Dissertations / Theses: 'Crop growth simulation modelling'

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Florin, Madeleine Jill. "Towards Precision Agriculture for whole farms using a combination of simulation modelling and spatially dense soil and crop information." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/3169.

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Precision Agriculture (PA) strives towards holistic production and environmental management. A fundamental research challenge is the continuous expansion of ideas about how PA can contribute to sustainable agriculture. Some associated pragmatic research challenges include quantification of spatio-temporal variation of crop yield; crop growth simulation modelling within a PA context and; evaluating long-term financial and environmental outcomes from site-specific crop management (SSCM). In Chapter 1 literature about managing whole farms with a mind towards sustainability was reviewed. Alternative agricultural systems and concepts including systems thinking, agro-ecology, mosaic farming and PA were investigated. With respect to environmental outcomes it was found that PA research is relatively immature. There is scope to thoroughly evaluate PA from a long-term, whole-farm environmental and financial perspective. Comparatively, the emphasis of PA research on managing spatial variability offers promising and innovative ways forward, particularly in terms of designing new farming systems. It was found that using crop growth simulation modelling in a PA context is potentially very useful. Modelling high-resolution spatial and temporal variability with current simulation models poses a number of immediate research issues. This research focused on three whole farms located in Australia that grow predominantly grains without irrigation. These study sites represent three important grain growing regions within Australia. These are northern NSW, north-east Victoria and South Australia. Note-worthy environmental and climatic differences between these regions such as rainfall timing, soil type and topographic features were outlined in Chapter 2. When considering adoption of SSCM, it is essential to understand the impact of temporal variation on the potential value of managing spatial variation. Quantifying spatiotemporal variation of crop yield serves this purpose; however, this is a conceptually and practically challenging undertaking. A small number of previous studies have found that the magnitude of temporal variation far exceeds that of spatial variation. Chapter 3 of this thesis dealt with existing and new approaches quantifying the relationship between spatial and temporal variability in crop yield. It was found that using pseudo cross variography to obtain spatial and temporal variation ‘equivalents’ is a promising approach to quantitatively comparing spatial and temporal variation. The results from this research indicate that more data in the temporal dimension is required to enable thorough analysis using this approach. This is particularly relevant when questioning the suitability of SSCM. Crop growth simulation modelling offers PA a number of benefits such as the ability to simulate a considerable volume of data in the temporal dimension. A dominant challenge recognised within the PA/modelling literature is the mismatch between the spatial resolution of point-based model output (and therefore input) and the spatial resolution of information demanded by PA. This culminates into questions about the conceptual model underpinning the simulation model and the practicality of using point-based models to simulate spatial variability. iii The ability of point-based models to simulate appropriate spatial and temporal variability of crop yield and the importance of soil available water capacity (AWC) for these simulations were investigated in Chapter 4. The results indicated that simulated spatial variation is low compared to some previously reported spatial variability of real yield data for some climate years. It was found that the structure of spatial yield variation was directly related to the structure of the AWC and interactions between AWC and climate. It is apparent that varying AWC spatially is a reasonable starting point for modelling spatial variation of crop yield. A trade-off between capturing adequate spatio-temporal variation of crop yield and the inclusion of realistically obtainable model inputs is identified. A number of practical solutions to model parameterisation for PA purposes are identified in the literature. A popular approach is to minimise the number of simulations required. Another approach that enables modelling at every desired point across a study area involves taking advantage of high-resolution yield information from a number of years to estimate site-specific soil properties with the inverse use of a crop growth simulation model. Inverse meta-modelling was undertaken in Chapter 5 to estimate AWC on 10- metre grids across each of the study farms. This proved to be an efficient approach to obtaining high-resolution AWC information at the spatial extent of whole farms. The AWC estimates proved useful for yield prediction using simple linear regression as opposed to application within a complex crop growth simulation model. The ability of point-based models to simulate spatial variation was re-visited in Chapter 6 with respect to the exclusion of lateral water movement. The addition of a topographic component into the simple point-based yield prediction models substantially improved yield predictions. The value of these additions was interpreted using coefficients of determination and comparing variograms for each of the yield prediction components. A result consistent with the preceding chapter is the importance of further validating the yield prediction models with further yield data when it becomes available. Finally, some whole-farm management scenarios using SSCM were synthesised in Chapter 7. A framework that enables evaluation of the long-term (50 years) farm outcomes soil carbon sequestration, nitrogen leaching and crop yield was established. The suitability of SSCM across whole-farms over the long term was investigated and it was found that the suitability of SSCM is confined to certain fields. This analysis also enabled identification of parts of the farms that are the least financially and environmentally viable. SSCM in conjunction with other PA management strategies is identified as a promising approach to long-term and whole-farm integrated management.

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2

Florin, Madeleine Jill. "Towards Precision Agriculture for whole farms using a combination of simulation modelling and spatially dense soil and crop information." University of Sydney, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/3169.

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Doctor of Philosophy
Precision Agriculture (PA) strives towards holistic production and environmental management. A fundamental research challenge is the continuous expansion of ideas about how PA can contribute to sustainable agriculture. Some associated pragmatic research challenges include quantification of spatio-temporal variation of crop yield; crop growth simulation modelling within a PA context and; evaluating long-term financial and environmental outcomes from site-specific crop management (SSCM). In Chapter 1 literature about managing whole farms with a mind towards sustainability was reviewed. Alternative agricultural systems and concepts including systems thinking, agro-ecology, mosaic farming and PA were investigated. With respect to environmental outcomes it was found that PA research is relatively immature. There is scope to thoroughly evaluate PA from a long-term, whole-farm environmental and financial perspective. Comparatively, the emphasis of PA research on managing spatial variability offers promising and innovative ways forward, particularly in terms of designing new farming systems. It was found that using crop growth simulation modelling in a PA context is potentially very useful. Modelling high-resolution spatial and temporal variability with current simulation models poses a number of immediate research issues. This research focused on three whole farms located in Australia that grow predominantly grains without irrigation. These study sites represent three important grain growing regions within Australia. These are northern NSW, north-east Victoria and South Australia. Note-worthy environmental and climatic differences between these regions such as rainfall timing, soil type and topographic features were outlined in Chapter 2. When considering adoption of SSCM, it is essential to understand the impact of temporal variation on the potential value of managing spatial variation. Quantifying spatiotemporal variation of crop yield serves this purpose; however, this is a conceptually and practically challenging undertaking. A small number of previous studies have found that the magnitude of temporal variation far exceeds that of spatial variation. Chapter 3 of this thesis dealt with existing and new approaches quantifying the relationship between spatial and temporal variability in crop yield. It was found that using pseudo cross variography to obtain spatial and temporal variation ‘equivalents’ is a promising approach to quantitatively comparing spatial and temporal variation. The results from this research indicate that more data in the temporal dimension is required to enable thorough analysis using this approach. This is particularly relevant when questioning the suitability of SSCM. Crop growth simulation modelling offers PA a number of benefits such as the ability to simulate a considerable volume of data in the temporal dimension. A dominant challenge recognised within the PA/modelling literature is the mismatch between the spatial resolution of point-based model output (and therefore input) and the spatial resolution of information demanded by PA. This culminates into questions about the conceptual model underpinning the simulation model and the practicality of using point-based models to simulate spatial variability. iii The ability of point-based models to simulate appropriate spatial and temporal variability of crop yield and the importance of soil available water capacity (AWC) for these simulations were investigated in Chapter 4. The results indicated that simulated spatial variation is low compared to some previously reported spatial variability of real yield data for some climate years. It was found that the structure of spatial yield variation was directly related to the structure of the AWC and interactions between AWC and climate. It is apparent that varying AWC spatially is a reasonable starting point for modelling spatial variation of crop yield. A trade-off between capturing adequate spatio-temporal variation of crop yield and the inclusion of realistically obtainable model inputs is identified. A number of practical solutions to model parameterisation for PA purposes are identified in the literature. A popular approach is to minimise the number of simulations required. Another approach that enables modelling at every desired point across a study area involves taking advantage of high-resolution yield information from a number of years to estimate site-specific soil properties with the inverse use of a crop growth simulation model. Inverse meta-modelling was undertaken in Chapter 5 to estimate AWC on 10- metre grids across each of the study farms. This proved to be an efficient approach to obtaining high-resolution AWC information at the spatial extent of whole farms. The AWC estimates proved useful for yield prediction using simple linear regression as opposed to application within a complex crop growth simulation model. The ability of point-based models to simulate spatial variation was re-visited in Chapter 6 with respect to the exclusion of lateral water movement. The addition of a topographic component into the simple point-based yield prediction models substantially improved yield predictions. The value of these additions was interpreted using coefficients of determination and comparing variograms for each of the yield prediction components. A result consistent with the preceding chapter is the importance of further validating the yield prediction models with further yield data when it becomes available. Finally, some whole-farm management scenarios using SSCM were synthesised in Chapter 7. A framework that enables evaluation of the long-term (50 years) farm outcomes soil carbon sequestration, nitrogen leaching and crop yield was established. The suitability of SSCM across whole-farms over the long term was investigated and it was found that the suitability of SSCM is confined to certain fields. This analysis also enabled identification of parts of the farms that are the least financially and environmentally viable. SSCM in conjunction with other PA management strategies is identified as a promising approach to long-term and whole-farm integrated management.

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Artus, Sally. "VEGIGRO: a crop growth teaching model." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.484201.

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Song, Yu. "Modelling and analysis of plant image data for crop growth monitoring in horticulture." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2008. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/2032/.

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Plants can be characterised by a range of attributes, and measuring these attributes accurately and reliably is a major challenge for the horticulture industry. The measurement of those plant characteristics that are most relevant to a grower has previously been tackled almost exclusively by a combination of manual measurement and visual inspection. The purpose of this work is to propose an automated image analysis approach in order to provide an objective measure of plant attributes to remove subjective factors from assessment and to reduce labour requirements in the glasshouse. This thesis describes a stereopsis approach for estimating plant height, since height information cannot be easily determined from a single image. The stereopsis algorithm proposed in this thesis is efficient in terms of the running time, and is more accurate when compared with other algorithms. The estimated geometry, together with colour information from the image, are then used to build a statistical plant surface model, which represents all the information from the visible spectrum. A self-organising map approach can be adopted to model plant surface attributes, but the model can be improved by using a probabilistic model such as a mixture model formulated in a Bayesian framework. Details of both methods are discussed in this thesis. A Kalman filter is developed to track the plant model over time, extending the model to the time dimension, which enables smoothing of the noisy measurements to produce a development trend for a crop. The outcome of this work could lead to a number of potentially important applications in horticulture.

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Ghaffari, Abdolali. "Application of geographical information systems (GIS) and crop simulation modelling in sustainable agriculture." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.312108.

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Browne, David John. "Modelling columnar and equiaxed growth." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2002. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3d8ae26b-e0b4-4d54-801d-4951705d53aa.

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A novel computer model of the evolution of columnar and equiaxed microstructure during alloy solidification has been developed. A control volume finite difference model of conduction heat transfer is applied to a two-dimensional domain bounded by a relatively cold mould. The initial condition is that of superheated liquid, and nucleation occurs either at the mould wall, leading to columnar dendritic growth, or within the bulk liquid, leading to the growth of equiaxed dendrites. The columnar front or the equiaxed grain boundaries are represented by computationally sharp interfaces, which separate liquid from partially solid alloy. Interpolation between discrete computational markers is employed to describe these interfaces, and a front-tracking technique is used to predict the evolution of the grain structure, via movement of the markers, across the fixed grid. The front velocity is determined via considerations of the kinetics of dendrite growth. The heat equation is fully coupled to the front-tracking algorithm by means of source terms which represent the evolution of latent heat due to the dendritic growth (advancing tips and thickening mushy zone). The model, applied to binary Al-Cu alloys, is computationally efficient. It predicts the variation of the extent of liquid undercooling ahead of the growing columnar front, and new metrics have been established to determine the likelihood of the formation of an equiaxed zone here. The employment of these metrics to establish the influence of heat extraction rate and alloy composition agrees with reports from the literature. The model does not distinguish between individual grains of the columnar zone, but it is shown that this is not an important limitation for most metal casting applications. Direct simulation of the nucleation and growth of multiple equiaxed crystals has been carried out, in which the nucleation and growth of individual grams can be observed via animation, and the influence of melt superheat and heat extraction rate on equiaxed solidification has been determined.

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Gillett, A. G. "Modelling the response of winter wheat to different environments : a parsimonious approach." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.339658.

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Mokoko-Mokeba, Michael Christian. "Computer simulation : modelling the dynamics of agrochemical sprays above and within a crop canopy." Thesis, University of Portsmouth, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.310384.

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Vianna, Murilo dos Santos. "Functional, structural and agrohydrological sugarcane crop modelling: towards a simulation platform for Brazilian farming systems." Universidade de São Paulo, 2018. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/11/11152/tde-01082018-150704/.

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Sugarcane crop is the main source of sugar and the second largest source of biofuel in the world. Since the 1980s, Brazil has been the largest sugarcane producing nation, producing half of the global amount. Ethanol and biomass from sugarcane account for more than 15% of the country´s energy source. Nevertheless, commercial Brazilian sugarcane yield has plateaued at 75 t ha-1, and to meet the increasing demand for sugar and ethanol, the crop has strongly expanded towards central-western regions, where irrigation is mandatory to offset water stress risks. To support decision making and scientific guidance towards where and how the crop should expand and/or to increase yields, a heuristic view of the crop system is needed, which can mathematically be translated into a crop model. In turn, the effects of crop management, land use change, climate variability and agro-economic change factors on crop production and associated quantities can and have been assessed by using crop process-based models (PBM). In contrast to other crops, however, sugarcane has only two PBMs available for end users (DSSAT-CANEGRO and APSIM-Sugar), and further modifications of these models are required to better assess and support sustainable sugarcane production in Brazil. Therefore, this study aimed to develop, calibrate and evaluate different crop modelling approaches for Brazilian sugarcane farming systems, water management strategies, climate change impacts and canopy structures to support improved decisions for private and public stakeholders in the sugarcane sector, provide scientific guidance and establish a Brazilian platform of crop simulations. A new version of the sugarcane process-based model (SAMUCA) was developed to operate at phytomer level, focusing on soil mulch effects on crop growth and development, tillering process under competition for light and sucrose accumulation based on source-sink relations. The model was embedded into a modular platform dedicated to simulating the soil-plant-atmosphere and the management of the sugarcane farm system. The previous version of SAMUCA was also re-structured and coupled to the SWAP (Soil, Water, Atmosphere and Plant) agrohydrological model platform, focusing on soil water relations to crop growth. Moreover, a Functional-Structural Plant Model (FSPM) for sugarcane was developed by integrating the main crop components at the organ level (phytomer), based on a relative source-sink approach and a robust light model embedded into a three-dimensional modelling platform (GroIMP). All approaches were evaluated, and the performance under experimental conditions for different Brazilian conditions was determined. The performance of the new version of SAMUCA in a long-term experiment and under different Brazilian conditions was satisfactory, with agreement indices close to those of other widely used sugarcane crop models (CANEGRO and APSIM-Sugar). In addition, the modulated crop simulation platform can be used to host more crop models and integrate new features of Brazilian farming systems. The coupling of the SWAP-SAMUCA model was accomplished, and although non-expressive improvements in model performance regarding crop yield were noticed (with an overall 6% lower RMSE), the ability of SWAP-SAMUCA to simulate soil water content was higher than that of the original \"tipping bucket\" approach (32% lower RMSE). The Functional-Structural Plant Model for sugarcane was able to satisfactorily simulate canopy development, tillering and sucrose accumulation at the organ level and its integration at the whole-plant level. Besides its ability to simulate competition for light, helping to understand intra-specific competition among tillers, the sugarcane FSPM framework can be used to support sucrose accumulation and translocation mechanism studies as well as intercropping studies for sugarcane, which has already successfully been done for other crops.
A cultura da cana-de-açúcar é a principal fonte de açúcar e a segunda maior fonte de biocombustíveis do mundo. O Brasil é o maior produtor mundial desde a década de 80 e atualmente representa metade da produção mundial, enquanto que ao mesmo tempo o etanol e a biomassa correspondem a mais de 15% da fonte de energia do país. Contudo, a produtividade comercial da cana-de-açúcar brasileira atingiu um limiar de cerca de 75 t ha-1 e para atender à crescente demanda de açúcar e etanol, a cultura expandiu-se fortemente para a região centro-oeste, onde a irrigação é obrigatória para manter os níveis de produção e diminuir riscos de quebra de safra. Para dar suporte a tomada de decisão e avanço científico sobre onde e como a cultura deve se expandir e/ou aumentar a produtividade, é necessária uma visão heurística do sistema agrícola brasileiro que pode ser traduzida matematicamente para um modelo de cultura. Desta forma, os efeitos do manejo e tipo de solo, variabilidade climática e fatores econômicos na produtividade de culturas agrícolas podem ser avaliados quantitativamente por meio de modelos de culturas baseados em processos (MBP). No entanto, em contraste a outras culturas, a cana-de-açúcar possui apenas dois MBPs disponíveis para usuários finais (DSSAT-CANEGRO e APSIM-Sugar) que requerem calibração e parametrização para melhor representar o sistema agrícola de cana-de-açúcar do Brasil. Portanto, este estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver, calibrar e avaliar diferentes abordagens de modelagem de culturas voltadas a produção de cana-de-açúcar no Brasil, para servir como ferramenta de tomada de decisão para o setor público e privado, auxilio no manejo da água e avaliação dos impactos nas mudanças climáticas. Portanto, uma nova versão do modelo baseado em processo de cana-de-açúcar (SAMUCA) foi desenvolvida para operar a nível de fitômeros, incluindo os efeitos no crescimento e desenvolvimento da cana com base na cobertura da palha no solo, competição por luz no processo de perfilhamento e acúmulo de sacarose com base nas relações fonte-dreno. O modelo foi incorporado em uma plataforma modular dedicada a simular o sistema solo-planta-atmosfera e manejo do sistema agrícola. Além disso, a versão anterior do SAMUCA também foi reestruturada e acoplada à plataforma agro-hidrológica SWAP (\"Soil, Water, Atmosphere and Plant\") com objetivo de aprimorar as simulações de balanço hídrico no solo e efeito no crescimento da cana-de-açúcar. Por fim, um Modelo Funcional-Estrutural de Plantas (MFEP) para a cana-de-açúcar foi desenvolvido integrando os principais componentes da cultura a nível de órgãos (fitômeros) com base em uma abordagem de fonte-dreno e um modelo robusto de radiação que foram introduzidos em uma plataforma de modelagem tridimensional (GroIMP). As três abordagens foram avaliadas e seu desempenho foi determinado com base em condições experimentais para diferentes regiões brasileiras. O desempenho da nova versão do modelo SAMUCA em experimento de longo prazo e em diferentes condições brasileiras foi satisfatório e os índices de concordância foram próximos de outros modelos de cana-de-açúcar amplamente utilizados (CANEGRO e APSIM-Sugar). Além disso, a plataforma de simulação de culturas modulada pode ser usada para hospedar mais modelos de culturas e integrar novas características do sistema de cultivo brasileiro. O acoplamento do modelo SWAP-SAMUCA foi realizado e apesar não apresentar melhorias expressivas no desempenho do modelo em simular os componentes da cultura (com erro médio quadrático [RMSE] 6% menor), a habilidade do modelo SWAP-SAMUCA em simular o teor de água no solo mostrou-se consideravelmente superior em comparação ao modelo original (RMSE 32% menor). O MFEP para cana-de-açúcar foi capaz de simular o desenvolvimento do dossel, o processo de perfilhamento e o acúmulo de sacarose ao nível de órgãos e planta de forma satisfatória. Além de sua capacidade em simular com precisão a interceptação da radiação por cada estrutura do dossel, podendo auxiliar na compreensão do processo de competição intraespecífica entre perfilhos, a estrutura do MFEP da cana-de-açúcar também pode ser usada no apoio à pesquisa focando os mecanismos de acúmulo de sacarose e translocação de açúcares bem como em estudos de consórcio em cana-de-açúcar, como têm sido realizado com sucesso para outras culturas nos últimos anos.

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Chew, Yin Hoon. "Multi-scale whole-plant model of Arabidopsis growth to flowering." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/8008.

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In this study, theoretical and experimental approaches were combined, using Arabidopsis as the studied species. The multi-scale model incorporates the following, existing sub-models: a phenology model that can predict the flowering time of plants grown in the field, a gene circuit of the circadian clock network that regulates flowering through the photoperiod pathway, a process-based model describing carbon assimilation and resource partitioning, and a functional-structural module that determines shoot structure for light interception and root growth. First, the phenology model was examined on its ability to predict the flowering time of field plantings at different sites and seasons in light of the specific meteorological conditions that pertained. This analysis suggested that the synchrony of temperature and light cycles is important in promoting floral initiation. New features were incorporated into the phenology model that improved its predictive accuracy across seasons. Using both lab and field data, this study has revealed an important seasonal effect of night temperatures on flowering time. Further model adjustments to describe phytochrome (phy) mutants supported the findings and implicated phyB in the temporal gating of temperature-induced flowering. The improved phenology model was next linked to the clock gene circuit model. Simulation of clock mutants with different free-running periods highlighted the complex mechanism associated with daylength responses for the induction of flowering. Finally, the carbon assimilation and functional-structural growth modules were integrated to form the multi-component, whole-plant model. The integrated model was successfully validated with experimental data from a few genotypes grown in the laboratory. In conclusion, the model has the ability to predict the flowering time, leaf biomass and ecosystem exchange of plants grown under conditions of varying light intensity, temperature, CO2 level and photoperiod, though extensions of some model components to incorporate more biological details would be relevant. Nevertheless, this meso-scale model creates obvious application routes from molecular and cellular biology to crop improvement and biosphere management. It could provide a framework for whole-organism modelling to help address global issues such as food security and the energy crisis.

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Thorp, Kelly R., Douglas J. Hunsaker, Kevin F. Bronson, Pedro Andrade-Sanchez, and Edward M. Barnes. "Cotton Irrigation Scheduling Using a Crop Growth Model and FAO-56 Methods: Field and Simulation Studies." AMER SOC AGRICULTURAL & BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERS, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/626603.

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Crop growth simulation models can address a variety of agricultural problems, but their use to directly assist in-season irrigation management decisions is less common. Confidence in model reliability can be increased if models are shown to provide improved in-season management recommendations, which are explicitly tested in the field. The objective of this study was to compare the CSM-CROPGRO-Cotton model (with recently updated ET routines) to a well-tested FAO-56 irrigation scheduling spreadsheet by (1) using both tools to schedule cotton irrigation during 2014 and 2015 in central Arizona and (2) conducting a post-hoc simulation study to further compare outputs from these tools. Two replications of each irrigation scheduling treatment and a water-stressed treatment were established on a 2.6 ha field. Irrigation schedules were developed on a weekly basis and administered via an overhead lateral-move sprinkler irrigation system. Neutron moisture meters were used weekly to estimate soil moisture status and crop water use, and destructive plant samples were routinely collected to estimate cotton leaf area index (LAI) and canopy weight. Cotton yield was estimated using two mechanical cotton pickers with differing capabilities: (1) a two-row picker that facilitated manual collection of yield samples from 32 m(2) areas and (2) a four-row picker equipped with a sensor-based cotton yield monitoring system. In addition to statistical testing of field data via mixed models, the data were used for post-hoc reparameterization and fine-tuning of the irrigation scheduling tools. Post-hoc simulations were conducted to compare measured and simulated evapotranspiration, crop coefficients, root zone soil moisture depletion, cotton growth metrics, and yield for each irrigation treatment. While total seasonal irrigation amounts were similar among the two scheduling tools, the crop model recommended more water during anthesis and less during the early season, which led to higher cotton fiber yield in both seasons (p < 0.05). The tools calculated cumulative evapotranspiration similarly, with root mean squared errors (RMSEs) less than 13%; however, FAO-56 crop coefficient (K-c) plots demonstrated subtle differences in daily evapotranspiration calculations. Root zone soil moisture depletion was better calculated by CSM-CROPGRO-Cotton, perhaps due to its more complex soil profile simulation; however, RMSEs for depletion always exceeded 20% for both tools and reached 149% for the FAO-56 spreadsheet in 2014. CSM-CROPGRO-Cotton simulated cotton LAI, canopy weight, canopy height, and yield with RMSEs less than 21%, while the FAO-56 spreadsheet had no capability for such outputs. Through field verification and thorough post-hoc data analysis, the results demonstrated that the CSM-CROPGRO-Cotton model with updated FAO-56 ET routines could match or exceed the accuracy and capability of an FAO-56 spreadsheet tool for cotton water use calculations and irrigation scheduling.

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Du, Lac Melchior. "Modelling and simulation of heterogeneous growth dynamics in bacterial populations using a novel multiphasic growth method." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2017. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/100879/.

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The cell cycle is an inevitable source of population heterogeneity, that creates predictable discontinuities. By summarising the canonical understanding of the major steps within the bacterial cell cycle into a mechanistic model, the Cooper-Helmstetter model is able to formally describe a number of population properties such as age, DNA and volume distributions. Although this model successfully describes many different attributes of a bacterial population, it is limited to exponential growth conditions. Outside of rigorous growth environments, bacterial populations contain innate temporal features that make them di cult to formalise theoretically using traditional mechanistic or equation based mathematical models. To model bacterial population cell cycle outside of exponential growth, the single cell cycle mechanistic model was inspected and expanded. A new individual based model was developed and a novel method to track the growth of a population using measured optical density data alone was developed. Together these new features made for the Heterogeneous Multiphasic Growth simulator, and were used to explore the chromosomal DNA dynamics of bacterial populations in disparate growth regimes. The effects of the recA1 mutation on the dynamics of the cell cycle was examined through optimisation to measured data. Furthermore, predictive modelling of theoretical effects of gene copy number and partition noise on synthetic genetic constructs expressed as ordinary differential equations were explored theoretically. By explicitly simulating each member of a population using such a method, a wide range of different aspects of bacterial population may be approached theoretically with more ease, and throughout more diverse growth dynamics.

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Mira, Francisco Infante Fialho Caeiro. "Análise descritiva e modelação do crescimento e desenvolvimento do Miscanthus x giganteus no ano de instalação." Master's thesis, ISA/UTL, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/3992.

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Mestrado em Engenharia Agronómica - Instituto Superior de Agronomia
A key strategy in tackling the issue of greenhouse gas emissions is associated with the replacement of fossil energies by renewable ones. This is why, in this context, the recent interest in using biomass as an energy source is increasing, mainly as biofuels - fuels originating from energy crops. The essay here presented is therefore central in this subject area, contributing to the study of an energy crop with high potential in our country, the Miscanthus x giganteus. The main goals of this dissertation include a propagation study of the species, the analysis of the crops growth in Portugal in the year of installation through a field experiment, and the development of a growth and crop productivity model in the year of crop installation. With regard to vegetative propagation Miscanthus x giganteus showed the best results when rhizomes with four internodes were used (larger fragments). In the growth analysis for the year of installation Miscanthus x giganteus showed a fast and effective establishment, reaching a productivity of 13.8 t ha-1. By modeling the culture‟s growth behavior it was possible to obtain a successful development and total biomass productivity model, wich showed reasonable results in several areas of the country with different agro-ecological conditions

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Georgis, Kidane. "The effect of fertiliser management practices on soil organic matter production in the semi-arid areas : a field and modelling approach." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1997. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09AFP/09afpg352.pdf.

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Bibliography: leaves 155-169. Studies the effect of nitrogen fertilizer on dry matter production under differing watering regimes. Investigates the accuracy of different crop and soil organic matter models for predicting crop yield, nitrogen uptake and changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen. Compares the models with data from long-term field experiments on wheat in Australia and sorghum in Ethiopia. Finds that a higher crop yield and better nitrogen and water utilisation can be achieved if addition of nitrogen fertilizer is balanced with soil water.

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Puvvala, Bhanu Sai Kishore. "3-D Simulation of Multi Cells and Growth Model - A Case Study InCompuCell3D." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1542724057475403.

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Sayginer, Osman. "Modelling and simulation of novel optoacoustic sensors for monitoring crack growth in pressure vessel steels." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Trento, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11572/304021.

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The acoustic emission technique is an effective way to acquire crack information from material bodies at the microscopic level. Monitoring of the acoustic emission events provides a deeper understanding regarding the structural health status of critical constructions such as bridges, railways, pipelines, pressure vessels, etc. Thanks to the acoustic emission monitoring systems, it is possible to avoid catastrophic events and save lives, time, and money. For this reason, efforts to develop new acoustic emission sensor technologies, as well as the use of current acoustic emission sensors in new research fields, will contribute to the limited literature sources. Optical sensing systems provide good alternatives to the existing sensing technologies because of their wide range of detection bandwidths, adaptation to harsh environments, and low sensitivity to electromagnetic interference. For this reason, the first part of this thesis demonstrates an optoacoustic sensing methodology that enables the detection of acoustic emissions by optics. This sensing system consists of thin-film optical filters (TFOF) and an elastic microcavity layer. The sensing mechanism is similar to the Fabry Perot structures and it relies on resonance shifts of the cavity when there is a change in the cavity thickness similar to the Fabry Perot structures. Thus, the design, fabrication, and demonstration steps of a Fabry Perot elastic microcavity have been presented. Throughout the fabrication efforts, a new deposition protocol was developed. This deposition technique has enabled the deposition of TFOF on flexible substrates via the RF-sputtering technique. Thus, a new sensing configuration has been developed using flexible optical components. In the second chapter, an optical sensing methodology based on tunable spectral filters and flexible optical components is introduced. The design, fabrication, realization, and characterization of a proof-of-concept optomechanical sensor have been presented. The design step includes optical, mechanical, and optoacoustic correlation simulations using the Transfer Matrix Method, finite element analysis, and analytical models. Moreover, the fabrication part includes multilayer deposition on silica and flexible substrates using the RF-Sputtering technique and integration of these optical components into a 3D-printed housing together with electronic components. Eventually, the performance evaluation of the optomechanical sensor has been carried out and the experimental results showed that the sensor resonance frequency is around 515 Hz and the sensor is capable of detecting static loadings from 50 Pa to 235 Pa values. In the fourth chapter, seismic vulnerability analysis of a coupled Tank-Piping System has been performed using traditional acoustic emission sensors. Real-time performance evaluation of the pipeline as well as the structural health status of the critical parts were monitored. As a result, deformation levels of each critical part were investigated, and the processing of acoustic emission signals provided a more in-depth view of damage level of the analyzed components. Throughout the thesis, TFOFs are an integral part of this thesis. Therefore, both the design and simulation of TFOFs play a crucial role throughout this research work. The Transfer Matrix Method is used to simulate the optical performance of TFOFs. Moreover, in the final chapter, an automated design framework is presented for the design of TFOFs using a nature-inspired machine learning approach called Genetic algorithm. This design approach enables the design of sophisticated geometric configurations with unique optical capabilities. Therefore, not only the improvement of sensor response but also the new ways in the development of novel optical systems are demonstrated in this final chapter.

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Brogi, Cosimo [Verfasser], and Johan Alexander [Akademischer Betreuer] Huisman. "Geophysics-based soil mapping for improved modelling of spatial variability in crop growth and yield / Cosimo Brogi ; Betreuer: Johan Alexander Huisman." Stuttgart : Universitätsbibliothek der Universität Stuttgart, 2019. http://d-nb.info/1205315969/34.

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Kim, D. H. "Modelling urban growth : towards an agent based microeconomic approach to urban dynamics and spatial policy simulation." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2012. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1380772/.

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Urban growth, urban sprawl if uncoordinated and dispersed, can be considered one of the most important policy agendas in modern urban regions. While no single policy option or remedy exists, understanding the urban growth system is the first step towards sustainable urban growth futures. Spatially explicit and dynamic urban growth models provide valuable simulations that encapsulate essential knowledge in planning and policy making such as how and where urban growth can occur and what the driving forces of such changes are. Over the past two decades, cellular automata (CA) models have proven to be an effective modelling approach to the study of complex urban growth systems. More recently Agent Based Modelling (ABM) has developed to yield a useful framework for understanding complex urban systems and this provides an arena for exploring the possible outcome states of various policy actions. Yet most research efforts of this sort adopt physical and heuristic approaches which tend to neglect socio-economic dynamics which is critical in shaping urban form and its transformation. This thesis aims to develop an agent based urban simulation model which has a more rigid theoretical explanation of agent behaviour than most such models hitherto. However, before developing such an agent based model, this study first conducted a series of experimental simulations with two well-known generic CA based urban models, SLEUTH and Metronamica, in order to better understand the complexity of designing and applying this class of urban models. Although CA and ABM are two distinctive modelling approaches, they share certain fundamentals concerning the complexity of systems and thus the empirical simulations with widely used CA models provide useful insights for the development of a new dedicated agent based urban growth model. For this purpose, each CA model is calibrated to the study area of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, Korea. The research then moves towards developing an agent based model based on microeconomic foundations. Utility maximising residential location choices made by households are modelled as the main impetus for urban growth through agglomeration and sprawl. Furthermore, based on such urban dynamics, alternative planning policy options such as greenbelts and public transportation are simulated so that their impacts can be clarified and assessed. In this way, the model is also able to examine how planning policies alter the economic utility of households and redirect market-led urban development. These results confirm the unique value of such modelling approaches. Yet, new research challenges such as the estimation of model parameters and the use of such models in planning support continue to dominate this field and in conclusion, we identify future research directions which build on these challenges.

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Mavromatis, Theodoros. "Impact of different methods of climate change scenario construction on the yield distributions of winter wheat using crop growth simulation models." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.361486.

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Persson, Tomas. "Modelling effects of Barley yellow dwarf virus on growth and yield of oats /." Uppsala : Dept. of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2006. http://epsilon.slu.se/200616.pdf.

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Aynsley, M. "Modelling and simulation of mycelial growth in submerged culture with application to the fed-batch penicillin fermentation." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1988. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.316130.

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Pant, Sudeep Raj. "Mathematical and physical modelling of crack growth near free boundaries in compression." University of Western Australia. School of Civil and Resource Engineering, 2005. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2005.0139.

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[Truncated abstract] The fracture of brittle materials in uniaxial compression is a complex process with the development of cracks generated from initial defects. The fracture mechanism and pattern of crack growth can be altered considerably by the presence of a free surface. In proximity of a free surface, initially stable cracks that require an increase in the load to maintain the crack growth can become unstable such that the crack growth maintains itself without requiring further increase in the load. This leads to a sudden relief of accumulated energy and, in some cases, to catastrophic failures. In the cases of rock and rock mass fracturing, this mechanism manifests itself as skin rockbursts and borehole breakouts or as various non-catastrophic forms of failure, e.g. spalling. Hence, the study of crack-boundary interaction is important in further understanding of such failures especially for the purpose of applications to resource engineering. Two major factors control the effect of the free boundary: the distance from the crack and the boundary shape. Both these factors as well as the effect of the initial defect and the material structure are investigated in this thesis. Three types of boundary shapes - rectilinear, convex and concave - are considered. Two types of initial defects - a circular pore and inclined shear cracks are investigated in homogeneous casting resin, microheterogeneous cement mixes and specially fabricated granulate material. The preexisting defects are artificially introduced in the physical model by the method of inclusion and are found to successfully replicate the feature of pre-existing defects in terms of load-deformation response to the applied external load. It is observed that the possibility of crack growth and the onset of unstable crack growth are affected by the type of initial defect, inclination of the initial crack, the boundary shape and the location of the initial defect with respect to the boundary. The initial defects are located at either the centre or edge of the sample. The stresses required for the wing crack initiation and the onset of unstable crack growth is highest for the initial cracks inclined at 35° to the compression axis, lowest at 45° and subsequently increases towards 60° for all the boundary shapes and crack locations. In the case of convex boundary, the stress of wing crack initiation and the stress of unstable crack growth are lower than for the case of rectilinear and concave boundary for all the crack inclinations and crack locations. The crack growth from a pre-existing crack in a sample with concave boundary is stable, requiring stress increase for each increment of crack growth. The stress of unstable crack growth for the crack situated at the edge of the boundary is lower than the crack located at the centre of the sample for all the crack inclinations and boundary shapes.

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Wickens, Patricia Anne. "Growth and simulation modelling studies of rock-lobster (Jasus lalandii) and mussel (Aulacomya ater) populations and their interactions." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21934.

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Bibliography: pages 86-95.
The availability of the ribbed mussel, Aulacomya ater is thought to be the most important factor influencing the growth rate of the commercial rocklobster, Jasus lalandii on the southern African west coast. A range of growth rates represented by von Bertalanffy growth curves is estimated for both A. ater and J. lalandii. Five models of differing complexity based on the age distributions of these populations are formulated with the main purpose of investigating optimal harvesting strategies for i, lalandii. Mussel and lobster single-species models are developed with constant recruitment, as is a lobster model incorporating a linear stock-recruitment relationship. Two models in which lobster growth is influenced by mussel availability are presented, one in which there is constant recruitment and the other having a linear stock-recruitment relationship for lobsters. Data are compiled for three areas of differing J. lalandii growth rates and A. ater biomass. Two are rock-lobster fishing grounds, the Cape Peninsula and Dassen Island at which there is a small and large benthic biomass and corresponding "slow" and "overall" estimates for rock-lobster growth, respectively. The third area is a rock-lobster sanctuary, Robben Island where there is a large benthic biomass and rock-lobsters grow at a "fast" rate. The mussel, lobster and lobster-mussel models assuming constant recruitment are used to examine the effects various parameters have on population si2e composition. Growth and predation have marked effects on the si2e structure of the prey population whereas the size composition of the predator population is greatly affected by growth and harvesting. The simplest of the four lobster models, the single-species constant recruitment model produced. the most practical management information. The lobster model incorporating a stock-recruitment relationship is unstable while the lobster-mussel model with constant recruitment requires finetuning. Only simulations of the Cape Peninsula fishing ground produced valid results using the lobster-mussel model with a stock-recruitment relationship. Based on the results of the most reliable models, three main conclusions about rock-lobster harvesting strategies are made. An increase in fishing pressure is unlikely to be commercially beneficial because of the resulting decrease in catch ·per unit effort. If opened to fishing, the Robben Island sanctuary is likely to produce a sustainable yield of at least 340 tons annually with a small reduction (7 %) in the size of this population. Although results differ from area to area according to growth and harvesting rates, reducing the minimum catchable size from the present 89 mm carapace length to 70 mm or 80 mm is predicted to give a better overall harvest. The more conservative estimate of 80 mm minimum catchable size may cause the least change to the ecosystem, possibly produce a catch of more marketable si2e and may guard against "recruitment overfishing".

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Seidel, Sabine. "Optimal simulation based design of deficit irrigation experiments." Doctoral thesis, Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-100254.

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There is a growing societal concern about excessive water and fertilizer use in agricultural systems. High water productivity while maintaining high crop yields can be achieved with appropriate irrigation scheduling. Moreover, freshwater pollution through nitrogen (N) leaching due to the widespread use of N fertilizers demands for an efficient N fertilization management. However, sustainable crop management requires good knowledge of soil water and N dynamics as well as of crop water and N demand. Crop growth models, which describe physical and physiological processes of crop growth as well as water and matter transport, are considered as powerful tools to assist in the optimization of irrigation and fertilization management. It is of a general nature that the reliability of simulation based predictions depends on the quality and quantity of the data used for model calibration and validation which can be obtained e.g. in field experiments. A lack of data or low data quality for model calibration and validation may cause low performance and large uncertainties in simulation results. The large number of model parameters to be calibrated requires appropriate calibration methods and a sequential calibration strategy. Moreover, a simulation based planning of the field design saves costs and expenditure while supporting maximal outcomes of experiments. An adjustment of crop growth modeling and experiments is required for model improvement and development to reliably predict crop growth and to generalize predicted results. In this research study, a new approach for simulation based optimal experimental design was developed aiming to integrate simulation models, experiments, and optimization methods in one framework for optimal and sustainable irrigation and N fertilization management. The approach is composed of three steps: 1. The preprocessing consists of the calibration and validation of the crop growth model based on existing experimental data, the generation of long time-series of climate data, and the determination of the optimal irrigation control. 2. The implementation comprises the determination and experimental application of the simulation based optimized deficit irrigation and N fertilization schedules and an appropriate experimental data collection. 3. The postprocessing includes the evaluation of the experimental results namely observed yield, water productivity (WP), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and economic aspects, as well as a model evaluation. Five main tools were applied within the new approach: an algorithm for inverse model parametrization, a crop growth model for simulating crop growth, water balance and N balance, an optimization algorithm for deficit irrigation and N fertilization scheduling, and a stochastic weather generator. Furthermore, a water flow model was used to determine the optimal irrigation control functions and for simulation based estimation of the optimal field design. The approach was implemented within three case studies presented in this work. The new approach combines crop growth modeling and experiments with stochastic optimization. It contributes to a successful application of crop growth modeling based on an appropriate experimental data collection. The presented model calibration and validation procedure using the collected data facilitates reliable predictions. The stochastic optimization framework for deficit irrigation and N fertilization scheduling proved to be a powerful tool to enhance yield, WP, NUE and profit
In der heutigen Gesellschaft gibt es zunehmend Bedenken gegenüber übermäßigem Wasser- und Düngereinsatz in der Landwirtschaft. Eine hohe Wasserproduktivität kann jedoch durch geeignete Bewässerungspläne mit hohen landwirtschaftlichen Erträgen in Einklang gebracht werden. Die mit der weitverbreiteten Stickstoffdüngung einhergehende Gewässerbelastung aufgrund von Stickstoffauswaschung erfordert zudem ein effizientes Stickstoffmanagement. Eine entsprechende ressourceneffiziente Landbewirtschaftung bedarf präzise Kenntnisse der Bodenwasser- und Stickstoffdynamiken sowie des Pflanzenwasser- und Stickstoffbedarfs. Als leistungsfähige Werkzeuge zur Unterstützung bei der Optimierung von Bewässerungs-und Düngungsplänen werden Pflanzenwachstumsmodelle eingesetzt, welche die physischen und physiologischen Prozesse des Pflanzenwachstums sowie die physikalischen Prozesse des Wasser- und Stofftransports abbilden. Hierbei hängt die Zuverlässigkeit dieser simulationsbasierten Vorhersagen von der Qualität und Quantität der bei der Modellkalibrierung und -validierung verwendeten Daten ab, welche beispielsweise in Feldversuchen erfasst werden. Fehlende Daten oder Daten mangelhafter Qualität bei der Modellkalibrierung und -validierung führen zu unzuverlässigen Simulationsergebnissen und großen Unsicherheiten bei der Vorhersage. Die große Anzahl an zu kalibrierenden Parametern erfordert zudem geeignete Kalibrierungsmethoden sowie eine sequenzielle Kalibrierungsstrategie. Darüber hinaus kann eine simulationsbasierte Planung des Versuchsdesigns Kosten und Aufwand reduzieren und zu weiteren experimentellen Erkenntnissen führen. Die Abstimmung von Pflanzenwachstumsmodellen und Versuchen ist zudem für die Modellentwicklung und -verbesserung sowie für eine Verallgemeinerung von Simulationsergebnissen unabdingbar. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde ein neuer Ansatz für ein simulationsbasiertes optimales Versuchsdesign entwickelt. Ziel war es, Simulationsmodelle, Versuche und Optimierungsmethoden in einem Ansatz für optimales und nachhaltiges Bewässerungs- und Düngungsmanagement zu integrieren. Der Ansatz besteht aus drei Schritten: 1. Die Vorbereitungsphase beinhaltet die auf existierenden Versuchsdaten basierende Kalibrierung und Validierung des Pflanzenwachstumsmodells, die Generierung von Klimazeitreihen und die Bestimmung der optimalen Bewässerungssteuerung. 2. Die Durchführungsphase setzt sich aus der Erstellung und experimentellen Anwendung der simulationsbasierten optimierten Defizitbewässerungs- und Stickstoffdüngungspläne und der Erfassung der relevanten Versuchsdaten zusammen. 3. Die Auswertungsphase schließt eine Evaluierung der Versuchsergebnisse anhand ermittelter Erträge, Wasserproduktivitäten (WP), Stickstoffnutzungseffizienzen (NUE) und ökonomischer Aspekte, sowie eine Modellevaluierung ein. In dem neuen Ansatz kamen im Wesentlichen folgende fünf Werkzeuge zur Anwendung: Ein Algorithmus zur inversen Modellparametrisierung, ein Pflanzenwachstumsmodell, welches das Pflanzenwachstum sowie die Wasser- und Stickstoffbilanzen abbildet, ein evolutionärer Optimierungsalgorithmus für die Generierung von defizitären Bewässerungs- und Stickstoffplänen und ein stochastischer Wettergenerator. Zudem diente ein Bodenwasserströmungsmodell der Ermittlung der optimalen Bewässerungssteuerung und der simulationsbasierten Optimierung des Versuchsdesigns. Der in dieser Arbeit vorgestellte Ansatz wurde in drei Fallbeispielen angewandt. Der neue Ansatz kombiniert Pflanzenwachstumsmodellierung und Experimente mit stochastischer Optimierung. Er leistet einen Beitrag zu einer erfolgreichen Pflanzenwachstumsmodellierung basierend auf der Erfassung relevanter Versuchsdaten. Die vorgestellte Modellkalibrierung und -validierung unter Verwendung der erfassten Versuchsdaten trug wesentlich zu zuverlässigen Simulationsergebnissen bei. Darüber hinaus stellt die hier vorgestellte stochastische Optimierung von defizitären Bewässerungs- und Stickstoffplänen ein leistungsfähiges Werkzeug dar, um Erträge, WP, NUE und den Profit zu erhöhen

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Sistla, Sree Koundinya [Verfasser]. "Numerical Modelling and Simulation of Temperature Fields, Densification and Grain Growth during Field Assisted Sintering Technology / Sree Koundinya Sistla." Düren : Shaker, 2021. http://d-nb.info/1240853653/34.

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Pötschke, Markus. "Simulation of electric field-assisted nanowire growth from aqueous solutions." Doctoral thesis, Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2016. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-194735.

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The present work is aimed at investigating the mechanisms of nanowire growth from aqueous solutions through a physical and chemical modeling. Based on this modeling, deriving an optimized process control is intended. The work considers two methods of nanowire growth. The first is the dielectrophoretic nanowire assembly from neutral molecules or metal clusters. Secondly, in the directed electrochemical nanowire assembly metal-containing ions are reduced in an AC electric field in the vicinity of the nanowire tip and afterwards deposited at the nanowire surface. To describe the transport and growth processes, continuum models are employed. Furthermore, it has been necessary to consider electro-kinetic fluid flows to match the experimental observations. The occurring partial differential equations are solved numerically by means of finite element method (FEM). The effect of the process parameters on the nanowire growth are analyzed by comparing experimental results to a parameter study. The evaluation has yielded that an AC electro-osmotic fluid flow has a major influence on the dielectrophoretic nanowire assembly regarding the growth velocity and morphology. In the case of directed electrochemical nanowire assembly, the nanowire morphology can be controlled by the applied AC signal shape. Based on the nanowire growth model, an optimized AC signal has been designed, whose parametrization allows to adjust to the chemical precursor and the desired nanowire diameter
Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, mittels physikalischer und chemischer Modelle die Mechanismen des Nanodrahtwachstums aus wässrigen Lösungen zu erforschen und daraus eine optimierte Prozesskontrolle abzuleiten. Dabei werden zwei Verfahren des Nanodrahtwachstums näher betrachtet: Dies sind die dielektrophoretische Assemblierung von neutralen Molekülen oder Metallclustern sowie die gerichtete elektrochemische Nanodrahtabscheidung (engl. directed electrochemical nanowire assembly), bei der metallhaltige Ionen im elektrischen Wechselfeld an der Nanodrahtspitze zunächst reduziert und anschließend als Metallatome abgeschieden werden. Zur Beschreibung der Transport- und Wachstumsprozesse werden Kontinuumsmodelle eingesetzt. Darüber hinaus hat es sich als notwendig erwiesen, elektrokinetische Fluidströmungen zu berücksichtigen, um die experimentellen Beobachtungen zu reproduzieren. Die auftretenden partiellen Differenzialgleichungen werden mittels der Finiten Elemente Methode (FEM) numerisch gelöst. Die Auswirkungen der Prozessparameter auf das Nanodrahtwachstum werden durch den Vergleich von experimentellen Ergebnissen mit Parameterstudien analysiert. Die Auswertung hat ergeben, dass für das dielektrophoretische Wachstum ein durch Wechselfeldelektroosmose (engl. AC electro-osmosis) angetriebener Fluidstrom die Drahtwachstumsgeschwindigkeit und -morphologie maßgeblich beeinflusst. Im Falle der gerichteten elektrochemischen Nanodrahtabscheidung lässt sich die Drahtmorphologie über das angelegte elektrische Wechselsignal steuern. Unter Verwendung des Wachstumsmodells ist ein optimiertes Signal generiert worden, dessen Parametrisierung eine gezielte Anpassung auf den chemischen Ausgangsstoff und den gewünschten Drahtdurchmesser erlaubt

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Prats, Soler Clara. "Individual-based modelling of bacterial cultures in the study of the lag phase." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/6590.

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La microbiologia predictiva és una de les parts més importants de la microbiologia dels aliments. En el creixement d'un cultiu bacterià es poden observar quatre fases: latència, exponencial, estacionària i mort. La fase de latència té un interès específic en microbiologia predictiva; al llarg de dècades ha estat abordada des de dues perspectives diferents: a nivell cel·lular i intracel·lular (escala microscòpica), i a nivell de població (escala macroscòpica). La primera estudia els processos que tenen lloc a l'interior dels bacteris durant la seva adaptació a les noves condicions del medi, com els canvis en l'expressió gènica i en el metabolisme. La segona descriu l'evolució de la població bacteriana per mitjà de models matemàtics continus i d'experiments que avaluen variables relacionades amb la densitat cel·lular.
L'objectiu d'aquest treball és millorar la comprensió de la fase de latència dels cultius bacterians i dels fenòmens intrínsecs a la mateixa. Aquest objectiu s'ha abordat amb la metodologia Individual-based Modelling (IbM) amb el simulador INDISIM (INDividual DIScrete SIMulation), que ha calgut optimitzar. La IbM introdueix una perspectiva mecanicista a través de la modelització de les cèl·lules com a unitats bàsiques. Les simulacions IbM permeten estudiar el creixement d'entre 1 i 106 bacteris, així com els fenòmens que emergeixen de la interacció entre ells. Aquests fenòmens pertanyen al que anomenem escala mesoscòpica. Aquesta perspectiva és imprescindible per entendre l'efecte en la població dels processos d'adaptació individuals. Per tant, la metodologia IbM és un pont entre els individus i la població o, el que és el mateix, entre els models a escala microscòpica i a escala macroscòpica.
En primer lloc hem estudiat dos dels diversos mecanismes que poden causar la fase de latència: inòculs amb massa mitjana petita, i canvis de medi.
S'ha verificat també la relació de la durada de la latència amb variables com la temperatura o la grandària de l'inòcul. En aquest treball s'ha identificat la distribució de biomassa del cultiu com una variable cabdal per analitzar l'evolució del cultiu durant el cicle de creixement. S'han definit les funcions matemàtiques que anomenem distàncies per avaluar quantitativament l'evolució d'aquesta distribució.
Hem abordat, també, la fase de latència des d'un punt de vista teòric. L'evolució de la velocitat de creixement al llarg del cicle ha permès distingir dues etapes en la fase de latència que anomenem inicial i de transició. L'etapa de transició s'ha descrit per mitjà d'un model matemàtic continu validat amb simulacions INDISIM. S'ha constatat que la fase de latència ha de ser vista com un procés dinàmic, i no com un simple període de temps descrit per un paràmetre. Les funcions distància també s'han utilitzat per avaluar les propietats del creixement balancejat.
Alguns dels resultats de les simulacions amb INDISIM s'han corroborat experimentalment per mitjà de citometria de flux. S'ha comprovat, al llarg de les diverses fases del creixement, el comportament de la distribució de biomassa previst per simulació, així com l'evolució de les funcions distància. La coincidència entre els resultats experimentals i els de simulació no és trivial, ja que el sistema estudiat és molt complex. Per tant, aquests resultats permeten comprovar la bondat de la metodologia INDISIM.
Finalment, hem avançat en l'optimització d'eines per parametritzar IbMs, un pas essencial per poder utilitzar les simulacions INDISIM de manera quantitativa. S'han adaptat i assajat els mètodes grid search, NMTA i NEWUOA. Aquest darrer mètode ha donat els millors resultats en termes de temps, mantenint una bona precisió en els valors òptims dels paràmetres.
Per concloure, podem afirmar que INDISIM ha estat validat com una bona eina per abordar l'estudi dels estats transitoris com la fase de latència.
Predictive food microbiology has become an important specific field in microbiology. Bacterial growth of a batch culture may show up to four phases: lag, exponential, stationary and death. The bacterial lag phase, which is of specific interest in the framework of predictive food microbiology, has generally been tackled with two generic approaches: at a cellular and intracellular level, which we call the microscopic scale, and at a population level, which we call the macroscopic scale. Studies at the microscopic level tackle the processes that take place inside the bacterium during its adaptation to the new conditions such as the changes in genetic expression and in metabolism.
Studies at the macroscopic scale deal with the description of a population growth cycle by means of mathematical continuous modelling and experimental measurements of the variables related to cell density evolution.
In this work we aimed to improve the understanding of the lag phase in bacterial cultures and the intrinsic phenomena behind it. This has been carried out from the perspective of Individual-based Modelling (IbM) with the simulator INDISIM (INDividual DIScrete SIMulation), which has been specifically improved for this purpose. IbM introduces a mechanistic approach by modelling the cell as an individual unit. IbM simulations deal with 1 to 106 cells, and allow specific study of the phenomena that emerge from the interaction among cells. These phenomena belong to the mesoscopic level.
Mesoscopic approaches are essential if we are to understand the effects of cellular adaptations at an individual level in the evolution of a population.
Thus, they are a bridge between individuals and population, or, to put it another way, between models at a microscopic scale and models at a macroscopic scale.
First, we studied separately two of the several mechanisms that may cause a lag phase: the lag caused by the initial low mean mass of the inoculum, and the lag caused by a change in the nutrient source. The relationship among lag duration and several variables such as temperature and inoculum size were also checked.
This analysis allowed identification of the biomass distribution as a very important variable to follow the evolution of the culture during the growth cycle. A mathematical tool was defined in order to assess its evolution during the different phases of growth: the distance functions.
A theoretical approach to the culture lag phase through the dynamics of the growth rate allowed us to split this phase into two stages: initial and transition. A continuous mathematical model was built in order to shape the transition stage, and it was checked with INDISIM simulations. It was seen that the lag phase must be defined as a dynamic process rather than as a simple period of time. The distance functions were also used to discuss the balanced growth conditions.
Some of the reported INDISIM simulation results were subjected to experimental corroboration by means of flow cytometry, which allow the assessment of size distributions of a culture through time. The dynamics of biomass distribution given by INDISIM simulations were checked, as well as the distance function evolution during the different phases of growth.
The coincidence between simulations and experiments is not trivial: the system under study is complex; therefore, the coincidence in the dynamics of the different modelled parameters is a validation of both the model and the simulation methodology.
Finally, we have made progress in IbM parameter estimation methods, which is essential to improve quantitative processing of INDISIM simulations.
Classic grid search, NMTA and NEWUOA methods were adapted and tested, the latter providing better results with regard to time spent, which maintains satisfactory precision in the parameter estimation results.
Above all, the validity of INDISIM as a useful tool to tackle transient processes such as the bacterial lag phase has been amply demonstrated.

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Llopart, Prieto Llorenç. "Modelling And Analysis Of Crack Turning On Aeronautical Structures." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/6055.

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La motivació de la tesis deriva en el interès de la indústria aeronàutica a explotar, per mitjà d'un disseny adaptat, la utilització del gir d'esquerda per protegir els reforços situats davant una esquerda que s'està propagant en la xapa d'una estructura integral. L'objectiu principal és l'avaluació i predicció del gir d'esquerda en situacions de càrrega pròximes a Mode I, proporcionant una eina de modelització i un criteri confident. L'entorn industrial sota el qual s'ha realitzat aquest treball requereix una predicció ràpida del comportament estructural proporcionant informació útil als constructors. Per aquest motiu la predicció del gir d'esquerda s'ha investigat utilitzant la teoria linear elàstica de la mecànica de la fractura (LEFM) i l'anàlisi amb elements finits (FEA).
Durant aquest treball s'ha demostrat la importància i necessitat de caracteritzar el camp de tensions a la punta de l'esquerda amb el factor d'intensitat de tensió (SIF) conjuntament amb un segon paràmetre. La tensió uniforme, no singular, normal a la línea de l'esquerda i dependent en la geometria i càrrega de la proveta, es a dir la tensió T, ha estat seleccionada com a segon paràmetre per dur a terme les prediccions del gir d'esquerda.
El criteri més desenvolupat per predir el gir d'esquerda en situacions pròximes a Mode I és el proposat per Buczek, Herakovich, Boone et al., anomenat WEFO en la tesis. Aquest combina el criteri de tensió principal màxima amb la tensió T i considera efectes d'anisotropia.
LEFM s'ha utilitzat també en la predicció del gir d'esquerda sota càrregues quasi estàtiques controlant en tot moment la plastificació del lligament.
En la investigació d'eines de modelització/simulació s'ha tingut en compte les capacitats d'aquestes en el camp de la mecànica de la fractura, de disseny, d'implementació, així com la complexitat d'ús. Tot i que hi ha un gran ventall de Softwares que compleixen els requeriments assenyalats, només aquells que es trobaven a l'abast de l'autor s'han analitzat. StressCheck ha estat escollit com a resultat de la investigació. L'avaluació de la propagació de l'esquerda en provetes compactes en tensió (CT) i en provetes amb dos elements reforçants (2SP) sota els règims de Paris i Forman ha estat satisfactòria.
Un pas important ha estat la implementació de la capacitat d'extracció de la tensió T. La demostració de la fiabilitat en el seu càlcul s'ha demostrat mitjançant resultats en la literatura i càlculs analítics en provetes de doble biga en volada (DCB). Un aspecte a tenir en compte és la importància en realitzar anàlisis no linears geomètrics pel càlcul del SIF i la tensió T.
Prediccions en la trajectòria de l'esquerda s'han realitzat en base amb els resultats obtinguts en l'estudi de modelització. La millor trajectòria s'ha predit per mitjà del criteri WEFO. No obstant, les diferents trajectòries obtingudes per una esquerda propagant-se en la direcció T-L o L-T no són comparables amb els resultats experimentals.
Aquestes deficiències estan relacionades en la definició del punt d'inestabilitat de l'esquerda. Algunes referències posen de manifest que hi ha experiències on l'esquerda es comporta de forma estable tot i mostrar T > 0. Per un altre banda, els criteris WEF i WEFO defineixen la inestabilitat dependent d'una distancia específica del material, rc. Però la seva definició no és única i no existeix cap acord sobre el seu càlcul.
L'autor proposa un criteri derivat dels criteris existents i basant-se en els assajos, simulacions i resultats obtinguts. Aquest deriva del treball de Pettit i la tensió T normalitzada, TR, proposada per Pook.
La fiabilitat d'aquest criteri es demostra amb la proveta DCB. Les prediccions de la trajectòria de l'esquerda en la proveta cruciforme no són tant satisfactòries. Tot i així, s'ha d'accentuar que el criteri desenvolupat proporciona la predicció més acurada.
The motivation of this thesis started from the interest of aeronautical industry to exploit the utilization of crack turning to protect stiffeners in front of an approaching skin-crack in integral structures by a tailored design. The main objective was to assess and predict crack turning under nearly Mode I situations on structures that reproduce aeronautical conditions by providing a modelling tool and a reliable criterion. The industrial environmental in which this work has been carried out requires a fast prediction of the structural behaviour to provide useful inputs to aircraft designers. It is for this reason that the crack turning prediction was investigated by means of LEFM and FEA.
During this work it has been shown the importance and necessity of a second parameter for the characterisation of the stress field at the crack tip besides the SIF. Among the different proposed second parameters, the uniform non-singular stress, normal to the crack line and dependent on the type of loading and specimen geometry, i.e. the T-stress, was selected for crack turning predictions due to both calculation simplicity and its independence of the crack tip distance.
The most developed criterion for crack turning predictions near Mode I loading is the criterion proposed by Buczek, Herakovich and Boone et al., called the WEFO-criterion. This is the Maximal Principal Stress criterion implemented with the T-stress and taking into account anisotropic effects. A challenge of this thesis was to overcome the lack of prediction on crack turning provided by this last criterion.
Although the validity of LEFM is restricted, it was applied for the prediction of crack turning for quasi-static loading while paying attention to possible plastification.
A screening of existent commercial and non commercial tools was carried out in respect to their fracture mechanics capabilities, their design abilities, implementation as well as their complexity. Although, there are many software possibilities, only those within the reach of the author were evaluated. This resulted in the selection of the commercial tool StressCheck®. The assessment of crack propagation on compact tension and two stringer specimens governed by the Paris and Forman regimes was satisfactory compared with experimental results using the material data from simple standard specimens.
An important step was the implementation of the T-stress extraction facility in the tool and the evidence of its reliability. The latter was proved by literature and analytical calculations on DCB specimens. An important finding was the importance to perform geometric non-linear analyses for computing SIF and T-stress to find values comparable with literature data and analytical calculations.
Taking into account the results obtained on the modelling study, crack path predictions were performed. The best prediction by means of existing criteria was reached by the WEFO-criterion. Different crack paths were predicted for a crack propagating in T-L or L-T directions. However, these predictions were not satisfactorily reliable: the point in the crack path where crack turning should take place was not predicted adequately.
Additionally, the crack paths were similar for T L and L-T directions.
These deficiencies are related with the definition of the crack path instability.
Some literature results have shown that in some experiences the crack behaved in a stable manner even if T > 0. Moreover, WEF and WEFO criteria define crack instability to be related with a material specific distance, rc, but, there is no agreement about its definition.
Based on tests, simulation results and observations noted during this work, a compilation criterion was proposed. This is based on the work of Pettit and the normalised T-stress, TR, proposed by Pook.
Its reliability was successfully proved on the DCB. The crack path predictions on the CFS were not as satisfactory. But even at its worst the developed criterion was the most accurate.

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29

Kloß, Sebastian. "Simulation-Optimization of the Management of Sensor-Based Deficit Irrigation Systems." Doctoral thesis, Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2016. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-188762.

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Current research concentrates on ways to investigate and improve water productivity (WP), as agriculture is today’s predominant freshwater consumer, averaging at 70% and reaching up to 93% in some regions. A growing world population will require more food and thus more water for cultivation. Regions that are already affected by physical water scarcity and which depend on irrigation for growing crops will face even greater challenges regarding their water supply. Other problems in such regions are a variable water supply, inefficient irrigation practices, and over-pumping of available groundwater resources with other adverse effects on the ecosystem. To face those challenges, strategies are needed that use the available water resources more efficiently and allow farming in a more sustainable way. This work focused on the management of sensor-based deficit irrigation (DI) systems and improvements of WP through a combined approach of simulation-optimization and irrigation experiments. In order to improve irrigation control, a new sensor called pF-meter was employed, which extended the measurement range of the commonly used tensiometers from pF 2.9 to pF 7. The following research questions were raised: (i) Is this approach a suitable strategy to improve WP; (ii) Is the sensor for irrigation control suitable; (iii) Which crop growth models are suitable to be part of that approach; and (iv) Can the combined application with experiments prove an increase of WP? The stochastic simulation-optimization approach allowed deriving parameter values for an optimal irrigation control for sensor-based full and deficit irrigation strategies. Objective was to achieve high WP with high reliability. Parameters for irrigation control included irrigation thresholds of soil-water potentials because of the working principle behind plant transpiration where pressure gradients are transmitted from the air through the plant and into the root zone. Optimal parameter values for full and deficit irrigation strategies were tested in irrigation experiments in containers in a vegetation hall with drip irrigated maize and compared to schedule-based irrigation strategies with regard to WP and water consumption. Observation data from one of the treatments was used afterwards in a simulation study to systematically investigate the parameters for implementing effective setups of DI systems. The combination of simulation-optimization and irrigation experiments proved to be a suitable approach for investigating and improving WP, as well as for deriving optimal parameter values of different irrigation strategies. This was verified in the irrigation experiment and shown through overall high WP, equally high WP between deficit and full irrigation strategies, and achieved water savings. Irrigation thresholds beyond the measurement range of tensiometers are feasible and applicable. The pF-meter performed satisfactorily and is a promising candidate for irrigation control. Suitable crop models for being part of this approach were found and their properties formulated. Factors that define the behavior of DI systems regarding WP and water consumption were investigated and assessed. This research allowed for drawing the first conclusions about the potential range of operations of sensor-based DI systems for achieving high WP with high reliability through its systematical investigation of such systems. However, this study needs validation and is therefore limited with regard to exact values of derived thresholds.

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30

Qi, Rui. "Optimization and optimal control of plant growth : application of GreenLab model for decision aid in agriculture." Phd thesis, Châtenay-Malabry, Ecole centrale de Paris, 2010. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00494918.

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The objective of the thesis is to improve plant yield through optimization and optimal control based on the GreenLab plant growth model. Therefore, the thesis proposed a methodology for investigation of plant yield improvement，whose characteristics are that (1) investigations are all based on the functional-structural plant growth model GreenLab and (2) heuristic optimization algorithm and optimal control techniques are applied to the plant growth model in order to improve plant yield. By applying optimization techniques on different species of plants (crops or trees) and for different kinds of optimization problems, common characteristics that a plant with high yield should possess were obtained. The optimal results in the thesis revealed the source-sink dynamics during the plant growth. The optimization results can be considered as references to guide breeding for ideotype and to improve cultivation modes. The optimization application of GreenLab could thus be possibly used to the agricultural decision support system.To achieve the aims of the thesis, the thesis investigated the effects of endogenous factors and exogenous environmental factors of plant growth on plant yield separately. First, given environmental conditions, the thesis investigated endogenous factors, and then the thesis did optimal control on exogenous environmental factors given plant genotype. Therefore, the problems investigated in the thesis consist of general optimization problems and optimal control problems.The main contributions of the thesis include following issues: According to the species of plants, single optimization problems, multi-objective optimization problems and optimization problems with constraints with respect to plant endogenous factors were formulated and investigated, in order to find the ideotype of plants with high plant yield. A population based algorithm is more suitable for the optimization problems in this thesis. Due to its better performance compared with other heuristic optimization algorithms, all optimization problems were solved by a population-based, heuristic optimization algorithm, namely Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Optimal control on the pruning strategy was formulated and investigated in the thesis. As GreenLab can be considered as discrete dynamic system and the objective function of the optimal control problem is analytical, the gradient based method, which is based on the variational approach and Lagrange theory, was used to solve the optimal control problem. Moreover, the optimal solutions were compared with the ones found by PSO, in order to validate the PSO method. The insect population dynamics was modeled mathematically, which was compatible with the plant model GreenLab in terms of spatial and temporal scales, to study the effect of biotic factors on plant growth. The interaction among plants, pests and auxiliaries was implemented, and the ecosystem model, which involves the three tri-trophic components, was thus developed in the thesis. The tri-trophic ecosystem model can simulate the insect population dynamics and the plant growth with consideration of the interaction of insects. Moreover, the tri-trophic ecosystem model considered the partition of individuals in the insect population among plant organs, which is not taken into account in the previous works. A global sensitivity analysis method Morris method was used to analyze the most important parameters and the least influential parameters to model outputs of interest. Through optimization on pest management techniques, the optimal strategies of the application of the pest management techniques were obtained. Estimation of GreenLab parameters with about 400 sets of observation data of 44 tomato genotypes was done in the thesis, by using a generalized non-linear least square algorithm. Taking the estimated parameter values as parameter space, the GreenLab model parameters were optimized, in order to maximize the fruit yield. Through the analysis of the correlation of estimated and optimal parameters with the fruit yield by statistical analysis methods, the most important parameters that result in the difference of fruit yield were found. According to the correlation and optimization results, the phenotypic differences among genotypes were explained from the physiological point of view.

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31

Scarpare, Fábio Vale. "Simulação do crescimento da cana-de-açucar pelo modelo agrohidrológico SWAP/WOFOST." Universidade de São Paulo, 2011. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/11/11131/tde-12092011-172246/.

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Modelos de simulação têm sido utilizados em estudos agronômicos e ecológicos como ferramenta de pesquisa, possibilitando organizar o entendimento das respostas das plantas a diferentes condições ambientais e, consequentemente predizer a produtividade das culturas. O sucesso na aplicação de modelos depende de sua calibração e das avaliações efetuadas por meio da estimação dos índices morfofisiológicos e dos parâmetros tecnológicos de rendimento da cultura. No presente estudo os objetivos foram: utilizar o conjunto composto por um modelo agrohidrológico (SWAP, Soil Water Atmosphere and Plant) com um modelo genérico de crescimento de cultura (WOFOST, WOrld FOod STudies) adaptando-o para a cultura da cana-deaçúcar; usar o programa PEST (Parameter ESTimation) para calibrar e realizar a análise de sensibilidade dos parâmetros desse modelo; avaliar a eficácia do modelo calibrado e validado para a estimação de massa fresca de colmos industrializáveis por hectare (TCH) e avaliar a eficácia do modelo estimando as propriedades hidráulicas do solo por funções de pedotransferência (PTFs). Dados experimentais da cultivar SP 81- 3250 foram utilizadas para a calibração (4 ciclos de produção: cana planta e 3 socas conduzidas na usina Santa Adélia), na análise de sensibilidade (cana planta conduzida na usina Santa Adélia) e validação do modelo (8 ciclos de produção: cana planta e 3 socas conduzidas em 2 usinas). A produtividade média de 25 cultivares em 10 locais da região Centro-Sul foi utilizada para avaliar a eficiência do modelo validado na previsão de colheita. A avaliação desses procedimentos foi realizada por meio dos índices estatísticos: raiz quadrada dos quadrados dos desvios (RMSE), coeficiente de regressão linear (R2), índice de concordância (d) e índice de eficiência (E) em dados de matéria seca simuladas pelo modelo versus dados observados a campo. Bons resultados foram obtidos na calibração e validação do modelo, portanto conclui-se o SWAP/WOFOST apto na utilização da simulação da massa seca da parte aérea. De modo geral, o modelo mostrou alta sensibilidade relativa aos parâmetros do grupo de assimilação de CO2 para a massa seca final da parte aérea. Ainda, o programa PEST foi eficaz na otimização dos parâmetros hidráulicos confrontando o conteúdo de água no solo medido a campo pelo método gravimétrico versus simulado pelo modelo. A previsão de safra realizada pelo SWAP/WOFOST apresentou valores de RMSE semelhantes aos obtidos com o APSIM-Sugarcane. Contudo, por meio de outros índices estatísticos o desempenho do SWAP/WOFOST foi intermediário. A eficiência do modelo em simular a massa seca da parte aérea em ambos os ciclos estudados, cana planta e socas, não foi afetada quando os parâmetros hidráulicos do solo foram obtidos por meios de PTFs.
Simulation models have been used in agricultural and ecological studies as a research tool allowing to organize and comprehend crop response under different environmental conditions, and to predict crop yield. The successful application of models depends on its calibration and assessment performed through morphophysiological index estimation and technological parameters of crop yield. The aims of this study were: to use the combination of a hydrological model (SWAP, Soil Water Atmosphere and Plant) with a generic crop growth model (WOFOST, WOrld FOod STudies) adapted to the sugarcane crop; to use PEST software (Parameter ESTimation) to calibrate and perform the sensitivity analysis of the model parameters; to appraise the model efficiency in estimating fresh weight of cane stems per hectare (TCH) and also to evaluate the effectiveness of the model when estimating soil hydraulic properties generated by pedotransfer functions (PTFs). Experimental data from SP 81-3250 cultivar were used for calibration (4 production cycles: first year cane and 3 ratoons at Santa Adélia sugarcane mill planting area), sensitivity analysis (first year cane at Santa Adélia sugarcane mill planting area) and validation (8 production cycles: 2 first year cane and 6 ratoons at two other sugarcane mill planting areas). Average yield from 25 cultivars grown among 10 different sites in Brazilian South-Central region were used to evaluate the model efficiency on yield prediction. The root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), index of agreement (d) and coefficient of efficiency (E) were used to evaluate these procedures comparing above ground dry weight simulated by the model versus dry weight measured on the field. Good results were obtained during calibration and validation procedure; hence we may conclude that the SWAP/WOFOST model was able to predict sugarcane above ground dry weight. Model sensitivity analysis showed the group of CO2 assimilation parameters to be the most relevant determining final biomass. PEST software was effective in optimizing the hydraulic parameters by comparing the soil water content simulated by the model against water content measured on the field by the gravimetric method. TCH forecasts made by SWAP/WOFOST showed a similar RMSE as those obtained with the APSIMSugarcane model. However, evaluated by other statistical indexes, the SWAP/WOFOST model performance was intermediate. The model efficiency to simulate the above ground dry weight in crop cycles, first year cane and ratoon, was not affected when the hydraulic input parameters were generated by PTFs.

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32

Abi, Saab David. "Propriétés optiques, mécanismes de formation et applications du silicium noir." Thesis, Paris Est, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015PESC1001/document.

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Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous présentons un aperçu général des surfaces du silicium micro et nano structurées, appelées silicium noir (BSi), et obtenues par la gravure ionique réactive cryogénique (cryo-DRIE). Ces surfaces auto-générées peuvent être fabriquées dans un procédé en une seule étape fournissant de grandes surfaces à faible réflectivité sur une large gamme de longueurs d'onde et d'angles d'incidence. Nous examinons plusieurs aspects des surfaces du BSi, incluant les méthodes de fabrication, les applications, les méthodes de caractérisation de sa topographie, les techniques de modélisation pour les simulations optiques, et les mécanismes de croissance. Nous développons ensuite trois principales contributions que cette thèse apporte à l'état de l'art : une meilleure compréhension de la topographie du BSi, la modélisation de son comportement optique et un aperçu de ses mécanismes de formation. Nous développons une nouvelle technique de caractérisation topographique du BSi, utilisant un faisceau ionique localisé dans le plan de l'échantillon pour réaliser une nanotomographie qui reproduit les détails de structure avec une précision inférieure au micron. Nous présentons ensuite différentes méthodes de modélisation de cellules unitaires du BSi basées soit sur la topographie de la surface réelle obtenue, ou sur des formes géométriques équivalentes qui sont statistiquement représentatives de la topographie du BSi. Nous sommes capables d'obtenir une excellente concordance entre les simulations et les données expérimentales. Nous présentons également un modèle capable de simuler toute l'évolution de la surface du BSi allant d'un substrat plat jusqu'à sa topographie entièrement développée, en concordance avec des données obtenues expérimentalement. On produit un diagramme de phase qui saisit les combinaisons de paramètres responsables de la formation du BSi. Nous sommes en mesure de reproduire dans notre modèle, un certain nombre d'effets subtils qui mènent à la densification du motif observé, responsable de la formation du BSi pendant cryo-DRIE
In this thesis, we present a general overview of silicon micro and nanostructured surfaces, known as black silicon (BSi), fabricated with cryogenic deep reactive ion etching (cryo-DRIE). These self-generated surfaces can be fabricated in a single step procedure and provide large surfaces with reduced reflectance over a broad range of wavelengths and angles of incidence. We review several aspects of BSi surfaces, such as its fabrication methods, applications, topography characterization methods, modelling techniques for optical simulations, and growth mechanisms. We then develop three main contributions that this thesis brings to the state of the art: a better understanding of BSi topography, modelling of its optical behaviour and insights into its formation mechanism. We develop a novel BSi topographical characterisation technique which is based on in-plane focused ion beam nanotomography and can reproduce sample details with submicron accuracy. We then present different methods of modelling BSi unit cells, based either on real surface topography obtained using the aforementioned technique, or on equivalent geometric shapes that are statistically representative for BSi topography. We are capable to obtain excellent matching between simulations and experimental data. Finally, we present an experimentally-backed phenomenological model that is capable of simulating the entire evolution of a surface from a planar substrate to fully developed BSi topography. We produce a phase diagram which captures the parameter combinations responsible for BSi formation. We also observe experimentally, and are able to reproduce within our model, a number of subtle effects that lead to the observed pattern densification that is responsible for BSi formation during cryo-DRIE

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33

Detomini, Euro Roberto. "Atributos ecofisiológicos do híbrido DKB-390 e modelo estocástico para previsão da produtividade de grãos." Universidade de São Paulo, 2008. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/11/11143/tde-15072008-140048/.

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O milho é uma das culturas mais importantes do mundo, pois os produtos dele oriundos são largamente utilizados na indústria de amidos, na alimentação animal e humana, e também na produção de energia proveniente de biomassa. Por esse motivo, há sempre um grande interesse em conhecer a potencialidade de uso dos principais materiais genéticos disponíveis em relação aos ambientes em que serão inseridos. Este trabalho teve como objetivo central caracterizar, para o genótipo DKB-390 conduzido sob condição irrigada, atributos ecofisiológicos como área foliar, eficiência de uso da radiação, coeficiente de extinção, coeficientes de cultura, consumo hídrico e componentes de espiga; bem como conceitualizar modelos norteadores de manejo e de planejamento para cultura do milho, no intuito de obter a produtividade de grãos contemplada pelas incertezas climáticas diárias dos principais elementos do clima e suas correlações, para posteriormente se obter as correspondentes necessidades de água e de nitrogênio pela cultura. Para tanto, um experimento de campo foi conduzido, informações da literatura foram revisadas e levantadas, e modelos de previsão foram concebidos para a produtividade de grãos e para as demais variáveis de interesse. Como principais resultados, obteve-se: (i) sob condições adequadas de suprimento hídrico e de nitrogênio, o híbrido DKB-390 requer cerca de 573 litros de água para kg de grão que produz; (ii) o genótipo responde significativamente à segunda cobertura com nitrogênio, caso a cultura seja conduzida sob elevada população de plantas e adequado suprimento hídrico; (iii) a segunda cobertura com nitrogênio promoveu melhor manutenção da área foliar durante a fase de enchimento de grãos; (iv) o incremento da segunda cobertura de nitrogênio promoveu maior eficiência de uso da água pela cultura, bem como um leve aumento nos valores modais do número de grãos por fileira (da espiga) e da massa de 1000 grãos; (v) sob condições de adequado suprimento hídrico, o coeficiente de extinção médio, generalizado para todo o ciclo, é da ordem de 0,4267; valor que tende a ser maior na medida em que o suprimento de nitrogênio é menor; (vi) a eficiência de uso da radiação foi calculada em 3,52 g (fitomassa seca de parte aérea) MJ-1 (radiação solar fotossinteticamente ativa interceptada), tendo sido menor em função do emprego do regime de nitrogênio mais restritivo; (vii) os coeficientes de cultura obtidos do experimento podem ser utilizados para o manejo da irrigação do híbrido DKB-390, para os principais subperíodos, para que a produtividade não seja penalizada por déficit hídrico; (viii) o índice de colheita (expresso em relação à parte aérea) foi da ordem de 40% (variando entre 37% e 43%) sob condições de suprimento adequado de água e nitrogênio, valores que tenderam a ser maiores quando da restrição da segunda cobertura; (ix) o modelo determinístico proposto simulou adequadamente a evolução da produtividade de fitomassa de parte aérea do híbrido empregado, bem como sua produtividade de grãos sob adequadas condições de suprimento hídrico e de nitrogênio; (x) o modelo determinístico simulou adequadamente as evapotranspirações diárias o consumo hídrico através do método de Penman-Monteith; (xi) o modelo estocástico sugerido mostrou-se satisfatório, mediante o uso da distribuição normal bivariada das variáveis radiação solar e temperatura média do ar, para simular a produtividade de grãos sob condições de suprimento hídrico adequado e sob déficit moderado; e (xii) aparentemente, o modelo estocástico necessita ser melhorado quanto à capacidade de previsão das necessidades hídricas e de nitrogênio, pois tende claramente a subestimar as primeiras e superestimar as segundas.
Maize is on of the world most important crops, given that the products generated from this cereal are largely used by sectors like starch industry, animal and human nutrition, as well as biomass energy production and refineries. For these reasons, there is frequently a huge interest in knowing the potential adoption of the main available genotypes in relation to the environment in which they will be supposedly subjected. Considering the hybrid DKB-390 under full irrigated conditions, this work has as the central objective to characterize the most important ecophysiological attributes such as leaf area, radiation use efficiency, extinction coefficient, crop coefficients, water use and ear yield components. Additionaly, specif goals were to conceptualize models applicable for both management and planning of maize crops in order to predict the grain productivity contemplated by daily climate incertainties of the driven climate variables (i.e. radiation and temperature) and their correlation, then to achieve the water and nitrogen requirement corresponding to the predicted productivity. A field experiment was carried out, useful information from literature were obtained and reviewed, and models were created towards to support the prediction tools. The following outcomes might be highligthed: (i) under suitable conditions of both nitrogen and water supply, hybrid DKB-390 requires about 573 litters of water per each kilogram of produced grain; (ii) the genotype is significantly responsive to the second nitrogen covering when growing under high plant population and suitable water supply; (iii) the second nitrogen covering has enhanced better leaf area maintainance during grain filling stage; (iv) the second nitrogen covering has led to a better water use efficiency, as well as slightly increased modal values of the number of kernels per row (of ear) and the mass of a thousand kernels; (v) under suitable water supply, averaged extinction coefficient might be generalized as 0.4267 throughout the whole cycle, whereas tending to be higher as the nitrogen supply is restricted; (vi) the radiation use efficiency as calculated as 3.52 g (above-ground dry matter) MJ-1 (intercepted photossyntheticaly active radiation), being smaller as the nitrogen supply is restricted; (vii) some crop coefficients were found for the main phenological stages and may be adopted for irrigation management of hybrid DKB-390, when one aims to not deplet the productivity; (viii) the harvest index (above-ground based) was found about 40% (varying from 37% to 43%) if water and nitrogen are added sufficiently, and is likely to be higher provided that the second covering is not done; (ix) the proposed determinist model has performed well when simulating above-ground dry matter time course and its corresponding grain productivity under full and moderated water deficit conditions; (x) by using Penman-Montheit method, the deterministic model apparently simulates well both daily evapotranspiration and water uses; (xi) through bivariate normal distribution of averaged daily solar radiation and air temperature, the suggested stochastic model has simulated grain productivity in a satisfactory way; and (xii) the suggested stochastic model need to be improved in terms of its water and nitrogen requirement predictability, given that it clearly tends to underestimate the former and overestimate the latter.

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Perez, Raphaël. "Analyzing and modelling the genetic variability of aerial architecture and light interception of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq)." Thesis, Montpellier, SupAgro, 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017NSAM0001/document.

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Cette étude propose d’analyser l’influence de l’architecture du palmier à huile sur sa capacité à intercepter la lumière, en se basant sur des reconstructions 3D de palmiers et en établissant un bilan radiatif sur ses structures végétales reconstruites in silico. Le premier objectif de l’étude était de caractériser et modéliser la variabilité génétique de l’architecture du palmier à huile et de son interception lumineuse. Dans un deuxième objectif l’amélioration potentielle de l’interception de la lumière et de l’assimilation carbonée a été évaluée en modifiant les traits morphologiques et géométriques des feuilles et des idéotypes architecturaux de palmiers à huile ont été proposés.Des relations allométriques ont été utilisées pour modéliser les traits architecturaux en fonction de gradients ontogénétique et de topologie des feuilles dans la couronne. La méthode permet de reconstruire des palmiers à huile virtuels à différents âges au cours du développement. De plus, l’approche allométrique a été couplée à des modèles à effets mixtes pour intégrer au travers de paramètres la variabilité entre et au sein des cinq progénies. Le modèle permet ainsi de simuler les spécificités architecturales des cinq progenies en incluant les variabilités entre individus observés. Le modèle architectural, paramétré pour les différentes progénies, a ensuite été implémenté dans AMAPstudio pour générer des maquettes 3D de palmiers et ainsi estimer leur interception lumineuse, de l’individu à la parcelle entière.Les résultats de ces analyses ont révélé des différences significatives entre et au sein des progenies, dans la géométrie des feuilles (longueur du pétiole, densité de folioles sur le rachis, et courbure du rachis) et dans la morphologie des folioles (gradients de longueurs et largeurs le long du rachis). La comparaison virtuelle des différentes progénies ont aussi montré des efficacités distinctes de l’interception lumineuse.Des analyses de sensibilité ont ensuite été réalisées pour identifier les traits architecturaux influençant l’interception lumineuse et l’assimilation potentielle à différents âges de la plante. Les paramètres les plus sensibles au cours du développement furent ceux reliés à la surface totale foliaire (longueur des rachis, nombre de folioles, morphologie des folioles), mais les attributs géométriques plus fins de la feuille ont montré un effet croissant avec la fermeture de la canopée. Sur un couvert adulte, l’optimum en assimilation carbonée est atteint pour des indices de surfaces foliaires (LAI) entre 3,2 et 5,5 m2.m−2, avec des feuilles érigées, de courts pétioles et rachis et un nombre important de folioles sur le rachis. Quatre idéotypes architecturaux pour l’assimilation carbonée ont été proposés et présentent des combinaisons spécifiques de traits géométriques, limitant l’ombrage mutuel des plantes et optimisant la distribution de la lumière dans la couronne.En conclusion, le modèle 3D de palmiers à huile, dans sa conception et son application, a permis de détecter les traits architecturaux génétiquement déterminés et influençant l’interception lumineuse. Ainsi, le nombre limité de traits dégagés par l’analyse de sensibilité ainsi que les combinaisons de traits révélées au travers des idéotypes pourraient être pris en compte dans de futurs programmes de sélection. En perspective, des travaux dédiés à intégrer dans ce modèle d’autres processus physiologiques, tels que la régulation de la conductance stomatique et le partitionnement du carbone dans la plante, sont à envisager. Ce nouvel FSPM pourrait alors être utilisé pour tester différents scénarii, comme par exemple dans un contexte de changement climatique avec de faibles radiations et des périodes de sécheresse fréquentes. De même, ce modèle pourrait être utilisé pour étudier différentes configurations de plantation et des systèmes de cultures intercalaires, et ainsi proposer de nouveaux idéotypes multicritères
In this study we proposed to investigate the influence of oil palm architecture on the capacity of the plant to intercept light, by using 3D reconstructions and model-assisted evaluation of radiation-use efficiency. The first objective of this study was to analyse and model oil palm architecture and light interception taking into account genetic variability. A second objective was to explore the potential improvements in light capture and carbon assimilation by manipulating oil palm leaf traits and propose architectural ideotypes.Allometric relationships were applied to model these traits according to ontogenetic gradients and leaf position within the crown. The methodology allowed reconstructing virtual oil palms at different stages over plant development. Additionally, the allometric-based approach was coupled to mixed-effect models in order to integrate inter and intra progeny variability through progeny-specific parameters. The model thus allowed simulating the specificity of plant architecture for a given progeny while including observed inter-individual variability. The architectural model, parameterized for the different progenies, was then implemented in AMAPstudio to generate 3D mock-ups and estimate light interception efficiency, from individual to stand scales.Significant differences in leaf geometry (petiole length, density of leaflets and rachis curvature) and leaflets morphology (gradients of leaflets length and width) were detected between and within progenies, and were accurately simulated by the modelling approach. Besides, light interception estimated from the validated 3D mock-ups showed significant variations among the five progenies.Sensitivity analyses were then performed on a subset of architectural parameters to identify the architectural traits impacting on light interception efficiency and potential carbon assimilation over plant development. The most sensitive parameters over plant development were those related to leaf area (rachis length, number of leaflets, leaflets morphology), but fine attribute related to leaf geometry showed increasing influence when canopy got closed. In adult stand, optimized carbon assimilation was estimated on plants presenting a leaf area index (LAI) between 3.2 and 5.5 m2.m−2, with erected leaves, short rachis and petiole and high number of leaflet on rachis. Four architectural ideotypes for carbon assimilation were proposed based on specific combinations of organs geometry, limiting mutual shading and optimizing light distribution within plant crown.In conclusion, this study highlighted how a functional-structural plant model (FSPM) can be used to virtually explore plant biology. In our case of study, the 3D model of oil palm, in its conception and its application, permitted to detect the architectural traits genetically determined and influencing light interception. The limited number of traits revealed in the sensitivity analysis and the combination of traits proposed through ideotypes could guide further breeding programs. Forthcoming work will be dedicated to integrate in the modeling approach other physiological processes such as stomatal conductance and carbon partitioning. The improved FSPM could then be used to test different scenarios, for instance in climate change context with low radiations or frequent drought events. Similarly, the model could be used to investigate different planting patterns and intercropping systems, and proposed new multi-criteria ideotypes of oil palm

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Harena, Tchamse. "Essai de validation et perspectives d'application en agrometeorologie d'un modele de simulation de la croissance et du developpement du mais : ceres-maize." Clermont-Ferrand 2, 1988. http://www.theses.fr/1988CLF2D214.

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Apres une description du modele couple de simulation du bilan hydrique, du developpement et de la croissance, les valeurs simulees sont comparees aux donnees recueillies lors de quatre annees d'experimentation dans le puy-de-dome sur deux varietes de mais (dea et boree). On a constate que du point de vue phenologique le modele presente un retard de precocite et que les valeurs de croissance sont sous estimees. On etudie la sensibilite du modele aux parametres genetiques d'entree et a deux coefficients numeriques (phyllochrone et plastochrone), puis a la variation de l'etat hydrique du sol et a une irrigation intervenant pendant la floraison femelle

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Bates, Andrew John. "Effects of grazing management and pasture composition on the nitrogen dynamics of a dairy farm : a simulation analysis : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University /." Diss., Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1360.

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There is an extensive debate on the potential environmental impact of dairy farms and in particular the effect of dairy farms on the nitrogen cycle and the effect that this has on ecosystems. Within New Zealand and in particular in the South Island, the expansion of dairying and the adoption of new dairy systems has led to this becoming an increasingly important issue, locally through its effect on water quality and the environment and nationally and internationally through the production of green house gases. Increases in nitrogen usage at the expense of clover nitrogen fixation, irrigation, stocking rate and the introduction of dairy cows onto light free draining soils previously the preserve of arable or sheep farming has led to concern as to the effect intensive pastoral dairying may have on the nitrogen dynamics of the farm and the environment. This study is designed to assess how changes in grazing management in particular changes in pre-grazing and post-grazing residuals alter the clover/ryegrass balance on the farm and the effect that this has on the farm’s nitrogen dynamics. The effects of qualitative changes in grazing management on pasture composition are well established but little is known of the effect of quantitative changes in pasture management on composition, in particular the effect of grazing residuals. There are a number of detailed models of the physiological processes in the energy and nutrient cycling in plants, animals and the soil. There are a smaller number of whole farm models that through integration and simplification of component models attempt to represent the flux of nutrients though a dairy farm. None of these whole farm models is currently able to model the nitrogen flux through a dairy farm at a sufficient level of resolution to capture differences in pasture composition as these occur spatially, temporally and in response to grazing management. This project sought to better understand the nitrogen dynamics on a dairy farm by constructing and then linking component models – a pasture composition and growth model, a cow model, an excretal return model, a soil model and a water balance model – within a whole farm management schedule. The formal null hypothesis is that the mechanistic, mathematical model constructed for this PhD cannot capture and explain the full range of the changes in soil water content, soil nitrogen status, pasture production and composition and animal production, following the alteration in management of the dairy farm between 2002 and 2004. Individual component models were constructed by the author using the computer software package (Matlab) and validated against data extracted from the literature. The models were then converted into one simulation package using C-sharp as the source code language by Elizabeth Post, Senior Computer Scientist at Lincoln Ventures Ltd, Lincoln, New Zealand and the author. This model was then used to investigate the nitrogen dynamics of a dairy farm: the relationship with pasture composition and whether small changes in pasture residuals make a difference to pasture composition and nitrogen dynamics. Two different simulations were run based on the management practice of Lincoln University Dairy farm (LUDF) over two dairy seasons (2002-03 and 2003-04) and validated against the data recorded on this farm. In 2002-03, 50 cows were over wintered and 580 cows were subsequently milked on 200ha. Post grazing residuals where maintained at 1600-1750KgDM/ha. In 2003-04, 125 cows were overwintered and 635 cows were milked on 200ha with post grazing residuals maintained at 1400KgDm/ha. All models operate on a daily time step. Within the pasture model composition is described by 9 state variables describing different components of the pasture and pasture growth is modelled mechanistically from a calculation of component photosynthesis. A further 9 state variables describe the nitrogen composition of the pasture components. The soil model is a variable two layer, mechanistic representation, parametised for the shallow, stony soils of LUDF. Soil water status is an input for the pasture model while water uptake by the growing plants affects the soil water balance within the soil model. Animal intake and production are modelled mechanistically with model cows described in terms of their age, genetic merit, body weight, breed, pregnancy status, conception date and body condition score. Each cow type produces a different quantity of urinary and faecal excretion which varies with dry matter intake, milk yield and the sodium and potassium status of the pasture. Excretal nitrogen composition is predicted within a separate model which calculates daily nitrogen excretion in faeces, urine and milk. Excretions are deposited randomly over the grazed area and account is taken of overlapping excretions that are created on the same day and overlaps that occur with older excretal patches deposited in previous grazing rounds. Each excretal patch has its own associated pasture, water and soil model reflecting the differences in nitrogen status between patches. Grazing preference is expressed within the model between different classes of excretal patch and between excretal patches and the base pasture and between clover and grass. Supplementary silage is conserved and fed according to the management schedule of LUDF. Cows calve, become pregnant and are dried off within the model according to the relevant records from LUDF. Cows are deemed to arrive on the farm on the day of calving and to leave on the day that drying off is finished (a 5 day procedure within the model), except for those cows that are overwintering which remain on the farm. The soil model has multiple nitrogen/carbon pools and is dynamically linked to all the other models. External nitrogen losses from the system are modelled as volatilisation, leaching and denitrification, with pasture nitrogen uptake from the soil model and fixation by clover from the atmosphere. Both the individual component models and the final assembled composite model were successful in matching the available data in terms of pasture and animal production, pasture composition, soil water balance and nitrogen status and external losses. The model indicates that the low residual, high stocking rate farm returns more excreta to the soil. However, this is countered by a reduction in the amount of dead material returned to the paddock and this reduces the relative size of the pool of nitrogen in the dead organic matter. This produces a relative lack of substrate for the soil microbes which are thus unable to exploit all of the nitrogen in the available pool. Soil ammonium and nitrate pools are also increased from the increase in faecal and urinary return so precipitating an immobilising flux from these larger pools to the smaller pool of nitrogen available to the soil microbes. However, the relative inability of the soil bacteria to fully exploit this means that the production of soil organic live matter and the resulting mineralising flux from the dead organic matter pool through the available pool to the ammonium and nitrate pools is reduced. The larger ammonium and nitrate pools will also be associated with increased external losses from the system as denitrification, leaching and volatilisation are increased. The increase in the clover percentage within the sward in 2003-04 led to greater nitrogen fixation and the model suggests that some of the extra nitrogen is effectively captured by the animals in increased production. However, the reduction in the return of dead matter coupled with an increase in excretal return and the consequent increase in the mineral nitrogen pools within the soil lead to greater losses of nitrogen from the soil.

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Correia, António. "Influence of Tissue Mechanics in Blood Vessel Growth." Master's thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10316/21062.

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Sprouting angiogenesis, the process of creating new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, is a fundamental routine in the animal body, being responsible for growth and development, wound healing and, in some cases, pathologies. Conditions such as cancer and diabetic retinopathy can be treated with the aid of drugs or strategies developed using new knowledge of how blood vessel growth occurs. Some of the results of pre-existing knowledge are already applicable in healthcare, such as antiangiogenic drugs. Over the last 30 years, researchers have come up with some mathematical models to simulate vascular growth, focusing in specific aspects or a simplified overview of the process. However, almost none of the proposed models account for the mechanical environment experienced by the cells of the capillary network. This work's goal is to rectify this gap by incorporating mechanical features in a continuum model of angiogenesis. This model is a phase-field approach to the problem that bridges the macroscopic and microscopic descriptions of the process. The successive steps that were taken from beginning with a standard phase-field model, deriving and integrating the mechanical equations and experimenting with several control parameters are documented and discussed in each appropriate section. For each step, several possibilities on how to control the system in a way that remained closely tied to the biology perspective were considered. Emulating the tension that the tip cells exert on the extracellular medium by incorporating its analytical description in the equations was chosen. The results gave enough information that corroborated the success of incorporating mechanical tension in the model, as the vessels that were simulated responded in the way it was expected. In some cases regression of vessels was observed. This is an important result as, despite being very present in the Biological literature, it had not been successfully modelled within this type of approach.
This work is financed by FEDER Funds through the Programa Operacional Fatores de Competitividade – COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT – Fundação Para a Ciência e a Tecnologia in the scope of project FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-015708.

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"Mathematical Modelling and Computational Simulation of in vitro Tissue Culture Processes." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10388/ETD-2015-07-2131.

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To develop or engineer artificial tissues in tissue engineering, a detailed knowledge of the in vitro culture process including cell and tissue growth inside porous scaffolds, nutrient transport, and the shear stress acting on the cells is of great advantage. It has been shown that obtaining such information by means of experimental techniques is exceedingly difficult and in some ways impossible. Mathematical modelling and computational simulation based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has emerged recently to be a promising tool to characterize the culture process. However, due to the complicated structure of porous scaffolds, modelling and simulation of the in vitro cell culture process has been shown to be a challenging task. Furthermore, due to the cell growth during the culture process, the geometry of the scaffold structure is not constant, but changes with time, which makes the task even more challenging. To overcome these challenges, the research presented in this thesis is aimed at developing a CFD-based mathematical model and multi-time scale computational framework for culturing cell-scaffold constructs placed in perfusion bioreactors. To predict the three-dimensional (3D) cell growth in a porous tissue scaffold placed inside a perfusion bioreactor, a model is developed based on the continuity and momentum equations, a convection-diffusion equation and a suitable cell growth equation, which characterize the fluid flow, nutrient transport and cell growth, respectively. To solve these equations in a coupled fashion, an in-house FORTRAN code is developed based on the multiple relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method (MRT LBM), where the D3Q19 MRT LBM and D3Q7 MRT LBM models have been used for the fluid flow and mass transfer simulation, respectively. In the model cell growth equation, the transport of nutrients, i.e. oxygen and glucose, as well as the shear stress induced on the cells are considered for predicting the cell growth rate. In the developed model and computational framework, the influence of the dynamic strand surface on the local flow and nutrient concentration has been addressed by using a two-way coupling between the cell growth and local flow field and nutrient concentration, where a control-volume method within the LBM framework is applied. The simulation results provide quantification of the biomechanical environment, i.e. fluid velocity, shear stress and nutrient concentration inside the bioreactor. The final simulation applied the cell growth model to the culture of a three-zone tissue scaffold where the scaffold strands were initially seeded with cells. The prediction for the 3D cell growth rate indicates that the increase in the cell volume fraction is much higher in the front region of the scaffold due to the higher nutrient supply. The higher cell growth in the front zone reduces the permeability of the porous scaffold and significantly reduces the nutrient supply to the middle and rear regions of the scaffold, which in turn limit the cell growth in those regions. However, implementation of a bi-directional perfusion approach, which reverses the flow direction for second half of the culture period, is shown to significantly improve the nutrient transport inside the scaffold and increase the cell growth in the rear zone of the scaffold. The results in this study also demonstrate that the developed mathematical model and computational framework are capable of realistically simulating the 3D cell growth over extended culture periods. As such, they represent a promising tool for enhancing the growth of tissues in perfusion bioreactors.

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Palmer, Ian J., Chen Wang, and Tao Ruan Wan. "A Real-time Dynamic Simulation Scheme for Large-Scale Flood Hazard Using 3D Real World Data." 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/2891.

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No
We propose a new dynamic simulation scheme for large-scale flood hazard modelling and prevention. The approach consists of a number of core parts: Digital terrain modelling with GIS data, Nona-tree space partitions (NTSP), Automatic River object recognition and registration, and a flood spreading model. The digital terrain modelling method allows the creation of a geometric real terrain model for augmented 3D environments with very large GIS data, and it can also use information gathered from aviation and satellite images with a ROAM algorithm. A spatial image segmentation scheme is described for river and flood identification and for a 3D terrain map of flooding region growth and visualisation. The region merging is then implemented by adopting Flood Region Spreading Algorithm (FRSA). Compared with the conventional methods, our approach has the advantages of being capable of realistically visualising the flooding in geometrically-real 3D environments, of handling dynamic flood behaviour in real-time and of dealing with very large-scale data modelling and visualisation.

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Pötschke, Markus. "Simulation of electric field-assisted nanowire growth from aqueous solutions." Doctoral thesis, 2014. https://tud.qucosa.de/id/qucosa%3A29190.

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The present work is aimed at investigating the mechanisms of nanowire growth from aqueous solutions through a physical and chemical modeling. Based on this modeling, deriving an optimized process control is intended. The work considers two methods of nanowire growth. The first is the dielectrophoretic nanowire assembly from neutral molecules or metal clusters. Secondly, in the directed electrochemical nanowire assembly metal-containing ions are reduced in an AC electric field in the vicinity of the nanowire tip and afterwards deposited at the nanowire surface. To describe the transport and growth processes, continuum models are employed. Furthermore, it has been necessary to consider electro-kinetic fluid flows to match the experimental observations. The occurring partial differential equations are solved numerically by means of finite element method (FEM). The effect of the process parameters on the nanowire growth are analyzed by comparing experimental results to a parameter study. The evaluation has yielded that an AC electro-osmotic fluid flow has a major influence on the dielectrophoretic nanowire assembly regarding the growth velocity and morphology. In the case of directed electrochemical nanowire assembly, the nanowire morphology can be controlled by the applied AC signal shape. Based on the nanowire growth model, an optimized AC signal has been designed, whose parametrization allows to adjust to the chemical precursor and the desired nanowire diameter.
Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, mittels physikalischer und chemischer Modelle die Mechanismen des Nanodrahtwachstums aus wässrigen Lösungen zu erforschen und daraus eine optimierte Prozesskontrolle abzuleiten. Dabei werden zwei Verfahren des Nanodrahtwachstums näher betrachtet: Dies sind die dielektrophoretische Assemblierung von neutralen Molekülen oder Metallclustern sowie die gerichtete elektrochemische Nanodrahtabscheidung (engl. directed electrochemical nanowire assembly), bei der metallhaltige Ionen im elektrischen Wechselfeld an der Nanodrahtspitze zunächst reduziert und anschließend als Metallatome abgeschieden werden. Zur Beschreibung der Transport- und Wachstumsprozesse werden Kontinuumsmodelle eingesetzt. Darüber hinaus hat es sich als notwendig erwiesen, elektrokinetische Fluidströmungen zu berücksichtigen, um die experimentellen Beobachtungen zu reproduzieren. Die auftretenden partiellen Differenzialgleichungen werden mittels der Finiten Elemente Methode (FEM) numerisch gelöst. Die Auswirkungen der Prozessparameter auf das Nanodrahtwachstum werden durch den Vergleich von experimentellen Ergebnissen mit Parameterstudien analysiert. Die Auswertung hat ergeben, dass für das dielektrophoretische Wachstum ein durch Wechselfeldelektroosmose (engl. AC electro-osmosis) angetriebener Fluidstrom die Drahtwachstumsgeschwindigkeit und -morphologie maßgeblich beeinflusst. Im Falle der gerichteten elektrochemischen Nanodrahtabscheidung lässt sich die Drahtmorphologie über das angelegte elektrische Wechselsignal steuern. Unter Verwendung des Wachstumsmodells ist ein optimiertes Signal generiert worden, dessen Parametrisierung eine gezielte Anpassung auf den chemischen Ausgangsstoff und den gewünschten Drahtdurchmesser erlaubt.

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Hesselbarth, Maximilian H. K. "Analysing and modelling spatial patterns to infer the influence of environmental heterogeneity using point pattern analysis, individual-based simulation modelling and landscape metrics." Doctoral thesis, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/21.11130/00-1735-0000-0005-1391-1.

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Kloß, Sebastian. "Simulation-Optimization of the Management of Sensor-Based Deficit Irrigation Systems." Doctoral thesis, 2014. https://tud.qucosa.de/id/qucosa%3A29047.

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Current research concentrates on ways to investigate and improve water productivity (WP), as agriculture is today’s predominant freshwater consumer, averaging at 70% and reaching up to 93% in some regions. A growing world population will require more food and thus more water for cultivation. Regions that are already affected by physical water scarcity and which depend on irrigation for growing crops will face even greater challenges regarding their water supply. Other problems in such regions are a variable water supply, inefficient irrigation practices, and over-pumping of available groundwater resources with other adverse effects on the ecosystem. To face those challenges, strategies are needed that use the available water resources more efficiently and allow farming in a more sustainable way. This work focused on the management of sensor-based deficit irrigation (DI) systems and improvements of WP through a combined approach of simulation-optimization and irrigation experiments. In order to improve irrigation control, a new sensor called pF-meter was employed, which extended the measurement range of the commonly used tensiometers from pF 2.9 to pF 7. The following research questions were raised: (i) Is this approach a suitable strategy to improve WP; (ii) Is the sensor for irrigation control suitable; (iii) Which crop growth models are suitable to be part of that approach; and (iv) Can the combined application with experiments prove an increase of WP? The stochastic simulation-optimization approach allowed deriving parameter values for an optimal irrigation control for sensor-based full and deficit irrigation strategies. Objective was to achieve high WP with high reliability. Parameters for irrigation control included irrigation thresholds of soil-water potentials because of the working principle behind plant transpiration where pressure gradients are transmitted from the air through the plant and into the root zone. Optimal parameter values for full and deficit irrigation strategies were tested in irrigation experiments in containers in a vegetation hall with drip irrigated maize and compared to schedule-based irrigation strategies with regard to WP and water consumption. Observation data from one of the treatments was used afterwards in a simulation study to systematically investigate the parameters for implementing effective setups of DI systems. The combination of simulation-optimization and irrigation experiments proved to be a suitable approach for investigating and improving WP, as well as for deriving optimal parameter values of different irrigation strategies. This was verified in the irrigation experiment and shown through overall high WP, equally high WP between deficit and full irrigation strategies, and achieved water savings. Irrigation thresholds beyond the measurement range of tensiometers are feasible and applicable. The pF-meter performed satisfactorily and is a promising candidate for irrigation control. Suitable crop models for being part of this approach were found and their properties formulated. Factors that define the behavior of DI systems regarding WP and water consumption were investigated and assessed. This research allowed for drawing the first conclusions about the potential range of operations of sensor-based DI systems for achieving high WP with high reliability through its systematical investigation of such systems. However, this study needs validation and is therefore limited with regard to exact values of derived thresholds.

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Tomlinson, Kyle Warwick. "Consequences of architecture and resource allocation for growth dynamics of bunchgrass clones." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/1749.

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In order to understand how bunchgrasses achieve dominance over other plant growth forms and how they achieve dominance over one another in different environments, it is first necessary to develop a detailed understanding of how their growth strategy interacts with the resource limits of their environment. Two properties which have been studied separately in limited detail are architecture and disproportionate resource allocation. Architecture is the structural layout of organs and objects at different hierarchical levels. Disproportionate resource allocation is the manner in which resources are allocated across objects at each level of hierarchy. Clonal architecture and disproportionate resource allocation may interact significantly to determine the growth ability of clonal plants. These interactions have not been researched in bunchgrasses. This thesis employs a novel simulation technique, functional-structural plant modelling, to investigate how bunchgrasses interact with the resource constraints imposed in humid grasslands. An appropriate functional-structural plant model, the TILLERTREE model, is developed that integrates the architectural growth of bunchgrasses with environmental resource capture and disproportionate resource allocation. Simulations are conducted using a chosen model species Themeda triandra, and the environment is parameterised using characteristics of the Southern Tall Grassveld, a humid grassland type found in South Africa. Behaviour is considered at two levels, namely growth of single ramets and growth of multiple ramets on single bunchgrass clones. In environments with distinct growing and non-growing seasons, bunchgrasses are subjected to severe light depletion during regrowth at the start of each growing season because of the accumulation of dead material in canopy caused by the upright, densely packed manner in which they grow. Simulations conducted here indicate that bunchgrass tillers overcome this resource bottleneck through structural adaptations (etiolation, nonlinear blade mass accretion, residual live photosynthetic surface) and disproportionate resource allocation between roots and shoots of individual ramets that together increase the temporal resource efficiency of ramets by directing more resources to shoot growth and promoting extension of new leaves through the overlying dead canopy. The architectural arrangement of bunchgrasses as collections of tillers and ramets directly leads to consideration of a critical property of clonal bunchgrasses: tiller recruitment. Tiller recruitment is a fundamental discrete process limiting the vegetative growth of bunchgrass clones. Tiller recruitment occurs when lateral buds on parent tillers are activated to grow. The mechanism that controls bud outgrowth has not been elucidated. Based on a literature review, it is here proposed that lateral bud outgrowth requires suitable signals for both carbohydrate and nitrogen sufficiency. Subsequent simulations with the model provide corroborative evidence, in that greatest clonal productivity is achieved when both signals are present. Resource allocation between live structures on clones may be distributed proportionately in response to sink demand or disproportionately in response to relative photosynthetic productivity. Model simulations indicate that there is a trade-off between total clonal growth and individual tiller growth as the level of disproportionate allocation between ramets on ramet groups and between tillers on ramets increases, because disproportionate allocation reduces tiller population size and clonal biomass, but increases individual tiller performance. Consequently it is proposed that different life strategies employed by bunchgrasses, especially annual versus perennial life strategies, may follow more proportionate and less proportionate allocation strategies respectively, because the former favours maximal resource capture and seed production while the latter favours individual competitive ability. Structural disintegration of clones into smaller physiologically integrated units (here termed ramet groups) that compete with one another for resources is a documented property of bunchgrasses. Model simulations in which complete clonal integration is enforced are unable to survive for long periods because resource bottlenecks compromise all structures equally, preventing them from effectively overcoming resource deficits during periods when light is restrictive to growth. Productivity during the period of survival is also reduced on bunchgrass clones with full integration relative to clones that disintegrate because of the inefficient allocation of resources that arises from clonal integration. This evidence indicates that clonal disintegration allows bunchgrass clones both to increase growth efficiency and pre-empt potential death, by promoting the survival of larger ramet groups and removing smaller ramet groups from the system. The discrete nature of growth in bunchgrasses and the complex population dynamics that arise from the architectural growth and the temporal resource dynamics of the environment, may explain why different bunchgrass species dominate under different environments. In the final section this idea is explored by manipulating two species tiller traits that have been shown to be associated with species distributions across non-selective in defoliation regimes, namely leaf organ growth rate and tiller size (mass or height). Simulations with these properties indicate that organ growth rate affects daily nutrient demands and therefore the rate at which tillers are terminated, but had only a small effect on seasonal resource capture. Tiller mass size affects the size of the live tiller population where smaller tiller clones maintain greater numbers of live tillers, which allows them to them to sustain greater biomass over winter and therefore to store more reserves for spring regrowth, suggesting that size may affect seasonal nitrogen capture. The greatest differences in clonal behaviour are caused by tiller height, where clones with shorter tillers accumulate substantially more resources than clones with taller tillers. This provides strong evidence there is trade-off for bunchgrasses between the ability to compete for light and the ability to compete for nitrogen, which arises from their growth architecture. Using this evidence it is proposed that bunchgrass species will be distributed across environments in response to the nitrogen productivity. Shorter species will dominate at low nitrogen productivity, while taller species dominate at high nitrogen productivity. Empirical evidence is provided in support of this proposal.
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

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Hill, Alexandra Verfasser], and Christian [Verfasser] [Lindner. "Modelling informal urban growth under rapid urbanisation : a CA-based land-use simulation model for the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania / by Alexandra Hill and Christian Lindner." 2010. http://d-nb.info/1006981721/34.

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van, Embden Joel Leonard. "Synthesis and optical properties of CdSe core and core/shell nanocrystals." 2008. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/3225.

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The synthesis of nanocrystals is unique compared to the formation of larger micron-sizesspecies as the final crystal sizes are not much larger than the primary nuclei. As a consequencethe final outcome of a nanocrystal synthesis i.e mean crystal size, concentrationand standard deviation is almost solely determined by the end of the nucleation phase. Directingthe growth of crystals beginning from aggregates of only tens of atoms into maturemonodisperse nanocrystals requires that the governing kinetics are strictly controlled at everymoment of the reaction. To effect this task various different ligands need to be employed,each performing a particular function during both nucleation and growth. (For complete abstract open document)

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Mahmud, H. M. Iqbal. "Simulation of the suppression of fires using water mists." Thesis, 2016. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/31116/.

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As warships can carry weapons on board, the unlikely occurrence of fire is one of the most feared events on board. Until recently, halon 1301 (bromo-tri-fluoro methane, CF3Br) has been the primary fire-fighting agent for protecting the machinery spaces of ships. Halon 1301 is not only harmful to humans, but it also depletes the ozone layer. Water-mist fire suppression systems (WMFSS) have been considered as a potential candidate for the replacement of halon-based fire suppression systems by fire protection industries. WMFSS is already being used in commercial buildings, passenger and naval ships, etc. However, it is essential to examine the efficacy of water-mist droplets in suppressing fires. The efficacy of a water-mist system can be investigated in two ways: (i) experimental investigation; and (ii) numerical analysis. This study is a combination of an experimental study (water mist spray without fire) and two types of numerical studies using (a) semi-empirical equations based model developed in this study; and (b) a state of the art computational fluids dynamics (CFD) based fire model.

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Schwichtenberg, Guido. "Managementmodell für die Analyse von Waldbauszenarien in Nothofagus-Beständen." Doctoral thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-1735-0000-0006-B109-E.

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Thorpe, Hilary Claire. "Clearcut Solutions? An Evaluation of Partial Harvesting in the Black Spruce Boreal Forest." Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1807/17267.

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Bringing together field-based empirical studies, a simulation modelling experiment, and a critical analysis of the natural disturbance emulation paradigm, this thesis evaluates partial harvesting in the black spruce boreal forest. Forest management in Ontario is required to emulate natural disturbances, but in regions of the boreal forest where fire cycles are long, regulated even-aged management by clearcutting has truncated forest age-class distributions. Partial harvesting has been proposed as a means to maintain the structural complexity and biodiversity associated with old forests while allowing continued timber production. Despite the potentially important role of partial harvesting in a strategy for sustainable boreal forest management, little research has examined post-harvest stand development, a critical determinant both of habitat and timber supplies.I used a chronosequence approach in combination with dendroecological techniques, a neighbourhood modelling framework, and maximum likelihood statistical methods to quantify stand dynamics over the first decade after partial harvest in the black spruce (Picea mariana) boreal forest of northeastern Ontario, Canada. Residual trees displayed large but time-lagged growth responses to partial harvest. The largest responses were found in young trees, while old trees were largely unable to react to improved post-harvest resource availability. Growth responses were offset by elevated rates of residual-tree mortality, which peaked in the first year after harvest at nearly 13 times the pre-harvest level. Proximity to harvest machinery trails severely escalated the risk of mortality for residual trees. Considering growth and mortality responses together in a forest simulator model, I found that stand development proceeded most rapidly where skidding intensity was reduced and retention areas were aggregated. Given appropriate prescriptions, my results indicate that partial harvesting can be a viable silvicultural option for black spruce boreal forests. However, the ability of partially harvested stands to emulate natural disturbance is questionable, particularly given the strong influence of harvest machinery impacts on post-harvest stand development. I argue that the natural disturbance emulation framework has important flaws and falls short of a justifiable approach for forest management in Ontario.

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Jardim, José Manuel Norberto. "The underground economy and the fiscal stance." Doctoral thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/13548.

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Doutoramento em Economia
The inevitability of taxes and regulations, that cause agents to go underground, forces the authorities to tolerate some underground economic activity and grants the underground economy natural features. The natural level of the underground economy is defined as the level of underground economic activity in the decentralized equilibrium, provided that the actual structural characteristics of the economy and social preferences are accounted for by imbedding them in the Walrasian system of general equilibrium equations. Its existence is proven using two variants of neoclassical general equilibrium models. The underground economy is found to influence the successfulness of fiscal consolidation programmes, depending on the position of the economy relative to critical fiscal thresholds associated with the natural level of the underground economy. Tax increases yield higher tax proceeds up to the threshold, and lower tax proceeds, passed the threshold, due to a stronger expansion of the natural level of the underground economy. Tax proceeds reach their maximum at the threshold. Tax based programmes are found ineffective in high tax developed economies, operating passed the threshold. In contrast, its successfulness in the developing world, where most economies operate below the threshold with low taxes, is not influenced by the underground economy.
Perante a inevitabilidade de impostos e regulamentação, que estão na origem da economia subterranea, as autoridades vêem-se forçadas a tolerar actividades económicas subterraneas. Isto confere urn carácter natural à economia subterrânea. A existência de uma taxa natural de economia subterranea e provado utilizando dois modelos neoclassicos de equilibrio gereal. A taxa natural de economia subterranea define-se como o nivel de actividade económica subterranea no equilibrio descentralizado, dadas as propriedades estruturais da economia e das preferências sociais, que se incluem no sistema Walrasiano de equações de equilibrio geral. Prova-se que a economia subterranea influencia o resultado de programas de consolidação orçamental. Isto depende da localização da economia face a valores fiscais criticos associados a taxa natural de economia subterranea. A seguir a urn aumento de impostos, as receitas começam por crescer, atingindo o máximo no ponto critico, para a segmr GUt, devido a uma expansão da taxa natural de economia subterrânea. Programas assentes no aumento de impostos não são bern sucedidos em paises desenvolvidos com cargas fiscais elevadas, que operam alem do ponto critico. Já os paises em desenvolvimento, cuja maioria opera abaixo do ponto critico com cargas fiscais baixas, a economia subterranea não parece influenciar a eficácia dos programas.
N/A

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(5930906), Jacob J. Torres. "The Biowall Field Test Analysis and Optimization." Thesis, 2019.

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A residential botanical air filtration system (Biowall) to investigate the potential for using phytoremediation to remove contaminants from indoor air was developed. A full scale and functioning prototype was installed in a residence located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The prototype was integrated into the central Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system of the home. This research evaluated the Biowall operation to further its potential as an energy efficient and sustainable residential air filtration system.

The main research effort began after the Biowall was installed in the residence. A field evaluation, which involved a series of measurements and data analysis, was conducted to identify treatments to improve Biowall performance. The study was conducted for approximately one year (Spring 2017-Spring 2018). Based on the initial data set, prioritization of systems in need of improvement was identified and changes were imposed. Following a post-treatment testing period, a comparison between the initial and final performances was completed with conclusions based on this comparison.

The engineering and analysis reported in this document focus on the air flow path through the Biowall, plant growth, and the irrigation system. The conclusions provide an extensive evaluation of the design, operation, and function of the Biowall subsystems under review.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Crop growth simulation modelling'

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