L’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier expérimentalement les deformations de microcapsules dans un écoulement confiné. Les microcapsules sont composées d’albumine du sérum humain avec des concentrations de 5 à 20 [g/100mL]. Leur taille varie de 50 à 1000 [μm]. Les capsules sont injectées dans des écoulements de Poiseuille produits dans des canaux microfluidiques présentant deux sections différentes : circulaire ou carrée.La mesure des caractéristiques géométriques de microcapsules déformées couplée à des simulations numériques mène à la détermination du module de cisaillement surfacique. Cette caractéristique mécanique augmente fortement tant avec la taille qu’avec la concentration en protéine de la capsule, et plus précisément avec le produit de ces deux paramètres.Le fluide est ensemencé avec des microparticules pour mesurer l’écoulement induit par une capsule dans un capillaire cylindrique par la méthode de la vélocimétrie par suivi de particules. Les zones de recirculation et de perturbation sont alors déduites et comparées avec la simulation numérique d’un objet rigide dans un capillaire et présentant le profil donné par les expériences. Finalement un système original de visualisation optique est consacré à l’observation simultanée de la vue de côté et de la vue de face des capsules pour obtenir sa forme entière. Ceux-ci révèlent l’existence des plis tout autour de la membrane des capsules. Le seuil de formation et l’évolution de ces plis sont étudiés en fonction de la vitesse, de la taille et du confinement, dans des canaux de section circulaire ou carrée. / The objective of this thesis is to study experimentally microcapsule deformations in confined flows. The microcapsules are made of cross-linked proteins, the human serum albumin (HSA) with concentrations from 5 to 20 [g/100mL]. Their size vary from 50 to 1000 [μm]. Capsules are injected in Poiseuille flows generated within microfluidics channels with two different cross sections geometries : circular or square.The measurement of geometrical characteristics of deformed microcapsules coupled with numerical simulations leads to the determination of the surface shear modulus. This mechanical characteristic increases strongly with both the size and the protein concentration of the capsule, and more precisely with the product of these two parameters.The flow is seeded with microparticles to measure the induced flow of a capsule in a cylindrical capillary by particle tracking velocimetry. The recirculation and perturbation zones are then deduced and compared with numerical simulation of a rigid body flowing in a capillary. Finally an original system of optical visualization is dedicated to the simultaneous observation of the side and the front view of the capsules to get its whole shape. These reveal radial wrinkles all around capsules membrane. The formation threshold and the evolution of these wrinkles are studied as function of the capsule velocity and size and the confinement within capillaries with circular or square cross–section.

No description available.

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) have been used for artificial muscles for years. Recently the DEA-based deformable surfaces have demonstrated controllable microscale roughness, ease of operation, fast response, and possibilities for programmable control. DEA muscles used in bioinspired robotic arms for large deformation and strong force also become desirable for their efficiency, low manufacturing cost, high force-to-weight ratio, and noiseless operation. The DEA-based responsive surfaces in microscale roughness control, however, exhibit limited durability due to irreversible dielectric breakdown. Lowering device voltage to avoid this issue is hindered by an inadequate understanding of the electrically-induced wrinkling deformation as a function of the deformable dielectric film thickness. Also, the programmable control and geometric analysis of the structured surface deformation have not yet been fully explored. Current methods to generate anisotropic wrinkles rely on mechanical pre-loading such as stretching or bending, which complicates the fabrication and operation of the devices. With a fixed mechanical pre-loading, the device can only switch between the flat state and the preset wrinkling state. In this thesis, we overcome these shortcomings by demonstrating a simple method for fabricating fault-tolerant electro-responsive surfaces and for controlling surface wrinkling patterns. The DEA-based system can produce different reversible surface topographies (craters, irregular wrinkles, structured wrinkles) upon the geometrical design of electrode and application of voltage. It remains functional due to its ability to self-insulate breakdown faults even after multiple high voltage breakdowns, and the induced breakdown punctures can be used for amplification of local electric fields for wrinkle formation at lower applied voltages. We enhance fundamental understanding of the system by using different analytical models combined with numerical simulation to discuss the mechanism and critical conditions for wrinkle formation, and compare it with the experimental results from surface topography, critical field to induce wrinkles in films of different thickness, and wrinkling patterns quantitatively analysed by different disorder metrics. Based on the results, we demonstrate its wide applicability in adjustable transparency films, dynamic light-grating filter, molding for static surface patterns, and multi-stable mirror-diffusor-diffraction grating device. For DEAs used for macroscopic-scale deformation in robotic arms, the main issue that undermines the performance of DEA muscles is the trade-off between strong force and large displacement, which limits the durability and range of potential robotic and automation applications of DEA-driven devices. In this thesis, this challenge is tackled by using DEAs in loudspeaker configuration for independent scaling-up of force and displacement, developing a theoretical prediction to optimise the operation of such DEAs in bioinspired antagonistic system to maximise speed and power of the robotic arm, and designing a clutch-gear-shaft mechanical system collaborating with the muscles to decouple the displacement and output force. Therefore, the trade-off between force and displacement in traditional DEA muscles can be resolved. The mechanical system can also convert the short linear spurt to an unlimited rotary motion. Combining these advantages, continuous movement with high output force can be accomplished.

Les systèmes d'entraînement de bandes flexibles sont utilisés dans la production d'une très grande variété de produits du quotidien mais également dans la métallurgie et dorénavant pour la production des nouvelles technologies. L'amélioration des systèmes industriels d'entraînement de bandes est un problème difficile car ils sont de grande dimension, non-linéaires, à paramètres variant et incertains. Ils possèdent un fort couplage entre les différentes parties (mécanique et commande) à cause de la bande qui relie les éléments. Il faut donc améliorer la chaîne de production par une approche pluridisciplinaire. Les objectifs sont de maîtriser les paramètres clés de ces systèmes afin de garantir les cadences de production et les précisions demandées de plus en plus importantes. Il faut également réduire les défauts les plus récurrents, notamment les plis de bande. Or jusqu'à présent seuls des modèles 1D étaient utilisés. Ils sont indispensables pour la synthèse de commande et les études fréquentielles mais ne permettent pas d'étudier des phénomènes complexes tels que les plis de bande. Une nouvelle approche d'étude de ces systèmes est développée. Dans un premier temps, des améliorations de structures de commandes sont proposées. Dans un second temps un modèle 3D par éléments finis utilisant un algorithme de dynamique multicorps flexibles est développé et utilisé pour étudier les plis de bande par comparaison à la théorie classique de prédiction de ces défauts. Dans un troisième temps un simulateur complet est développé comprenant le modèle 3D mécanique par élément finis couplé à la partie commande (co-simulation). / Roll-to-Roll systems are used in the manufacturing of a wide variety of everyday products as well as in metallurgy and for the manufacturing of new technologies. The improvement of Roll-to-Roll systems is a difficult problem because they are large, non-linear, with varying and uncertain parameters. They have a coupling between the different parts (mechanical and control) with the help of the web connecting the elements. It is therefore necessary to improve the process line through a multidisciplinary approach. The objectives are to master the key parameters of these systems in order to guarantee the manufacturing rates and the more important accuracies requested. It is also necessary to reduce or remove the most recurring defects such as web wrinkles. Until now, only 1D models were used. They are essential for control synthesis and frequency studies but they do not allow to study complex phenomena such as web wrinkles. A new approach for studying these systems is developed. First, improvements of control structures are proposed. Secondly, a 3D finite element model using a flexible multibody dynamics algorithm is developed, used in this work to study web wrinkles and compared to the classical prediction theory of these defects. Finally, a complete simulator is developed including the mechanical 3D model by finite element coupled to the control part (co-simulation).