Mechanical reliability of structures subjected to time-variant physical phenomena

This work deals with two-phase critical flows in order to improve the way to dimension safety systems. It brings a numerical, physical and experimental contribution. We emphasized the importance to validate separately the numerical method and the physical model. Reference numerical solutions, assimilated to quasi-analytical solutions, were elaborated for a stationary one-dimensional restriction. They allowed to validate in space non stationary numerical schemes converged in time and constitute space convergence indicator (2 schemes validated). With this reliable numerical solution, we studied the physical model. The potential of a particular existing dispersed flow model has been validated thanks to experimental data. The validity domain of such a model is inevitably reduced. During this study, particular behaviors have been exhibited like the pseudo-critical nature of flow with a relaxation process, the non characteristic properties/nature of critical parameters where disequilibrium is largely reduced or the predominance of pressure due to interfacial transfers. The multidimensional aspect has been studied. A data base included local parameters corresponding to a simplify geometry has been constituted. The flow impact on the disk has been characterized and multidimensional effects identified. These effects form an additional step to the validation of multidimensional physical models. (author)