate and distribution. A number of design options were considered for the integration of the piezoelectric ceramic into the flap structure. These included the use of unimorphs, bimorphs and polymorphs, with the latter capable of being directly employed as the flap. Unimorphs, with an aluminium substrate, produce less deflection than bimorphs and multimorphs. However, they can withstand and overcome the pressure loads associated with SBLI control. For the current experiments, it was found that near optimal control of the swept and unswept shock wave boundary layer interactions was attained with flap deflections between 1mm and 3mm. However, to obtain the deflection required for optimal performance in a full scale situation, a more powerful piezoelectric actuator material is required than currently available. A theoretical model is developed to predict the effect of unimorph flap deflection on the displacement thickness growth angles, the leading shock angle and the triple point height. It is shown that optimal deflection for SBLI control is a trade-off between reducing the total pressure losses, which is implied with increasing the triple point height, and minimising the frictional losses.

The scope of this work is the theoretical and computational modeling of the interaction between a Newtonian fluid and a cellular biological medium attached on the surface of a vessel. First and foremost, an extensive and comprehensive review is presented with regard to the available approaches for modeling momentum transfer within cellular biological media, including single-scale-single-phase approaches, Biot's poroelasticity, mixture theory, upscaling methods and multiscale computational equation free methods. Thereafter, at the cellular biological medium level, a theoretical model is developed for the description of momentum transfer within a poroelastic biomaterial, taking into account the interaction between the extracellular fluid and the solid skeleton that consists of cells and extracellular matrix (ECM). A continuum based formulation of momentum transport in a fluid-solid system at the finer spatial scale is used as starting point, and then the method of local spatial averaging with a weight function is implemented in order to establish the partial differential equations that describe the dynamics of fluid flow and matrix deformation at the coarser (macroscopic) spatial scale. In the special case of a homogeneous medium and under certain other conditions, the derived equations become similar to those which are postulated in the theory of interacting continua (mixture theory) and Biot's theory of poroelasticity. At the vessel level, the contribution of this work is twofold. First, a benchmark problem is developed for the validation of numerical methods used to solve problems that involve interactions between a fluid and a poroelastic material. Specifically, an analytical solution is developed for the problem of plane Couette-Poiseuille flow past a poroelastic layer. Second, a computational study is performed for plane Poiseuille flow past and through a semi-elliptical poroelastic biomaterial, which is attached to the surface of a straight vessel. Fluid flow in the clear fluid region is described by the Navier-Stokes equations, and momentum transfer within the biomaterial is described by the upscaled biphasic equations established in this work. The effect of the Reynolds and Darcy number that characterize the flow past and through the biomaterial, respectively, is investigated for obstacles with different configuration with respect to flow (semicircle, oblate semi-ellipse, prolate semi-ellipse). The distribution of the von Mises stress within the biomaterial is determined and, also, the drag and lift forces exerted by the fluid on the biomaterial are calculated. / Στόχος της παρούσας εργασίας είναι η θεωρητική και υπολογιστική μοντελοποίηση της αλληλεπίδρασης μεταξύ ενός Νευτώνειου ρευστού και ενός κυτταρικού βιολογικού υλικού το οποίο βρίσκεται προσκολημμένο στην επιφάνεια ενός αγγείου. Αρχικά παρουσιάζεται μια εκτεταμένη και περιεκτική ανασκόπηση των διαθέσιμων προσεγγίσεων για τη μοντελοποίηση της μεταφοράς ορμής σε κυτταρικά βιολογικά υλικά, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των προσεγγίσεων μιας κλίμακας και μιας φάσης, της θεωρίας ποροελαστικότητας του Biot, της θεωρίας αλληλεπιδρώντων συνεχών, των τεχνικών αλλαγής κλίμακας προς τα άνω, και τέλος, των υπολογιστικών τεχνικών πολλαπλών κλιμάκων χωρις τον ορισμό καταστατικών εξισώσεων. Στην συνέχεια, στο επίπεδο του κυτταρικού βιολογικού υλικού, αναπτύσεται ένα θεωρητικό μοντέλο για την περιγραφή της μεταφοράς ορμής εντός ενός ποροελαστικού υλικού, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη την αλληλεπίδραση μεταξύ του εξωκυτταρικού ρευστού και της στερεής μήτρας που αποτελείται από τα κύτταρα και το δίκτυο εξωκυτταρικών πολυμερών. Ως σημείο εκκίνησης στην μικρότερη κλίμακα παρατήρησης, χρησιμοποιείται μια περιγραφή της μεταφοράς ορμής που βασίζεται σε ένα συνεχές μοντέλο και έπειτα εφαρμόζεται η μέθοδος χωρικής στάθμισης μέσω συνάρτησης βάρους προκειμένου να εξαχθούν οι μερικές διαφορικές εξισώσεις που περιγράφουν την δυναμική της ροής του εξωκυτταρικού ρευστού και της παραμόρφωσης της στερεής μήτρας στην μακροσκοπική κλίμακα. Για την ειδική περίπτωση ενός ομογενούς μέσου και υπό την ισχύ ορισμένων πρόσθετων συνθηκών, οι εξαχθείσες εξισώσεις λαμβάνουν μορφή παρόμοια με αυτή των αντίστοιχων εξισώσεων οι οποίες ισχύουν στην θεωρία αλληλεπιδρώντων συνεχών καθώς και στην θεωρία ποροελαστικότητας του Biot. Στο επίπεδο του αγγείου, η συνεισφορά της παρούσας εργασίας λαμβάνει χώρα σε δύο άξονες. Κατά πρώτον, αναπτύσσεται ένα πρότυπο πρόβλημα το οποίο μπορεί να χρησιμεύσει για την επαλήθευση αριθμητικών μεθόδων που χρησιμοποιούνται για την επίλυση προβλημάτων στα οποία ενέχεται η αλληλεπίδραση ενός ρευστού με ένα ποροελαστικό υλικό. Συγκεκριμένα, εξάγεται μια αναλυτική λύση σε κλειστή μορφή για το πρόβλημα της επίπεδης ροής Couette-Poiseuille μέσα και γύρω από ένα ποροελαστικό στρώμα. Κατά δεύτερον, διεξάγεται μια υπολογιστική μελέτη της επίπεδης ροής Poiseuille μέσα και γύρω από ένα ημιελλειπτικό ποροελαστικό βιολογικό υλικό, το οποίο βρίσκεται προσκολημμένο στην επιφάνεια ενός ευθύγραμμου αγγείου. Στην περιοχή καθαρού ρευστού, η ροή περιγράφεται από τις εξισώσεις Navier-Stokes , ενώ η μεταφορά ορμής εντός του βιολογικού υλικού περιγράφεται με τις εξισώσεις που εξήχθησαν σε αυτή την εργασία μέσω της μεθόδου χωρικής στάθμισης. Η επίδραση των αριθμών Reynolds και Darcy, οι οποίοι χαρακτηρίζουν τη ροή γύρω και μέσα από το βιολογικό υλικό αντίστοιχα, διερευνάται για εμπόδια με διάφορες γωμετρικές διαμορφώσεις (ημικύκλιο, και ημιέλλειψη). Προσδιορίζεται η χωρική κατανομή της τάσης von Mises εντός του βιολογικού υλικού και, επιπρόσθετα, υπολογίζονται η οπισθέλκουσα και η ανυψωτική δύναμη που ασκούνται από το ρευστό στο υλικό.

Ce travail présente les résultats de recherches sur le contrôle d'écoulement dans les liquides diélectriques. L'objectif est d'étudier les potentialités du contrôle d'écoulement au moyen d'actionneurs ElectroHydroDynamiques. La 1re partie de cette thèse est notamment consacrée à l'étude bibliographique générale du contrôle d'écoulement et des techniques disponibles pour la mesure de vitesse de fluide. La méthode PIV est choisie pour caractériser l'écoulement de panache chargé. Cependant la présence d'un champ électrique intense dans un liquide diélectrique remet potentiellement en question l'hypothèse selon laquelle les traceurs suivent fidèlement les mouvements du liquide. Des études théorique et expérimentale permettent de préciser les conditions d'un traceur idéal et de choisir le meilleur type d'ensemencement pour l'huile de silicone. La 2nde partie de ce travail est consacrée à l'étude du contrôle d'écoulement sur un profil d'aile NACA0015 à ultra-bas Reynolds (Re < 5000). Une étude bibliographique présente les stratégies de contrôle d'écoulement autour de profil d'aile ainsi que les types d'actionneurs EHD appliqués aux liquides diélectriques. L'écoulement naturel en champ de vitesse moyen puis instationnaire est caractérisé et comparé à l'écoulement contrôlé. Le calcul de la force à partir d'un bilan de quantité de mouvement (Navier-Stokes), permet d'estimer les efforts hydrodynamiques appliqués par le fluide sur le profil immergé. Des polaires de portance et de traînée sont obtenues et permettent de quantifier l'efficacité de l'actionneur EHD. Enfin, les mécanismes de contrôle sont précisés et mettent en lumière les potentiels et les limites de l'actionneur. / This work presents results of research on flow control in a dielectric liquid. The aim is to demonstrate our ability to control flow by means of ElectroHydroDynamic actuation. The first part of this PhD thesis is dedicated to a general overview of flow control and the methods available for measuring fluid velocity. The PIV method is selected to charaterize the flow of a charged plume. However, the presence of a high electric field in the dielectric liquid might bring into question the validity of using PIV, which is based on the fact that tracers accurately follow fluid movement. Theoretical and experimental studies were performed to find the proper conditions for using an ideal tracer that guarantees the accuracy of velocity measurements. This part enables us to choose the best seeding particle in silicone oil. The second part of this work is devoted to the study of flow control on a NACA0015 wing profile at ultra-low Reynolds numbers (Re < 5000). A bibliographic study presents strategies of flow control around wing profiles and in addition deals with different EHD actuators for dielectric liquids. Mean velocity fields and unsteady velocity fields of baseline flow are characterized and compared to controlled flow. The calculation of force based on the conservation of momentum (Navier-Stokes equations) enables us to estimate the hydrodynamic stresses applied by the fluid to the immersed profile. Lift and drag polarities are obtained to quantify the efficiency of the EHD actuator. Finally, the mechanisms of control are clarified and highlight the potential and limits of the EHD actuator for flow control applications.

Cette thèse porte sur l'étude numérique des fluctuations extrêmes de la force de traînée exercée par un écoulement turbulent sur un corps immergé.Ce type d'évènement, très rare, est difficile à caractériser par le biais d'un échantillonnage direct, puisqu'il est alors nécessaire de simuler l'écoulement sur des durées extrêmement longues. Cette thèse propose une approche différente, basée sur l'application d'algorithmes d'échantillonnage d'événements rares. L'objectif de ces algorithmes, issus de la physique statistique, est de modifier la statistique d'échantillonnage des trajectoires d'un système dynamique, de manière à favoriser l'occurrence d'événements rares. Si ces techniques ont été appliquées avec succès dans le cas de dynamiques relativement simples, l'intérêt de ces algorithmes n'est à ce jour pas clair pour des dynamiques déterministes extrêmement complexes, comme c'est le cas pour les écoulement turbulents.Cette thèse présente tout d'abord une étude de la dynamique et de la statistique associée aux fluctuations extrêmes de la force de traînée sur un obstacle carré fixe immergé dans un écoulement turbulent à deux dimensions. Ce cadre simplifié permet de simuler la dynamique sur des durées très longues, permettant d'échantillonner un grand nombre de fluctuations dont l'amplitude est assez élevée pour être qualifiée d'extrême.Dans un second temps, l'application de deux algorithmes d’échantillonnage est présentée et discutée.Dans un premier cas, il est illustré qu'une réduction significative du temps de calcul d'extrêmes peut être obtenue. En outre, des difficultés liées à la dynamique de l'écoulement sont mises en lumière, ouvrant la voie au développement de nouveaux algorithmes spécifiques aux écoulements turbulents. / This thesis discusses the numerical simulation of extreme fluctuations of the drag force acting on an object immersed in a turbulent medium.Because such fluctuations are rare events, they are particularly difficult to investigate by means of direct sampling. Indeed, such approach requires to simulate the dynamics over extremely long durations.In this work an alternative route is introduced, based on rare events algorithms.The underlying idea of such algorithms is to modify the sampling statistics so as to favour rare trajectories of the dynamical system of interest.These techniques recently led to impressive results for relatively simple dynamics. However, it is not clear yet if such algorithms are useful for complex deterministic dynamics, such as turbulent flows.This thesis focuses on the study of both the dynamics and statistics of extreme fluctuations of the drag experienced by a square cylinder mounted in a two-dimensional channel flow.This simple framework allows for very long simulations of the dynamics, thus leading to the sampling of a large number of events with an amplitude large enough so as they can be considered extreme.Subsequently, the application of two different rare events algorithms is presented and discussed.In the first case, a drastic reduction of the computational cost required to sample configurations resulting in extreme fluctuations is achieved.Furthermore, several difficulties related to the flow dynamics are highlighted, paving the way to novel approaches specifically designed to turbulent flows.

O escoamento líquido-líquido, em especial o escoamento óleo-água, vem atraindo a atenção de pesquisadores devido à alta demanda pelo combustível fóssil no atual cenário petrolífero mundial e nacional. Os desafios tecnológicos colocados pelas descobertas de reservas de óleos pesados e altamente viscosos consideram, em especial, a preocupação por minimizar as perdas energéticas nas linhas. Emulsões inversas ou dispersões óleo-em-água, na qual o óleo se encontra disperso de maneira uniforme em água, caracteriza-se pela baixa viscosidade aparente, tornando-se um tipo de emulsão desejável em algumas etapas do transporte de petróleo. Esses fatos tornam essencial o estudo deste tipo de padrão para o dimensionamento e operação ótima de dutos de produção de petróleo. Contudo, não existe ainda um número abrangente de trabalhos sobre padrão disperso líquido-líquido, ao comparar com escoamento em fases separadas. Trabalhos sobre dispersões têm reportado redução de atrito sem a adição de substâncias químicas em regime turbulento. No entanto, não há ainda um entendimento satisfatório do fenômeno. Na maioria dos trabalhos, sendo quase todos realizados com óleos leves e pouco viscosos, a redução é reportada em dispersões água-em-óleo, com escassos trabalhos reportando o fenômeno em dispersões óleo-em-água. A pesquisa realizada tratou do estudo experimental e teórico de dispersões óleo-em-água em tubulações. O escoamento foi caracterizado a partir da obtenção de dados de holdup, gradiente de pressão por fricção, distribuição das fases e padrão de escoamento. Uma teoria foi proposta para explicar a redução de atrito detectada neste trabalho, baseada na existência de um filme fino de água que escoa em contato com a parede do tubo, a baixos números de Reynolds, evitando o contato direto do núcleo turbulento (mistura bifásica) com a parede do tubo. O referido filme líquido foi detectado e quantificado utilizando-se técnica visual. Além disso, um modelo dinâmico baseado na teoria de lubrificação hidrodinâmica foi desenvolvido como tentativa de explicar a formação do filme líquido parietal no escoamento turbulento de dispersões óleo-água. / Liquid-liquid flow, especially oil-water flow, has attracted the attention of researchers due to the high demand for petroleum in the current global scenario. The discovery of reserves of heavy and highly viscous oils creates new challenges which are mainly concerned with reducing the significant pressure drop in pipes. Inverse emulsion or oil-in-water dispersions in which the oil is dispersed in water is characterized by its low effective viscosity, making it a desirable type of emulsion in some steps of oil production. These facts make the study of dispersed liquid-liquid flow essential for the design and optimal operation of oil pipelines. However, the studies on such flow pattern are scanty in comparison to those on separate flows, as stratified and annular flow patterns. Drag reduction in oil-water turbulent flow without the addition of any chemical substance has been reported in some studies. This phenomenon has received increasing attention in recent years, because there is not a satisfactory understanding of its dynamics yet. Most studies, almost all using light oils, report drag reduction in dispersion of water-in-oil, with few studies reporting the phenomenon in oil-in-water dispersions. This research comprises an experimental and theoretical study on oil-in-water dispersions in pipes. Pressure gradient, holdup, phase distribution and flow patterns data were obtained to characterize the two-phase flow. A theory was proposed to explain the drag reduction detected in this work, based on the existence of a thin water film flowing in contact with the pipe wall at low Reynolds numbers, avoiding contact between the turbulent core (mixture) and the pipe wall. The liquid film was detected and quantified using visual technique. In addition, a dynamic model based on the hydrodynamic lubrication theory was developed as an attempt to explain the formation of the liquid film.

Ce travail porte sur la modélisation de la formation et la dispersion d'un nuage de gouttes, par déconfinement d'un liquide: agression extérieure ou situation accidentelle. Le but est la construction d'un modèle apte à reproduire simultanément les conditions génératrices de la formation du nuage et l'évolution de ce nuage dans le temps (dispersion). La principale difficulté réside en la différence des modèles adaptés à la description d'écoulements caractérisant chaque étape du phénomène global : modèle d'écoulement multiphasique à phases compressibles (milieux continus) initialement, puis fragmentation et formation du nuage de gouttes dispersées dans une phase porteuse (modèle d'écoulements dilués). En l'absence de modèle analytique unique apte à décrire l'ensemble de ces processus, on propose une approche originale pour réaliser un couplage effectif entre ces deux modèles. La problématique de formation et de dispersion de liquide implique la prise en compte de plusieurs phénomènes physiques: fragmentation, transferts de chaleur et de masse ainsi que la traînée entre les phases. Ces différents phénomènes sont introduits dans le modèle global via des termes d'interactions présents dans les systèmes d'équations. La construction de ce modèle complet à permis la réalisation de calculs décrivant la formation et la dispersion d'un nuage de gouttes pouvant intervenir lors de situations accidentelles sur des sites industriels par exemple. / This work focuses on modeling the formation and the dispersion of a cloud of droplets, induced by ejection of a liquid, resulting from an external aggression or an accidental situation. The goal is to build a model able to reproduce simultaneously the conditions which generate the cloud formation and the cloud evolution in time (dispersion). The main difficulty lies in the differences between the already existing models adapted to the description of flows which are able to characterize each stage of the global phenomenon: initially a multiphase flow model with compressible phases (Continuum), then the atomization and the formation of a cloud of droplets dispersed in a carrier phase (dilute flow model). We propose a new approach to achieve an effective coupling between these two models. The problem of the formation and the dispersion of the liquid requires to take into account several physical phenomena: atomization, heat and mass transfers and drag between phases. These phenomena are included in the global model through interaction terms involved in the systems of equations. The construction of this model has permited the realization of calculations describing the formation and dispersion of a cloud of droplets which may occur during, for axample, in accidental situations at industrial sites.

The aim of this study is to investigate how five boys in grade 3 of compulsory school structure and use language when they write narrative texts retelling and assessing personally experienced events. This is studied by interpreting how the boys use genre steps that are typical of the structure of personal narrative texts and by detecting and naming different linguistic features in the texts. The material in the study consists of five boys’personal reports and the method, which is based on the theories of genre pedagogy (see Johansson &amp; Sandell Ring 2012:28ff, 223f), comes from systemic functional linguistics. A central finding of the study is that the boys structure their texts in varying combinations of genre steps which commonly occur in texts of a narrative kind. Another central finding is that the language in the boys’ texts consists of many verbs and verb groups which explain that someone is acting or doing something, different discourse connectives to indicate time, along with expressions for emotions and descriptions of experiences or objects.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The project was conducted on a small-scale catchment at Goedertrou in the Riebeek- Kasteel district. The focus of this study was to address some of the hydrological processes active in the research catchment, namely infiltration, run-off and sediment mobilisation on different soil types. It was done to investigate the origin of Berg River pollutants. To answer the overall question about what influence the natural salt load of the Berg River, a number of subprojects have been identified, one of which is to understand the hydrological processes in the soil mantle and vadose zone. Hence, the study aimed to answer the research questions mentioned and discussed in section 1.3 of Chapter 1. Considering the results, it could be suggested that decayed root systems from the rows of plants, soil cracks, small channels and openings created by small animals, as well as slope orientation and, therefore, soil composition, all played a major role in influencing the ability of the soil to absorb the simulated rainfall. In this study, the factors that influenced run-off are micro topography, soil moisture, root system, animal activities in soil profile, soil crack dimensions and the hydraulic conductivity. The main factors that played a major role to influence sediments mobilisation are strongly believed to be the micro topography within the ring, slope gradient and length, vegetation cover and rainfall-simulation intensity. After using different techniques, the results show that farmers must be aware that with storm rainfall, particles smaller than 65 μm are subject to mobilisation. It is important to let land-users know that they need proper and appropriate methods for land-use. / South Africa

La fréquence des opérations de maintenance lors de l’excavation du sol par les tunneliers est problématique pour les entreprises de travaux publics. Ces opérations de maintenance engendrent des temps morts onéreux et nécessitent l'intervention d'opérateurs dans des conditions de travail hyperbares. Une des raisons aux nombreuses interventions humaines pour la maintenance est l’endommagement des outils racleurs du sol excavé (dents) qui sont placés sur la tête du tunnelier. Ces outils sont sujets à l’usure compte tenu de l’abrasivité des différents milieux qu’ils rencontrent. Le but de cette thèse est de contribuer à augmenter d’au moins 20% la durée de vie des matériaux constitutifs de ces outils, afin de réduire les différentes opérations de maintenance qui exposent les opérateurs à des risques importants. Pour atteindre cet objectif, les investigations menées dans ce travail ont porté sur plusieurs axes. Dans un premier temps, une expertise est menée pour identifier les modes d’endommagement prédominants sur les inserts à base de carbure de tungstène placés sur les dents ; ensuite, de nouveaux matériaux avec des propriétés mécaniques et des microstructures optimisées, développés dans le cadre du projet européen NeTTUN, sont caractérisés sur des bancs d’essais représentatifs. Ces essais ont permis de bien comprendre les mécanismes d’usure des nouveaux matériaux à base de carbure de tungstène. Les résultats de ce travail peuvent ensuite donner lieu à de nouvelles orientations en matière de choix de matériaux pour renforcer les dents de tunnelier. / The frequency of maintenance operations during the excavation of the ground by the tunnel boring machines (TBM) is problematic for civil engineering companies. These maintenance operations provoke expensive timeouts and they bring in excavation operators in risky hyperbaric work conditions. One of the reasons which leads to the numerous human interventions for the maintenance is the damage of drag bits located on the cutting wheel of the TBM. These drag bits undergo wear due to the abrasiveness of the various media they meet. The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to increase by 20 % at least the lifetime of the materials of the dag bits, in order to reduce the various maintenance operations which expose the operators to important risks. To achieve this goal, the investigations led in this work concerned several axes. At first, an expertise is led to identify the wear modes prevailing on the carbide inserts located on the drag bits; then, new materials with enhanced mechanical properties and optimized microstructures, developed in the framework of the European project NeTTUN, are characterized on representative lab testing devices. These tests allowed us to understand well the wear mechanisms of the newly developed grades of tungsten carbides. The results of this work can lead to new strategies for the selection of materials to reinforce the drag bits.