Le plan d’attribution du spectre présente un problème de déficit de ressources dans les réseaux sans fil. En 2002, la FCC (Federal Communication Commission) a rapporté que le spectre radioélectrique était de 20% à 85% sous-utilisé. L’utilisation inefficace du spectre est un problème majeur qui doit être résolu si l’on veut que les communications radio se développent. La FCC a ensuite changé la politique de gestion du spectre pour la rendre plus souple en s’interessant à l’approche radio cognitive (CR). La radio cognitive est un type de radio intelligente qui explore l’environnement de fréquences radio, apprend et décide d’utiliser la partie inutilisée du spectre. Les principales fonctions de la CR sont la détection, la prise de décision, et le partage. Cependant, ces radios doivent respecter les infrastructures sans fil standards en minimisant leur impact sur les appareils prioritaires, également appelés systèmes primaires. La coexistence entre les systèmes CR et les systèmes primaires nécessite des processus d’observation et de gestion des interférences dédiés. Dans cette thèse, nous nous sommes intéressés à la phase d’observation du point de vue CR. La zone de chevauchement entre un émetteur CR et l’émetteur primaire (PR) est analysée et prise en compte. L’impact de cette zone est appris par simulation et présenté dans le chapitre 4. En conséquence, des interférences potentielles sont envisagées. Durant la phase d’observation, nous étudions un mécanisme permettant de mieux prévenir la perturbation sur les dispositifs PR en utilisant le Grey Model et le filtre de Kalman comme modèle de prédiction de la densité des récepteurs primaires. En complément à cette observation, nous fournissons une stratégie visant à combiner les observations obtenues en une mesure qui pourra être utilisée par le routage dans le cadre de la coexistence entre réseaux radio cognitive (CRN) et réseaux primaires. La stratégie proposée utilise la logique floue et est présentée dans le chapitre 5. Dans ce chapitre, nous étudions comment la couche réseau réagit et prend les bonnes décisions pour maximiser l’utilisation des ressources du spectre, tout en évitant les interférences avec les récepteurs primaires. Par exemple, un noeud CR peut fonctionner dans une zone de recouvrement, si les récepteurs primaires sont inactifs dans cette zone. Ainsi, nous avons proposé un mécanisme de routage basé sur le protocole de routage DYMO qui prend en compte l’impact relatif observé. Dans ce même chapitre, nous avons également présenté des scénarios pratiques illustrant l’utilité de notre proposition. L’interconnexion des noeuds CR dans le CRN est aussi un problème crucial pour la mise en place du réseau. C’est pourquoi nous présentons un processus de diffusion par balises au chapitre 6. Dans ce chapitre, nous décrivons également un dispositif pratique conçu pour des expériences en radio cognitive. Même si notre travail se rapporte à différentes couches de la pile protocolaire, le cadre général que nous avons conçu est multicouches. En effet, les composants accèdent aux différentes couches pour récupérer l’information, la traiter et réagir en conséquence. Ainsi, notre travail constitue un environnement inter-couches pour un dispositif radio cognitive local visant à minimiser les interférences et à maximiser les ressources réseau dans les réseaux radio cognitive. / A fixed spectrum assignment scheme has a problem with resource deficiency in a wireless network. In 2002, the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) reported that the radio spectrum was 20% to 85% under-utilized. The insufficient use of the spectrum is a critical issue for radio communication; as communication grows, a fixed spectrum becomes more limiting. The FCC then changed its spectrum management policy to make it more flexible by investigating the cognitive radio (CR) approach. Cognitive radio is a type of intelligent radio that explores the radio frequency environment, learns, and decides to use the unused portion of the frequency. The main functions of a CR are sensing, decision making, and sharing. However, these radios have to respect the standard wireless infrastructures by ensuring the least impact with their devices, also known as primary radios. Coexistence between CR systems and primary systems requires dedicated observation processes and interference management. In this thesis, observation from a CR point of view is presented. The overlapping area between a CR transmitter and primary radio (PR) transmitter is analysed so that it can be taken into account. The impact of this area is learnt by simulation and presented in Chapter 4. As a consequence, potential interference is envisaged. Along with observation, we investigate a proper mechanism to better prevent perturbation on PR devices using the Grey model and Kalman filter as a prediction model for predicting the density of primary receivers. In addition, we provide a strategy to combine the obtained observations into a metric that can be used in routing design in the context of coexistence between Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) and primary networks. The proposed strategy, using fuzzy logic, is presented in Chapter 5. In this chapter, we investigate how the routing layer reacts and makes the right decisions to maximise the spectrum resources, while avoiding interference with the primary receivers. For instance, a CR node can operate in an overlap region if primary receivers are inactive within this area. Also, we propose a routing mechanism based on the DYMO routing protocol that takes into account the observed relative impact. In the same chapter, we provide some practical scenarios illustrating the usefulness of our proposal. Interconnecting the CR nodes in CRNs is also a critical problem for the establishment of the network. We therefore present a beacon-based dissemination process in Chapter 6. In this chapter, we also describe a practical device designed for cognitive radio experiments. Even though our work affects different protocol layers, the designed framework is cross-layered. Indeed, the different components of the proposed framework access the various layers to retrieve information, process it, and react accordingly. Thus, our work constitutes a cross-layer framework for a local cognitive radio that aims to minimise the interference and maximise the network resources in cognitive radio networks.

This thesis deals with the description and development of two classical turbulent shear flows, namely free jet and flat plate turbulent boundary layer flows. In both cases new experimental data has been obtained and in the latter case comparisons are also made with data obtained from data bases, both of experimental and numerical origin. The jet flow studies comprise three parts, made in three different experimental facilities, each dealing with a specific aspect of jet flows. The first part is devoted to the effect of swirl on the mixing characteristics of a passive scalar in the near-field region of a moderately swirling jet. Instantaneous streamwise and azimuthal velocity components as well as the temperature were simultaneously accessed by means of combined X-wire and cold-wire anemometry. The results indicate a modification of the turbulence structures to that effect that the swirling jet spreads, mixes and evolves faster compared to its non-swirling counterpart. The high correlation between streamwise velocity and temperature fluctuations as well as the streamwise passive scalar flux are even more enhanced due to the addition of swirl, which in turn shortens the distance and hence time needed to mix the jet with the ambient air. The second jet flow part was set out to test the hypothesis put forward by Talamelli & Gavarini (Flow, Turbul. & Combust. 76), who proposed that the wake behind a separation wall between two streams of a coaxial jet creates the condition for an absolute instability. The experiments confirm the hypothesis and show that the instability, by means of the induced vortex shedding, provides a continuous forcing mechanism for the control of the flow field. The potential of this passive mechanism as an easy, effective and practical way to control the near-field of interacting shear layers as well as its effect towards increased turbulence activity has been shown. The third part of the jet flow studies deals with the hypothesis that so called oblique transition may play a role in the breakdown to turbulence for an axisymmetric jet.For wall bounded flows oblique transition gives rise to steady streamwise streaks that break down to turbulence, as for instance documented by Elofsson & Alfredsson (J. Fluid Mech. 358). The scenario of oblique transition has so far not been considered for jet flows and the aim was to study the effect of two oblique modes on the transition scenario as well as on the flow dynamics. For certain frequencies the turbulence intensity was surprisingly found to be reduced, however it was not possible to detect the presence of streamwise streaks. This aspect must be furher investigated in the future in order to understand the connection between the turbulence reduction and the azimuthal forcing. The boundary layer part of the thesis is also threefold, and uses both new data as well as data from various data bases to investigate the effect of certain limitations of hot-wire measurements near the wall on the mean velocity but also on the fluctuating streamwise velocity component. In the first part a new set of experimental data from a zero pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer, supplemented by direct and independent skin friction measurements, are presented. The Reynolds number range of the data is between 2300 and 18700 when based on the free stream velocity and the momentum loss thickness. Data both for the mean and fluctuating streamwise velocity component are presented. The data are validated against the composite profile by Chauhan et al. (Fluid Dyn. Res. 41) and are found to fulfil recently established equilibrium criteria. The problem of accurately locating the wall position of a hot-wire probe and the errors this can result in is thoroughly discussed in part 2 of the boundary layer study. It is shown that the expanded law of the wall to forth and fifth order with calibration constants determined from recent high Reynolds number DNS can be used to fix the wall position to an accuracy of 0.1 and 0.25 l_ * (l_* is the viscous length scale) when accurately determined measurements reaching y+=5 and 10, respectively, are available. In the absence of data below the above given limits, commonly employed analytical functions and their log law constants, have been found to affect the the determination of wall position to a high degree. It has been shown, that near-wall measurements below y+=10 or preferable 5 are essential in order to ensure a correctly measured or deduced absolute wall position. A  number of peculiarities in concurrent wall-bounded turbulent flow studies, was found to be associated with a erroneously deduced wall position. The effect of poor spatial resolution using hot-wire anemometry on the measurements of the streamwise velocity is dealt with in the last part. The viscous scaled hot-wire length, L+, has been found to exert a strong impact on the probability density distribution (pdf) of the streamwise velocity, and hence its higher order moments, over the entire buffer region and also the lower region of the log region. For varying Reynolds numbers spatial resolution effects act against the trend imposed by the Reynolds number. A systematic reduction of the mean velocity with increasing L+ over the entire classical buffer region and beyond has been found. A reduction of around 0.3 uƬ, where uƬ is the friction velocity, has been deduced for L+=60 compared to L+=15. Neglecting this effect can lead to a seemingly Reynolds number dependent  buffer or log region. This should be taken into consideration, for instance, in the debate, regarding the prevailing influence of viscosity above the buffer region at high Reynolds numbers. We also conclude that the debate concerning the universality of the pdf within the overlap region has been artificially complicated due to the ignorance of spatial resolution effects beyond the classical buffer region on the velocity fluctuations. / QC 20100820