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Thermodynamique, Ondes, Numérique, Interfaces, Combustion

Effets thermiques dans les systèmes en rotation

Ondes et interfaces immergées

Modélisation des écoulements multiphasiques réactifs

Modélisation et simulation de la propagation des feux de forêts

Thermodynamique des mélanges

Thermodynamics, Numerical Waves, Interfaces, Combustion Team
Présentation

The TONIC team is developing an activity of modeling of strongly multi-scale phenomena. It covers in particular multiphase and/or reactive flows, from the scale of the isolated injector (a few mm) to the scale of a fully developed forest fire (several hectares). 
Adapted numerical methods are developed in parallel, in particular for soil imaging (detection of slicks by acoustic analysis), or for the modeling of radiative transfers.

In parallel to these multi-scale developments, analytical work is carried out to support the construction of models. An important research effort is devoted to the modeling of the thermodynamics of multiphase mixtures (thermochemical equilibrium calculations, complex thermodynamic closures), or to the development of reduced kinetic models for combustion.

+ Modeling of reactive multiphase flows
+ Waves and immersed interfaces
+ Modeling and simulation of forest fire propagation
+ Mixture thermodynamics
+ Thermal effects in rotating systems

Responsable

  • Pierre BOIVIN
    Chargé de Recherche CNRS - HDR
    équipe Thermodynamique Ondes Numérique Interfaces Combustion
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Annuaire personnel permanent

  • Pierre BOIVIN
    Chargé de Recherche CNRS - HDR
    équipe Thermodynamique Ondes Numérique Interfaces Combustion
  • Dominique MORVAN
    Professeur des Universités AMU - émérite
    équipe Thermodynamiques, Ondes, Numérique, Interfaces et Combustion
  • Evelyne NEAU
    Professeur des Universités AMU - émérite
    équipe Thermodynamique Ondes Numérique Interfaces Combustion
  • Isabelle RASPO
    Chargée de Recherche CNRS
    équipe Thermodynamiques, Ondes, Numérique, Interfaces et Combustion
  • Grégoire VARILLON
    Maître de Conférences AMU
    équipe Thermodynamique Ondes Numérique Interfaces Combustion
  • Stéphane VIAZZO
    Maître de Conférences AMU - HDR
    équipe Thermodynamiques, Ondes, Numérique, Interfaces et Combustion
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Doctorants, Post-Doctorants et CDD

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Dernières publications de l'équipe

  • 2026
    Marc Le Boursicaud, Jean-Louis Consalvi, Pierre Boivin. Prediction of hydrogen–ammonia blends autoignition. Combustion and Flame, 2026, 285, pp.114713. ⟨10.1016/j.combustflame.2025.114713⟩. ⟨hal-05469163⟩ Plus de détails...

    Prediction of hydrogen–ammonia blends autoignition

    The growing interest in hydrogen as an alternative energy vector has raised new technological challenges, in particular regarding its storage. This has motivated increasing attention to ammonia as a hydrogen carrier. In parallel, the use of hydrogen-ammonia blends as combustible fuels has attracted significant interest, as such mixtures can be easier to handle in some applications than pure hydrogen, while still enabling carbon-free combustion.In this context, the present study focuses on modeling the ignition of arbitrary gaseous hydrogen-ammonia-air blends. First, the minimal chemical description required to accurately capture the ignition delay of these mixtures is identified, revealing three main ignition regimes. Ignition delay formulas are then derived for these regimes by extending methods previously developed for pure hydrogen and syngas. The resulting ignition time expressions are subsequently combined into a unified formulation, valid across a wide range of pressures, temperatures, and fuel compositions. Finally, modifications to a recently published passive scalar model for CFD tools are introduced so as to accurately predict ignition events in hydrogen-ammonia-air mixtures while reducing computational cost. Novelty and
    Marc Le Boursicaud, Jean-Louis Consalvi, Pierre Boivin. Prediction of hydrogen–ammonia blends autoignition. Combustion and Flame, 2026, 285, pp.114713. ⟨10.1016/j.combustflame.2025.114713⟩. ⟨hal-05469163⟩
    Journal: Combustion and Flame
    Date de publication: 01-01-2026
    Auteurs:
    Liste des documents:
    Digital object identifier (doi): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2025.114713
    Voir la publication sur Hal
  • 2025
    Ziyin Chen, Song Zhao, Bruno Denet, Christophe Almarcha, Pierre Boivin. A three-dimensional study on premixed flame propagation in narrow channels considering hydrodynamic and thermodiffusive instabilities. Combustion and Flame, 2025, 281, pp.114392. ⟨10.1016/j.combustflame.2025.114392⟩. ⟨hal-05344216⟩ Plus de détails...

    A three-dimensional study on premixed flame propagation in narrow channels considering hydrodynamic and thermodiffusive instabilities

    In numerical studies of quasi-2D problems, such as laminar flame propagation through a slit, the quasi-2D assumption is commonly applied to simplify the problem. However, the impact of the third dimension (in the thickness between walls) can be significant due to strong curvature. The intrinsic Darrieus-Landau instability, the Saffman-Taylor instability, and the thermodiffusive instability lead to curved flame fronts in both the transverse and normal directions and radically change the global flame speed. This study investigates the interaction of these instabilities and their impact on premixed flames freely propagating in narrow channels. Two lean fuel-air mixtures are considered: one with unity Lewis number Le = 1 and another with Le = 0.5. A single-step Arrhenius-type reaction is used for combustion modeling. Joulin Sivashinsky's model [1], termed the 2D+ model, is implemented to capture the confinement effect due to walls. By comparing 3D Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) and 2D simulations at unity Le, we find that the 2D+ model accurately reproduces confinement effects for channel width h up to 3.6δ T (δ T : thermal flame thickness), extending the validity of Darcy's law.

    However, for larger h, interactions between flame curvatures in two directions result in higher flame surface increment and consumption speed. Besides, for 3D cases with Le = 0.5, positive curvature regions on the flame front primarily contribute to the global reaction due to the Lewis effect. Statistical studies on flame dynamics between walls in 3D cases are also

    Ziyin Chen, Song Zhao, Bruno Denet, Christophe Almarcha, Pierre Boivin. A three-dimensional study on premixed flame propagation in narrow channels considering hydrodynamic and thermodiffusive instabilities. Combustion and Flame, 2025, 281, pp.114392. ⟨10.1016/j.combustflame.2025.114392⟩. ⟨hal-05344216⟩
    Journal: Combustion and Flame
    Date de publication: 01-11-2025
    Auteurs:
    Liste des documents:
    Digital object identifier (doi): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2025.114392
    Voir la publication sur Hal
  • 2025
    Kevin Turgut, Ashwin Chinnayya, Pierre Boivin, Omar Dounia. A simplified thermodynamically-consistent single-step mechanism for hydrogen combustion. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2025, 177, pp.151527. ⟨10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.151527⟩. ⟨hal-05404957⟩ Plus de détails...

    A simplified thermodynamically-consistent single-step mechanism for hydrogen combustion

    Effective combustion modeling relies on the precise estimation of hydrogenair combustion characteristics. In this sense, Millán-Merino and Boivin [1] designed a single-step mechanism for hydrogen combustion that accurately recovers the adiabatic flame temperature using a variable stoichiometric coefficient formalism. The present study proposes a drastic simplification of this approach (further reducing computational cost and complexity) and formally clarifies the contribution of the variable stoichiometric coefficients and their evolution across the flame internal structure.

    Kevin Turgut, Ashwin Chinnayya, Pierre Boivin, Omar Dounia. A simplified thermodynamically-consistent single-step mechanism for hydrogen combustion. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2025, 177, pp.151527. ⟨10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.151527⟩. ⟨hal-05404957⟩
    Journal: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
    Date de publication: 13-10-2025
    Auteurs:
    Digital object identifier (doi): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.151527
    Voir la publication sur Hal
  • 2025
    A. Fayet, Pierre Boivin, J. Perez Manes, S. Mimouni, T. Cadiou. Validation of NEPTUNE_CFD for single-phase natural convection. Nuclear Engineering and Design, 2025, 442, pp.114250. ⟨10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114250⟩. ⟨hal-05344238⟩ Plus de détails...

    Validation of NEPTUNE_CFD for single-phase natural convection

    Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is widely used in nuclear engineering for safety related studies, providing a mechanistic solution approach in support of the system and sub-channel numerical scales applied in the safety demonstration. Co-developed by four of the biggest actors of the French nuclear industry, the NEPTUNE CFD code is specialized in nuclear thermal-hydraulics applications allowing to simulate single and two-phase flows on complex geometries. The increasing protagonism of passive systems in new generation reactors demands specific studies regarding its operation and safety. Passive systems are engineered to rely on natural physical phenomena, such as buoyancy or natural convection and to operate without the need of active mechanical components or external power sources. This paper focuses on the validation of NEPTUNE CFD over experimental data of Qureshi and Gebhart [1] -vertical flat plane immersed in water -and semi-empiric correlations from the literature to simulate single-phase natural convection to validate the use of NEPTUNE CFD for simulating passive systems over a wide range of Rayleigh numbers from laminar to turbulent regimes.

    A. Fayet, Pierre Boivin, J. Perez Manes, S. Mimouni, T. Cadiou. Validation of NEPTUNE_CFD for single-phase natural convection. Nuclear Engineering and Design, 2025, 442, pp.114250. ⟨10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114250⟩. ⟨hal-05344238⟩
    Journal: Nuclear Engineering and Design
    Date de publication: 01-10-2025
    Auteurs:
    Liste des documents:
    Digital object identifier (doi): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114250
    Voir la publication sur Hal
  • 2025
    Marc Le Boursicaud, Song Zhao, Jean-Louis Consalvi, Pierre Boivin. Modeling self-ignition of high-pressure hydrogen leaks in confined space. Combustion and Flame, 2025, 280, pp.114386. ⟨10.1016/j.combustflame.2025.114386⟩. ⟨hal-05344209⟩ Plus de détails...

    Modeling self-ignition of high-pressure hydrogen leaks in confined space

    The numerical study of ignition risk in the event of high-pressure hydrogen leakage presents numerous challenges. The first is to properly simulate the complex multi-dimensional flow, characterized by a hemispherical expanding shock and a contact discontinuity. The second is to accurately resolve the di!usion/reaction interface, which exhibits a very small length scale compared to the jet radius. These challenges were addressed in our previous work (Le Boursicaud et al., Combust. Flame 274, 2025), leading to the development of a reduced-order model capable of e"ciently predicting the risk of self-ignition in the case of high-pressure hydrogen storage leakage for various geometries.

    The present work focuses on extending the previously developed model to account for the e!ects of leakage in confined spaces. These modifications include a simple adjustment of the pseudo-1D model to account for shock reflection, as well as the consideration of entropy jumps occurring during the interaction between the reflected shock wave and the di!usion layer. This work is motivated by the potential increase in ignition risk when leaks occur in confined environments, as opposed to the open environments previously considered (Smygalina and Kiverin, Int. J. Hydrog. Energy 47, 2022).

    Novelty and Significance Statement: This work extends a reduced-order model for shock-induced ignition of high-pressure hydrogen leaks from open to confined environments, capturing key e!ects such as shock reflection and shock-contact interaction. It enables e"cient assessment of ignition risk in scenarios where full-resolution simulations are computationally prohibitive.

    Marc Le Boursicaud, Song Zhao, Jean-Louis Consalvi, Pierre Boivin. Modeling self-ignition of high-pressure hydrogen leaks in confined space. Combustion and Flame, 2025, 280, pp.114386. ⟨10.1016/j.combustflame.2025.114386⟩. ⟨hal-05344209⟩
    Journal: Combustion and Flame
    Date de publication: 01-10-2025
    Auteurs:
    Liste des documents:
    Digital object identifier (doi): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2025.114386
    Voir la publication sur Hal
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Dernières rencontres scientifiques

Archives récentes Archives

Projets en cours

Soutenances de thèses et HDR

Actualités
6 février 2026 - Study of turbulent transport of energetic particles in nuclear fusion plasmas nuclear fusion plasmas by trajectory simulations and artificial intelligence techniques / PhD Defense Benoît Clavier
Doctorant : Benoît CLAVIER

Date et lieu : le vendredi 6 février à 14h00, M2P2 - salle Labus, Centrale Méditerranée

Abstract: This thesis studies the turbulent transport of charged particles in magnetized fusion plasmas by combining reduced turbulence models, numerical trajectory simulations, and data-driven approaches based on artificial intelligence. After presenting the physical framework of radial transport in a tokamak and the Hasegawa–Wakatani model, Eulerian and Lagrangian diagnostics are developed to obtain reference transport measurements. The work then analyzes the transport of test particles in different turbulent regimes, highlighting the limitations of certain classical approximations and the complexity of energetic particle dynamics. The study is extended to a more realistic three-dimensional ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) turbulence, allowing scaling laws for radial diffusion to be established. Finally, a synthetic turbulence generation model based on a Convolutional Variational Autoencoder (CVAE) coupled with a dynamic model is proposed to efficiently reproduce turbulence and accelerate transport studies, illustrating the potential of data-driven approaches for future research in plasma physics.

Jury
David ZARZOSO-FERNANDEZ - Chargé de recherche - CNRS M2P2 - Directeur de thèse
Emmanuel FRéNOD - Professeur des universités  - Université Bretagne Sud - Co-directeur de thèse
Victor TRIBALDOS - Professeur des universités - Universidad Carlos III de Madrid - Rapporteur
Julien LE SOMMER - Directeur de recherche - CNRS, IGE Grenoble - Examinateur
Maxime LESUR - Professeur des universités - Université de Lorraine - Institut Jean Lamour - Rapporteur
Cédric VILLANI - Professeur des universités - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - Examinateur
Mitra FOULADIRAD - Professeure des universités - Centrale Méditerranée - Président

22 janvier 2026 - Study of Combustion Instabilities Using Lattice-Boltzmann Methods / PhD Defense Ziyin Chen
Doctorante : Ziyin CHEN

Date et lieu : le jeudi 22 janvier 2026 à 13h45; amphi No.1 de Centrale Méditerranée

Abstract: Driven by climate change and the energy transition, hydrogen has emerged as a promising alternative to fossil fuels due to its efficient, carbon-free combustion. However, hydrogen–air flames exhibit strong instabilities, which are amplified in confined environments where wall effects and heat losses play a key role. Understanding these phenomena is essential for the safe design of micro-scale combustion devices.

This thesis investigates the stability of premixed hydrogen–air flames in a Hele-Shaw burner using the Lattice-Boltzmann method. Hydrodynamic and thermodiffusive instabilities are analyzed in both two- and three-dimensional configurations, with and without heat losses at the walls. The simulations reveal the conditions for symmetry breaking and quantify the influence of the Lewis number, channel width, and wall heat losses on flame morphology and propagation speed. Reduced-order models are developed to predict flame front geometry, cusp formation, and flame speed evolution.

These results improve the understanding of confined hydrogen flames and provide predictive tools for the design of safe and efficient micro-combustion systems.

Keywords: Flame instabilities, Laminar flame, Confined flow, Hele-Shaw burner

Jury
Carmen JIMENEZ ; CIEMAT, Madrid ; Rapporteure
Laurent SELLE ; CNRS IMFT, Toulouse ; Rapporteur
Andrea GRUBER ; SINTEF, Trondheim ; Examinateur
Heinz PITSCH ; RWTH Aachen University, Aachen ; Examinateur
Luc VERVISCH ; INSA Rouen Normandie, Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray ; Président de jury
Pierre BOIVIN ; CNRS M2P2 ; Directeur de thèse
Christophe ALMARCHA ; Aix-Marseille Université ; Co-Directeur de thèse
Bruno DENET ; Aix-Marseille Université ; Co-Encadrant de thèse