Les enjeux de réduction des consommations d’énergie, d’estimation de la durabilité ainsi que l’évolution des pratiques constructives et réglementaires génèrent une augmentation significative du niveau de détail exigé dans la simulation des phénomènes physiques du Génie Civil pour une prédiction fiable du comportement des ouvrages. Le bâtiment est le siège de phénomènes couplés multi-échelles, entre le microscopique (voire le nanoscopique) et le macroscopique, impliquant des études de couplages complexes entre matériaux, à l’instar des phénomènes de sorption-désorption qui influent sur la résistance mécanique, les transferts de masse, la conductivité, le stockage d’énergie ou la durabilité d’un ouvrage. Les méthodes numériques appliquées permettent de résoudre certains de ces problèmes en ayant recours aux techniques de calcul multi-grilles, de couplage multi-échelles ou de parallélisation massive afin de réduire substantiellement les temps de calcul. Dans le présent travail, qui traite de plusieurs simulations ayant trait à la physique du bâtiment, nous nous intéressons à la pertinence d’utilisation de la méthode "Lattice Boltzmann". Il s’agit d’une méthode numérique construite sur une grille – d’où l’appellation de lattice – dite "mésoscopique" qui, à partir d’un raisonnement de thermodynamique statistique sur le comportement d’un groupes de particules microscopiques de fluide, permet d’obtenir une extrapolation consistante vers son comportement macroscopique. Après une étude les avantages comparés de la méthode et sur le comportement oscillatoire qu'elle exhibe dans certaines configurations, on présente :- une application au calcul des propriétés diffusives homogénéisée des matériaux cimentaires en cours d'hydratation, par résolution sur le cluster du LMT.- une application à l'énergétique du bâtiment avec la comportement d'une paroi solaire dynamique, dont le calcul a été porté sur carte graphique afin d'en évaluer le potentiel. / Reducing building energy consumption and estimating the durability of structures are ongoing challenges in the current regulatory framework and construction practice. They suppose a significant increase of the level of detail for simulating the physical phenomena of Civil Engineering to achieve a reliable prediction of structures.Building is the centre of multi-scale, coupled phenomena ranging from the micro (or even nano) to the macro-scale, thus implying complex couplings between materials such as sorption-desorption process which influences the intrinsic properties of matter such as mechanical resistance, mass transfer, thermal conductivity, energy storage or durability.Applied numerical methods allow for the resolution of some of these problems by using multi-grid computing, multi-scale coupling or massive parallelisation in order to substantially reduce the computing time.The present work is intended to evaluate the suitability of the “lattice Boltzmann method” applied to several applications in building physics. This numerical method, said to be “mesoscopic”, starts from the thermodynamic statistical behaviour of a group of fluid particles, mimicking the macroscopic behaviour thanks to a consistent extrapolation across the scales.After having studied the comparative advantages of the method and the oscillatory behaviour it displays under some circumstances, we present - An application to the diffusive properties of cementitious materials during hydration via numerical homogenization and cluster-computing numerical campaign - An application to building energy with the modeling of a solar active wall in forced convection simulated on a graphical processing unit.

As the operating conditions of the pressurized water reactor (PWR) have been increased towards the thermal limits of the core for economics, the subcooled boiling heat transfer performance of the rod bundles under normal operating conditions has become an increasingly important design focus. Effective field models such as two-fluid model, on which most previous numerical studies in the nuclear fields have focused, cannot predict detailed phenomenon of subcooled boiling because it involves complex multiphase dynamics, such as nucleation, growth, detachment bubbles from a wall, deformation, break-up, coalescence, and condensation. It also requires numerous, additional closure relations. On the other hand, direct numerical simulations with interfacial tracking enable us to capture specific two-phase flow and do not require additional empirical closure relations. In this thesis, we simulate isothermal, two-dimensional bubble dynamics as a starting point toward direct simulation of the subcooled boiling. We adopt a lattice Boltzmann method with the phase-field model. The lattice Boltzmann method is a mesoscopic approach well-adapted to the simulation of complex fluids and is simple to implement. The phase field model can capture complex topological deformation, such as coalescence and break-up, with better numerical stability than other interfacial tracking methods like Volume of Fluid (VOF) and level set methods. We validate the present method for stationary and moving two-phase interfaces by comparing with theoretical solutions for a single static bubble in a stationary liquid and a capillary wave, respectively. In addition, the capability of the current method to simulate the coalescence of two bubbles and droplets is validated by comparing with experimental data. To see the applicability of the method to problems involving complex bubble behaviors and interactions with a high-density ratio as in subcooled boiling water, we simulate rising single and double bubbles in a viscous fluid. For a single bubble problem, the bubble shapes and terminal velocity agreed well with the experimental results for different fluid dynamic conditions. For a double bubble case, the current method can capture the interaction and dynamics of the bubbles. Thus, it is expected that this study can serve as a stepping-stone extension to convective subcooled boiling heat transfer in the nuclear reactor core.

L'étude de stabilité des systèmes différentiels issus des équations de Navier-Stokes consiste à analyser la réponse du système linéarisé à une perturbation en onde plane. Elle ne peut pas rendre compte de tous les mécanismes possibles d'instabilité non linéaire. De telles analyses de stabilité non linéaire ont été abordées pour des discrétisations en différences finies de l'équation scalaire non visqueuse de Burgers. Elles sont basées sur l'analyse en ondes résonantes, en considérant un ensemble d'ondes qui forment un groupe fermé pour l'équation discrétisée. Une conclusion importante de ces travaux est que quelques mécanismes non linéaires instables existent qui échappent à l'analyse linéaire, comme le mécanisme de focalisation étudié et expliqué à l'aide des modes de side band, introduits pour amorcer les instabilités. Cette approche d'ondes résonantes est étendue à l'analyse non linéaire de stabilité pour les méthodes LBM (Lattice Boltzmann Method). Nous présentons pour la première fois une équation vectorielle à la place de l' équation scalaire de Burgers, car la méthode LBM considère une fonction de distribution par vitesses discrètes. L'application du principe des ondes résonantes aux équations de Boltzmann sur réseau pour un écoulement monodimensionnel, compressible et isotherme dans un schéma D1Q3 donne des cartes d'instabilité, dans le cas de 1 ou plusieurs modes résonants, très dépendantes des conditions initiales. Le phénomène de focalisation n'a pas été obtenu dans la formulation LBM. Des croissances transitoires dues à la non-normalité des opérateurs peuvent exister. Elles sont calculées par une méthode d'optimisation Lagrangienne utilisant les équations adjointes de LBM. L'application du principe des ondes résonantes est étendue à un modèle 2D. On montre que les instabilités deviennent prépondérantes. / The stability study of differential systems derived from the Navier- Stokes equations consists in analysing the response of the planar linearized system from a disturbance on a flat wave. It cannot account for all possible mechanisms of nonlinear instability. Such non-linear stability analyses were discussed for finite difference of the scalar non-viscous Burger equation. They are based on the analysis in resonant waves, considering a set of waves that form a closed group for the discretized equation. An important conclusion of this work is that some unstable nonlinear mechanisms exist that are beyond the linear analysis, as the focusing mechanism studied and explained using the methods of side band, introduced to initiate instabilities. This approach of resonant waves is extended to non-linear stability analysis for LBM (Lattice Boltzmann Method) methods. We report for the first time a vector equation instead of the scalar Burgers equation, because the LBM method considers a distribution function by discrete speeds. The principle of resonant waves to lattice Boltzmann equations for one-dimensional flow in a compressible and isothermal D1Q3 scheme gives instability maps, in the case of one or more resonant modes , highly dependent upon the initial conditions. The phenomenon of focus has not been obtained in the LBM formulation. Transient growth due to non-normality of operators may exist. They are calculated by a Lagrangian optimization method combined with LBM equations. The principle of resonant waves is extended to a 2D model. We show that the instabilities become dominant.

Au cours des deux dernières décennies, le contexte économique a changé de manière significative en raison de la hausse des prix de l'énergie. Le bâtiment étant devenu le principal secteur consommateur d'énergie, la réduction de celle-ci est devenue un objectif économique, sociétal et environnemental. Ce sujet mobilise de nombreux travaux de recherche. Les Matériaux à Changement de Phase (MCP) représentent une solution innovante qui pourrait contribuer à améliorer la performance énergétique des bâtiments. Ils sont principalement utilisés pour la régulation de température, et leur forte capacité de stockage est un moyen de réduire la consommation d'énergie. Notre étude vise à caractériser, via une approche expérimentale et numérique, le comportement d'un PCM (l’Octadécane). Pour cela, nous avons développé et mis en œuvre un modèle numérique qui corrobore les résultats expérimentaux, et ainsi améliore la prédiction de la performance du MCP considéré.Dans ce travail, notre principale préoccupation est de mettre en évidence les erreurs ou simplifications présentes dans le modèle numérique traditionnel pouvant entraîner un écart global par rapport au comportement réel du MCP. Ces différences conduisent à une estimation erronée des temps de fusion et de la quantité d'énergie stockée. L'amélioration significative de notre modèle est la prise en compte de la convection naturelle, de la surfusion, et l'utilisation des courbes réelles d'enthalpie du MCP considéré. La relation température-enthalpie réelle tient compte de la présence d'une fraction d'impuretés solubles dans le matériau. L’originalité de ce travail est de traiter ces phénomènes physiques via la méthode de Boltzmann réseau (connue sous l'acronyme LBM) avec des fonctions de distribution doubles couplée à une formulation enthalpique. Une telle approche permet de passer outre la non-linéarité des équations régissant l'écoulement et le transfert de chaleur. Sa simplicité de mise en œuvre et son caractère local permettent d'affiner le modèle. Ainsi, on peut couvrir les problèmes de changement de phase, y compris ceux pouvant avoir lieu dans des matrices poreuses ou fibreuses. Ce dernier point a été couvert dans cette thèse.Enfin, il s'est avéré que l'approche numérique adoptée ici pour traiter les problèmes de changement de phase corrobore à la fois nos résultats expérimentaux et ceux disponibles dans la littérature. / Over the past two decades, the economic context has changed significantly due to the rise in energy prices. The building sector has become the main consumer of energy. Thereby, reducing the latter is now an economic, societal and environmental necessity. Accordingly, this topic mobilizes many researches. Phase Change Materials (PCMs) represent an innovative solution, which could improve buildings' energy performance. They are primarily used for temperature regulation, and their high storage capacity can reduce energy consumption.Our study aims at characterizing, via a complementary approach of experimental and numerical simulation, the behavior of a PCM (n-Octadecane). For this, we have developed and implemented a numerical model that corroborates the experimental results, and hence improves the prediction of the PCM performance.In this work, our main concern is to highlight the common errors or simplifications taken in the traditional numerical model, which can result in an overall discrepancy compared to the actual behavior of PCMs. Those discrepancies lead to wrong estimation of the fusion times and amount of energy stored. The major improvement of our model is the consideration of the natural convection, the supercooling, and the use of real enthalpy curves of the considered PCM. The actual temperature-enthalpy relationship takes into account the presence of a fraction of soluble impurities in the material. The originality of this work is to handle these physical phenomena via a lattice Boltzmann method (known by the acronym LBM), which leans on double distribution functions and coupled with the enthalpy formulation. Such an approach overcomes the non-linearity in the governing equations of fluid flow and heat transfer. Its simplicity and local character allow adding complexity to the model. Thereby, one can cover up the phase change problems, including those, which may occur in heterogeneous matrices. This last point has been also covered in this thesis.Finally, it turned out that the approach implemented here for phase change problems supports both, our experimental results and those available in the literature.

Le travail présenté dans ce mémoire de thèse porte sur la modélisation discrète de l’évolution régressive du front d’un conduit d’érosion qui peut se produire dans les barrages ou digues en remblai. Des outils numériques ont été développés en se basant sur le couplage entre la méthode des éléments discrets (DEM) et la méthode de Boltzmann sur réseau (LBM) pour la description, respectivement, des phases solide et fluide. L’implémentation de la méthode DEM suit une approche standard de type dynamique moléculaire (DM) et les interactions intergranulaires sont modélisées par des contacts unilatéraux visco-élastiques frottants ou bilatéraux (ponts solides) viscoélastiques, afin de permettre la modélisation d’un sol légèrement cohésif. La méthode LBM est implémentée ici avec des temps de relaxation multiples (MRT) et une condition de rebondissement interpolée pour les frontières solides en mouvement, afin d’améliorer la stabilité numérique des calculs. Le schéma du couplage entre les deux méthodes, ainsi que les critères pour le choix des paramètres numériques des deux méthodes. Pour étudier le phénomène visé, un échantillon représentatif de sol granulaire situé au front d’un conduit d’érosion est d’abord assemblé par une procédure de préparation “à sec”, puis testé dans des conditions saturées sous un chargement hydraulique monotone croissant. L’érosion régressive se produit par amas de grains au niveau du front d’érosion ayant subi au préalable une dégradation due à de nombreuses ruptures de ponts solides en traction. L’autre phénomène important observé est la présence d’arcs associés a` des chaines de forces en compression qui parviennent à maintenir parfois totalement, parfois partiellement l’intégrité du matériau non érodé. / The work reported in this thesis consists in a discrete modelling of the backward front propagation of an erosion pipe, as can take place in embankment dams or dikes. Some numerical tools have been developed to this end, based on the coupling between the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) for the representation of the solid and uid phases, respectively. The implementation of DEM follows a standard molecular dynamics approach and the interaction among grains are regulated by unilteral frictional visco-elastic and breakable visco-elastic bonds, in order to take into account a slightly cohesive soil behaviour. The LBM was implemented according to the Multiple Relaxation Time (MRT) scheme along with an interpolated non-slip conditions for moving boundaries, in order to improve the numerical stability of the calculations. The coupling scheme is described along with the criteria for the numerical parameters of the two methods. A representative specimen of a granular soil located at the front of an erosion pipe is first assembled by a \dry" preparation precedure and then tested under fully-saturated conditions and increasing hydraulic load over time. Backward erosion is takes place in the form of clusters of grain being eroded at the erosion front after a degradation of the material due to the breakage of tensile bonds. The other interesting feature that was observed is the creation of arches of compressive force chains. These arches enabled the specimen to maintain a stable or metastable configuration under the increasing hydraulic load.

L’objectif de ce travail est d’étudier les capacités de la méthode de Boltzmann sur réseau (LBM) dans un cadre numériquement contraignant : celui de la simulation aéroacoustique en maillage non-uniforme, à très haut nombre de Reynolds et à nombre de Mach non négligeable (Ma > 0.1), appliquée à l’automobile. La problématique industrielle est celle du calcul du bruit intérieur d’origine aérodynamique, dont le calcul du champ de pression pariétal instationnaire sur le vitrage conducteur est la première étape décisive. Il a été constaté qu’un manque de précision sur la faible part acoustique du champ de pression total sur le vitrage, provenant très probablement d’erreurs au niveau des transitions de résolution du maillage, était la cause d’une surestimation du bruit intérieur. Nous présentons d’abord une construction cohérente et unifiée de la méthode de Boltzmann sur réseau à partir de l’équation de Boltzmann, dans un cadre athermal faiblement compressible. Nous étudions ensuite en détail les propriétés aéroacoustiques de la LBM, en parcourant toutes les grandes familles d’opérateurs de collision de la littérature. Une variante de modèle à temps de relaxation multiples, utilisable pour l’aéroacoustique, est présentée et testée. Un modèle alternatif simplifié de filtrage sélectif, rapide et compact, est développé et validé. La problématique des maillages non-uniformes est abordée. Un recensement exhaustif des études LBM menées dans ce cadre dans la littérature montre qu’aucune ne correspond à nos contraintes. Des algorithmes alternatifs aux transitions sont développés. Enfin, des applications industrielles sont réalisées à l’aide des modèles développés dans le mémoire. / The main goal of this work is to study the capacities of the Lattice Boltzmann Method in a constrained numerical framework : that of numerical simulation in automotive aeroacoustics with non-uniform meshes, at high Reynolds number and non egligible Mach number (Ma > 0.1). The industrial problem is the computation of the interior aerodynamic noise, which includes as its first decisive step the computation of the unsteady wall pressure field on the car windows. It was observed that a lack of precision on the weak acoustic part of the total pressure field on the driver-side window, which is most probably due to errors at mesh refinement interfaces, caused an overestimation of the interior noise. We first present a coherent and unified construction of the Lattice BoltzmannMethod from the Boltzmann equation, in an athermal weakly compressible framework. Then, we study in details the aeroacoustic properties of the LBM by reviewingall the main families of collisional operators that exist in the literature. A variant of multiple relaxation time operator that can be used for aeroacoustics is presented and tested. A simplified alternative selective filter, fast and compact, is developped and numerically validated. The problem of non-uniform meshes is discussed. An exhaustive review of the LBM studies that have been carried out within that framework shows that none of them corresponds to our constraints. Alternative transition nodes algorithms are developed. Finally, all the developed models of this work are applied to industrial cases.

I present in this thesis a fluid flow and heat transfer model for porous media using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). A computer simulation of this process has been developed and it is written using MATLAB software. The simulation code is based on a two dimensional model, D2Q9. Three physical experiments were designed to prove the simulation model through comparision with numerical results. In the experiments, physical properties of the air flow and the porous media were used as input for the computer model. The study results are not conclusive but show that the LBM model may become a reliable tool for the simulation of natural convection heat transfer in porous media. Simulations leading to improved understanding of the processes of air flow and heat transfer in porous media may be important into improving the efficiency of methods of air heating or cooling by passing air through fragmented rock.

The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate the usage of the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for real-time prediction of indoor air flows inside a data center module. Thermal prediction is useful in data centers for evaluating the placement of heat-generating equipment and air conditioning. To perform the simulation a program called RAFSINE was used, written by Nicholas Delbosc at the University of Leeds, which implemented LBM on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) using NVIDIA CUDA. The program used the LBM model called Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) on a 3D lattice and had the capability of executing thermal simulations in real-time or faster than real-time. This fast rate of execution means a future application for this simulation could be as a predictive input for automated air conditioning control systems, or for fast generation of training data sets for automatic fault detection systems using machine learning. In order to use the LBM CFD program even from hardware not equipped with NVIDIA GPUs it was deployed on a remote networked server accessed through Virtual Network Computing (VNC). Since RAFSINE featured interactive OpenGL based 3D visualization of thermal evolution, accessing it through VNC required use of the VirtualGL toolkit which allowed fast streaming of visualization data over the network. A simulation model was developed describing the geometry, temperatures and air flows of an experimental data center module at RISE SICS North in Luleå, Sweden, based on measurements and equipment specifications. It was then validated by comparing it with temperatures recorded from sensors mounted in the data center. The thermal prediction was found to be accurate on a room-level within ±1° C when measured as the average temperature of the air returning to the cooling units, with a maximum error of ±2° C on an individual basis. Accuracy at the front of the server racks varied depending on the height above the floor, with the lowest points having an average accuracy of ±1° C, while the middle and topmost points had an accuracy of ±2° C and ±4° C respectively. While the model had a higher error rate than the ±0.5° C accuracy of the experimental measurements, further improvements could allow it to be used as a testing ground for air conditioning control or automatic fault detection systems.

In the presented thesis work, the meshfree method with distance fields was coupled with the lattice Boltzmann method to obtain solutions of fluid-structure interaction problems. The thesis work involved development and implementation of numerical algorithms, data structure, and software. Numerical and computational properties of the coupling algorithm combining the meshfree method with distance fields and the lattice Boltzmann method were investigated. Convergence and accuracy of the methodology was validated by analytical solutions. The research was focused on fluid-structure interaction solutions in complex, mesh-resistant domains as both the lattice Boltzmann method and the meshfree method with distance fields are particularly adept in these situations. Furthermore, the fluid solution provided by the lattice Boltzmann method is massively scalable, allowing extensive use of cutting edge parallel computing resources to accelerate this phase of the solution process. The meshfree method with distance fields allows for exact satisfaction of boundary conditions making it possible to exactly capture the effects of the fluid field on the solid structure.

Recent technological developments have made it possible to design various microdevices where fluid flow and heat transfer are involved. For the proper design of such systems, the governing physics needs to be investigated. Due to the difficulty to study complex geometries in micro scales using experimental techniques, computational tools are developed to analyze and simulate flow and heat transfer in microgeometries. However, conventional numerical methods using the Navier-Stokes equations fail to predict some aspects of microflows such as nonlinear pressure distribution, increase mass flow rate, slip flow and temperature jump at the solid boundaries. This necessitates the development of new computational methods which depend on the kinetic theory that are both accurate and computationally efficient. In this study, lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) was used to investigate the flow and heat transfer in micro sized geometries. The LBM depends on the Boltzmann equation which is valid in the whole rarefaction regime that can be observed in micro flows. Results were obtained for isothermal channel flows at Knudsen numbers higher than 0.01 at different pressure ratios. LBM solutions for micro-Couette and micro-Poiseuille flow were found to be in good agreement with the analytical solutions valid in the slip flow regime (0.01 < Kn < 0.1) and direct simulation Monte Carlo solutions that are valid in the transition regime (0.1 < Kn < 10) for pressure distribution and velocity field. The isothermal LBM was further extended to simulate flows including heat transfer. The method was first validated for continuum channel flows with and without constrictions by comparing the thermal LBM results against accurate solutions obtained from analytical equations and finite element method. Finally, the capability of thermal LBM was improved by adding the effect of rarefaction and the method was used to analyze the behavior of gas flow in microchannels. The major finding of this research is that, the newly developed particle-based method described here can be used as an alternative numerical tool in order to study non-continuum effects observed in micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS).