Engineering Commons^™

Modeling Leaf-Level Transpiration: Exploring The Consequences Of Assumed Saturated Vapor Pressure In Leaves, Danlyn L. Brennan

Dissertations and Theses

Understanding the dynamics of water transport through leaf intercellular airspaces (IAS) and its impact on transpiration is crucial for accurate predictions of plant water use and ecosystem response to changing climates. This study investigates the implications of assuming undersaturation of water vapor in the IAS for transpiration predictions and explores potential modifications to standard modeling approaches.

A dynamic 1D soil-plant-atmosphere continuum using a stomatal optimization model (SPAC-SOT) framework was used to simulate the response of tree species, P. edulis, to prolonged drought and varying environmental conditions. Comparisons between two model assumptions (saturated vs. undersaturated IAS) reveal notable differences in …

Developing And Testing Low-Cost Air Cleaners For Safer Spaces During Wildfires, Brett William Stinson

Dissertations and Theses

Air cleaning reduces indoor exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) during wildfire events. However, resource and cost restraints may limit access to air cleaning during such an event, as both commercial devices and the high-rated MERV filters that homemade assemblies typically rely upon tend to be expensive and in short supply. With these barriers in mind, we sought to develop and evaluate the potential for air cleaners that use common household fabrics as filtration media. Evaluated designs use a box fan to move air across fabric filters; box fans are inexpensive and readily available to many households. Ultimately, …