Étude des phénomènes de transferts thermiques dans les stérilisateurs à vapeur

Study of heat transfer phenomena in a vapor sterilizer. Steam sterilization occupies a preferential place in the hospital hygiene. Hospital infection designates any sickness contracted in a hospital, allocated to microorganisms which affected sick people or hospital staff. The research work aims at studying heat transfer phenomena in a vapor sterilizer. The interactions between the different modes of heat transfer confer great complexity to this problem. The development of calculation method, zonal method, allowed to predict the field of temperature and heat transfer to optimise vapor sterilizers. This work presents the results of experiments carried out on a cycle of instrument sterilization. The main motivations of this study are the droplets of water which remain pasted to the load at the end of the drying process.     

Dimérisation des sels de l'ion nitrosodisulfonate à l'état solide

La dimérisation de plusieurs sels du radical libre nitrosodisulfonate est étudiée par R.S.E. Les spectres d'échantillons polycristallins de deux formes cristallographiques des sels de sodium, potassium et rubidium, sont caractéristiques d'un état triplet accessible thermiquement. Ces spectres sont attribués à des paires de groupements NO radicalaires, couplés par échange et sont décrits par l'Hamiltonien de spin:

Les paramètres de déplacement en champ nul, les composantes du tenseur g le long des directions principales X, Y, Z du tenseur fin et la composante du tenseur A le long de l'axe Z (dans le cas où la structure hyperfine est résolue), ont été mesurés et discutés.

A partir de ces mesures, on montre que l'axe Z est dirigé suivant les orbitales 2p des atomes d'azote et d'oxygène, et que l'axe X est dirigé selon la liaison NO. Par suite, l'arrangement des deux groupements NO d'une paire est toujours sensiblement rectangulaire.

Dans le cas des deux formes cristallines du potassium et du rubidium, l'écart singulet triplet dépend de la température, ainsi que les paramètres de déplacement en champ nul, ces variations avec la température sont attribuées à l'expansion thermique du réseau.

La présence d'une structure hyperfine bien résolue dans certains de ces sels, et la forte anisotropie des largeurs de raies dans les autres sels, suggèrent que les excitations sont fortement localisées, et que si elle sont mobiles leur fréquence de saut est inférieure à 10⁷ Hz.     

Influence des phénomènes d'hystérésis sur les propriétés hydriques de matériaux poreux: Comparaison de deux modèles de simulation du comportement thermohydrique de parois de bâtiment

Porous materials hysteretic moisture characteristics : influence on water content distributions in buildings walls. Comparison of two simulation models. Two models for determining the temperature and moisture distributions within a wall are presented. The first one is a direct application of the classical Philip and de Vries model. The second one, using the suction potential, is derived from Milly's researches and is more efficient because it allows the hysteresis phenomena to be taken into account. First, the different equilibrium and transfer parameters used in the models are reviewed. Indications are given on how they can be experimentally determined and results for two cement pastes and a cellular concrete are illustrated. Then, calculation results of water content distributions for the two models are presented for an homogeneous cellular concrete wall in steady environmental conditions. In that particular case, the two models estimations are in good agreement despite different numerical treatments and experimental procedures. Using Milly's model with cyclic boundaries conditions, a significant influence of hysteresis phenomena is clearly shown.     

Les systèmes hétérogènes « eau–zéolithe hydrophobe »: de nouveaux ressorts moléculaires

Pressure–volume isotherms have been determined for three heterogeneous ‘water–zeolite’ systems. The first two concern hydrophobic purely siliceous zeolites: silicalite-1 (F⁻) and zeolite β (F⁻); the third comprises a more hydrophilic commercial zeolite of the type ZSM-5. The P–V diagram for the water–silicalite-1 (F⁻) system is characterized by a plateau corresponding to the intrusion of water inside the pores of the solid. During the release the phenomenon is reversible. This system, which is able to accumulate and restore superficial energy, constitutes a molecular spring. For zeolite β, the P–V curve displays a plateau during the compression, but during the release, the phenomenon is not reversible. In that case, the system absorbs mechanical energy and acts as a bumper. The third system, based on the more hydrophilic ZSM-5 zeolite shows a linear isotherm without any plateau. These results open new applications perspectives in the field of the energetics for hydrophobic zeolites in contact with water. To cite this article: V. Eroshenko et al., C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 111–119     

Coefficient de transfert, à l'interface de vaporisation,d'une boucle fluide diphasique à pompage thermocapillaire

Heat transfer coefficient at vaporisation interface of a two phase capillary loop. In this article, we present the results of heat transfer coefficient measurements at the vaporisation interface of a capillary pumped two-phase loop for two different types of evaporators and various powers. High contact between the evaporator wall and the porous wick, which induces capillary pumping, prevents vapor from escaping and being forced back into the wick and inhibits the device starting up. First, the surface state of the evaporator wall, then the minimum distance between wall and porous wick necessary to optimize operating conditions have been established.     

Comportement thermique d'un générateur à sorption solide

The thermal behaviour of a solid sorption generator of active carbon/alcohol machine, is studied during heating and cooling phases with a preheated air flow. A bicylindrical walls generator that contains 0.9 kg of a granular adsorbent in the presence of residual gas is tested during a cycle of an average duration of 3 hours; the grains of active carbon are rod-shaped of 0.003 m diameter and 0.008 m average length. The thermal contact conductance of adsorbent to the wall has an important influence on the rate of heat transfer between the generator and the external source of heat. In the absence of alcohol, heat transfer occuring without mass transfer in active carbon is essentially due to the conduction. A numerical bidimensional model allows one to justify experimentally the observed evolution and proposes thermal contact conductance between active carbon pellets and the generator wall. A parametric study of the thermal contact conductance gives 6.5 W·m⁻²·K⁻¹ as the best value. A simulation of heating and cooling phases with average conductance values between 5 and 30 W·m⁻²·K⁻¹ gives model estimated heating and cooling phases duration.     

Effet de condensation lors de l'étalement d'un liquide

The spreading of liquid drops on solids is generally explained by two classes of models: the molecular kinetic approach and the hydrodynamic approach. We propose another approach, complementary to the former, in which condensation of the liquid vapour near the triple line plays a role in spreading.     

Relaxation nucléaire de l'azote et du proton dans le cyanoacétylène liquide

On a étudié les temps de relaxation spin-réseau de l'azote et du proton du cyanoacétylène en phase liquide à différentes températures. La vitesse de relaxation du proton est décomposée en différentes contributions : spin-rotation, intra et intermoléculaire dipole-dipole. Les mouvements moléculaires de translation et de réorientation sont analysés en utilisant différents modèles (conditions aux limites de ‘glissement total’ et de ‘frottement total’, correction de Perrin …).     

Distribution des températures à l'intérieur d'un jet de gaz chaud injecté dans un liquide

The distribution of temperatures in a high generating pressure impingement nitrogen jet submerged in an oil bath is determined by means of thermocouples. An analogy with homogeneous underexpanded jets is used to describe the nature of disturbances in the first portion of this flow. Further away, the radial distribution of the temperature excess can be assimilated to a Gaussian curve, but it remains still very narrow compared to the jet envelope. The axial evolution of the half-property radius is small and the corresponding temperature distributions are never fully self-preserving. The temperature excess at the jet centre decreases less rapidly than that of a homogeneous jet injected into a medium with a different density. Mixing is less effective and it occurs more by the contribution of the heavier phase than by the radial diffusion of the lighter phase. The results are satisfactorily correlated with the ratio of the mass flow densities of the liquid and of the gas.     

Conductivité thermique des feutres de carbone,isolants à forte anisotropie: modèle de conduction par la phase solide

Uses of carbon felts for high temperature insulation are reviewed. Effects of raw material and fabrication method on the felt properties are discussed. The connection between the thermal conductivity λ and the other felt properties are analysed. Evidence is given for the existence of three hierarchized anisotropy levels of λ: crystal lattice, fiber and felt. The two directional felt conductivities — the longitudinal λ_L and the transversal λ_T ones — are modelled using a definite geometry of the felt texture and a previously introduced expression for the constriction resistance of a fiber/fiber contact. λ_T depends on both components of fiber conductivity : axial λ_A (assumed to be equal to the longitudinal) and radial λ_R. The geometrical parameters considered are: felt porosity, fiber tortuosity, aspect ratio (fiber width to heigth), fiber mean size, contact spot size a and relative frequency of direct interlayer crossing, U. The experimental validation is currently only approximate, since measurements of λ_R, a and U are not accurate enough yet.     

Comportement thermique d'un matériau de référence poreux soumis à des atmosphères de chauffe différentes

This study presents an analysis of the temperature evolution in a porous sample. Various situations have been examined: the porous solid is initially dry or water saturated, and the heating fluid is dry air or steam. This analysis showed experimentally the optimal phases of using steam to heat a material. Moreover, as humidity in the solid considerably modifies the heating kinetics, the study has also been carried out on a non-porous solid. The treatment of the temperature curves under an adimensionnal form shows a singular behaviour of those temperatures following the heating fluid nature and its temperature. Equations giving temperature versus time have been proposed. They are based on the definition of a time lag and a time constant, both being defined as a function of the single fluid temperature parameter. Finally, in the particular case of the non-porous solid heated by dry air, with additional approximations, it has been possible to check that the experimental time constant is very close to a fundamental time constant.     

Etude des mouvements moléculaires en milieu liquide à partir du profil des bandes de vibration dans l'infrarouge et des fonctions de corrélation

We have studied the fundamental bands of chloroform and bromoform, both pure and in solution in various solvents; also the first harmonics of v ₁, and a few other harmonics and combination bands. The correlation functions of v ₁ and v ₂ and band moments of v ₁ have been calculated. The comparison of our results with those obtained in microwave and far IR and Raman spectra offers an opportunity to discern, in widths and correlation functions, what can be attributed to vibration and what originates in rotational diffusion. Our results are interpreted with the assumption that rotational diffusion is produced by small angles jumps and that the vibrational effect is very important. The v ₁ band shows an additional widening not accounted for in existing theories.     

Un phénomène de concentration évanescente pour des flots non-stationnaires incompressibles en dimension deux

We consider a sequencev of non-stationary solutions of the incompressible 2D-Euler equation, locally bounded inL ². We prove that if the defect measure is supported in a one-dimensional set (³) of some special type (which we call finite type), the weak limitv ofv is a solution of the Euler equations: our theorem is of the type concentration-cancellation.     

Etude d'un réfrigérateur solaire à adsorption solide avec le couple charbon actif-méthanol

Study of a solar refrigerator of solid adsorption with carbon active-méthanol pair. A solar refrigerator with 4m² collection surface was studied to build an industrial refrigerator. It is an adsorption machine with an intermittent daily cycle that uses the active carbon AC35-methanol pair. The system management consists only in actuating the ventilation ports for the heating and cooling of the collectors and valves to change the circuit. The results show that, with a collection efficiency comprised between 0.5 and 0.6, it is possible to obtain a high solar COP comprised between 0.14 and 0.2.     

Modèle correctif de la mesure de la température d'un gaz par couple thermoélectrique. Application à une zone à fort gradient thermique

Corrective model of the gas temperature thermocouple measure. Application to an important thermal gradient zone. The gas temperature measurement with a thermocouple in important thermal gradient zones requires a corrective model. For example, such zones exist for thermal boundary layers near active walls. We have calculated these thermocouple thermal exchanges where connection wires are considered as fins with a variable ambient gas temperature. The heat exchanges by convection and radiation on the thermocouple head are analytically calculated, then a numerical method is used for fins where the space increment is the same as for the experimental measure. The corrective model in steady state is semi-analytical. Its validation is made with experimental results from studies of flows along a non-isothermal vertical wall in a cavity filled with wet air. Several applications are offered for many thermal curves, for more important gradient zones corrections are larger than 1.5 K for a K type thermocouple of 0.08 mm wire diameter.     

Étude phénoménologique de l'ébullition en espace confinéà partir d'un site de nucléation isolé

The aim of the present work is to identify the mechanisms of heat transfer enhancement during natural convective boiling in confined spaces. The influences of gap-size (0.3 to 2 mm), of pressure (1 to 3 bar), of heating surface orientation (vertical or horizontal) and that of the number of nucleation sites (no site, single site or several sites) for boiling R-113 in a narrow channel are investigated. Results for unconfined boiling are also presented as a reference. It is shown that latent heat transfer is improved when the bubbles are squeezed against the heated wall. The heat transfer enhancement is greater for a vertical than for a horizontal orientation because the two-phase fluid velocity is increased when the gap-size decreases, which enhances the sensible heat transfer. Finally, the confinement reduces the effect of an increase in pressure, which limits the influence of confinement. Indeed, both parameters lead to contrary effects on the bubble diameter.