Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Morphology And Deformation Mechanisms And Tensile Properties Of Tetrafunctional Multigraft Copolymers, Yongxin Duan, Mahendra Thunga, Ralf Schlegel, Konrad Schneider, Erik Rettler, Roland Weidisch, Heinz W. Siesler, Manfred Stamm, Jimmy W. Mays, Nikos Hadjichristidis

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Morphology and deformation mechanisms and tensile properties of tetrafunctional multigraft (MG) polystrene-g-polyisoprene (PS-g-PI) copolymers were investigated dependent on PS volume fraction and number of branch points. The combination of various methods such as TEM, real time synchrotron SAXS, rheo-optical FTIR, and tensile tests provides comprehensive information at different dimension levels.TEMand SAXS studies revealed that the number of branch points has no obvious influence on the microphase-separated morphology of tetrafunction MG copolymers with 16 wt % PS. But for tetrafunctional MG copolymers with 25 wt % PS, the size and integrity of PS microdomains decrease with increasing number of branch point. …

High-Pressure Micellar Solutions Of Polystyrene-Block-Polybutadiene And Polystyrene-Block-Polyisoprene In Propane Exhibit Cloud-Pressure Reduction And Distinct Micellization End Points, Winoto Winoto, Sugata P. Tan, Youqing Shen, Maciej Radosz, Kunlun Hong, Jimmy W. Mays

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Micellar solutions of polystyrene-block-polybutadiene and polystyrene-block-polyisoprene in propane are found to exhibit significantly lower cloud pressures than the corresponding hypothetical nonmicellar solutions. Such a cloud-pressure reduction indicates the extent to which micelle formation enhances the apparent diblock solubility in near-critical and hence compressible propane. Concentration-dependent pressure-temperature points beyond which no micelles can be formed, referred to as the micellization end points, are found to depend on the block type, size, and ratio. The cloud-pressure reduction and the micellization end point measured for styrene-diene diblocks in propane should be characteristic of all amphiphilic diblock copolymer solutions that form micelles in compressible …

Feasibility, Economics, And Environmental Impact Of Producing 90 Billion Gallons Of Ethanol Per Year By 2030, Todd West, Katherine Dunphy-Guzman, Amy Sun, Len Malczunski, David Reichmuth, Richard Larson, James Ellison, Robert Taylor, Vincent Tidwell, Lennie Klebanoff, Patricia Hough, Andrew Lutz, Christopher Shaddix, Norman Brinkman, Candace Wheeler, David O'Toole

United States Department of Energy: Publications

This paper addresses a national interest in investigating the potential of displacing a large fraction of U.S. gasoline use by 2030 with ethanol. This study assesses the feasibility, implications, limitations, and enablers of producing 90 billion gallons ethanol per year by 2030. We developed a dynamic supply chain model, the Biofuels Deployment Model (BDM), and conducted sensitivity analyses to determine the parameters that most affect the feasibility, cost-competitiveness, and greenhouse gas impact of large-scale ethanol production. Though we found no theoretical barriers to achieving the stated goal, we identified a number of practical obstacles that need to be addressed. In …

Biomineralization Associated With Microbial Reduction Of Fe3+ And Oxidation Of Fe2+ In Solid Minerals, Gengxin Zhang, Hailiang Dong, Hongchen Jiang, Ravi K. Kukkadapu, Jinwook Kim, Dennis Eberl, Zhiqin Xu

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Iron-reducing and oxidizing microorganisms gain energy through reduction or oxidation of iron, and by doing so play an important role in the geochemical cycling of iron. This study was undertaken to investigate mineral transformations associated with microbial reduction of Fe³⁺ and oxidation of Fe²⁺ in solid minerals. A fluid sample from the 2450 m depth of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling project was collected, and Fe³⁺-reducing and Fe²⁺-oxidizing microorganisms were enriched. The enrichment cultures displayed reduction of Fe³⁺ in nontronite and ferric citrate, and oxidation of Fe²⁺ in vivianite, siderite, and monosulfide …

Uranium Extraction From Laboratory-Synthesized, Uranium-Doped Hydrous Ferric Oxides, Steven Smith, Matthew Douglas, Dean A. Moore, Ravi K. Kukkadapu, Bruce Arey

United States Department of Energy: Publications

The extractability of uranium (U) from synthetic uranium-hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) coprecipitates has been shown to decrease as a function of mineral ripening, consistent with the hypothesis that the ripening process will decrease uranium lability. To evaluate this process, three HFO suspensions were coprecipitated with uranyl (UO₂²⁺) and maintained at pH 7.0 ± 0.1. Uranyl was added to the HFO post-precipitation in a fourth suspension. Two suspensions also contained either coprecipitated silicate(Si-U-HFO) or phosphate (P-U-HFO).After precipitation of the HFOs, at time intervals of 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years, aliquots of each …

Reduction And Long-Term Immobilization Of Technetium By Fe(Ii) Associated With Clay Mineral Nontronite, Deb Jaisi, Hailiang Dong, Andrew Plymale, James K. Fredrickson, John M. Zachara, Steve Heald, Chongxuan Liu

United States Department of Energy: Publications

⁹⁹Tc is formed mostly during nuclear reactions and is released into the environment during weapons testing and inadvertent waste disposal. The long half-life, high environmental mobility (as Tc(VII)O₄⁻) and its possible uptake into the food chain cause ⁹⁹Tc to be a significant environmental contaminant. In this study, we evaluated the role of Fe(II) in biologically reduced clay mineral, nontronite (NAu-2), in reducing Tc(VII) O₄⁻ to poorly soluble Tc(IV) species as a function of pH and Fe(II) concentration. The rate of Tc(VII) reduction by Fe(II) in NAu-2 was higher at neutral pH (pH 7.0) …

Electron Donor-Dependent Radionuclide Reduction And Nanoparticle Formation By Anaeromyxobacter Dehalogenans Strain 2cp-C, Matthew J. Marshall, Alice C. Dohnalkova, David Kennedy, Andrew Plymale, Sara Thomas, Frank Löffler, Robert Sanford, John M. Zachara, James K. Fredrickson, Alexander Beliaev

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans strain 2CP-C reduces U(VI) and Tc(VII) to U(IV)O_2(s) (uraninite) and Tc(IV)O2(S) respectively. Kinetic studies with resting cells revealed that U(VI) or Tc(VII) reduction rates using H₂ as electron donor exceeded those observed in acetate-amended incubations. The reduction of U(VI) by A. dehalogenans 2CP-C resulted in extracellular accumulation of ~5 nm uraninite nanoparticles in association with a lectin-binding extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). The electron donor did not affect UO_2(S) nanoparticle size or association with EPS, but the utilization of acetate as the source of reducing equivalents resulted in distinct UO_2(S) nanoparticle aggregates that were ~50 …

The Roles Of Outer Membrane Cytochromes Of Shewanella And Geobacter In Extracellular Electron Transfer, Liang Shi, David J. Richardson, Zheming Wang, Sebastien Kerisit, Kevin Rosso, John M. Zachara, James K. Fredrickson

United States Department of Energy: Publications

As key components of the electron transfer (ET) pathways used for dissimilatory reduction of solid iron [Fe(III)] (hydr)oxides, outer membrane multihaem c-type cytochromes MtrC and OmcA of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and OmcE and OmcS of Geobacter sulfurreducens mediate ET reactions extracellularly. Both MtrC and OmcA are at least partially exposed to the extracellular side of the outer membrane and their translocation across the outer membrane is mediated by bacterial type II secretion system. Purified MtrC and OmcA can bind Fe(III) oxides, such as haematite (α-Fe₂O₃), and directly transfer electrons to the haematite surface. Bindings of …

Kinetics Of Uranium(Vi) Desorption From Contaminated Sediments: Effect Of Geochemical Conditions And Model Evaluation, Chongxuan Liu, Zhenqing Shi, John M. Zachara

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Stirred-flow cell experiments were performed to investigate the kinetics of uranyl [U(VI)] desorption from a contaminated sediment collected from the Hanford 300 Area at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site, Washington. Three influent solutions of variable pH, Ca and carbonate concentrations that affected U(VI) aqueous and surface speciation were used under dynamic flow conditions to evaluate the effect of geochemical conditions on the rate of U(VI) desorption. The measured rate of U(VI) desorption varied with solution chemical composition that evolved as a result of thermodynamic and kinetic interactions between the solutions and sediment. The solution chemical composition that led …

Uranium Speciation As A Function Of Depth In Contaminated Hanford Sediments - A Micro-Xrf, Micro-Xrd, And Micro- And Bulk-Xafs Study, David Singer, John M. Zachara, Gordon Brown

United States Department of Energy: Publications

The distribution and speciation of U and Cu in contaminated vadose zone and aquifer sediments from the U.S. DOE Hanford site (300 Area) were determined using a combination of synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) imaging, micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure (μXANES) spectroscopy, and micro-X-ray diffraction (μXRD) techniques combined with bulk U L_III-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. Samples were collected from within the inactive North Process Pond (NPP2) at 8 ft (2.4 m, NPP2-8) depth and 12 ft (3.7 m, NPP2-12) depth in the vadose zone, and fines were isolated from turbid groundwater just below the water Table …

Newly Recognized Hosts For Uranium In The Hanford Site Vadose Zone, Joanne E. Stubbs, Linda A. Veblen, David C. Elbert, John M. Zachara, James A. Davis, David R. Veblen

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Uranium contaminated sediments from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site have been investigated using electron microscopy. Six classes of solid hosts for uranium were identified. Preliminary sediment characterization was carried out using optical petrography, and electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) was used to locate materials that host uranium. All of the hosts are fine-grained and intergrown with other materials at spatial scales smaller than the analytical volume of the electron microprobe. A focused ion beam (FIB) was used to prepare electron-transparent specimens of each host for the transmission electron microscope (TEM). The hosts were identified as: (1) metatorbernite [Cu(UO_{2 …}

Oxidative Dissolution Potential Of Biogenic And Abiogenic Tco2 In Subsurface Sediments, James K. Fredrickson, John M. Zachara, Andrew Plymale, Steve M. Heald, James Mckinley, David Kennedy, Chongxuan Liu, Ponnusamy Nachimuthu

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Technetium-99 (Tc) is an important fission product contaminant associated with sites of nuclear fuels reprocessing and geologic nuclear waste disposal. Tc is highly mobile in its most oxidized state [Tc(VII)O₄⁻] and less mobile in the reduced form [Tc(IV)O₂•nH₂O]. Here we investigate the potential for oxidation of Tc(IV) that was heterogeneously reduced by reaction with biogenic Fe(II) in two sediments differing in mineralogy and aggregation state; unconsolidated Pliocene-age fluvial sediment from the upper Ringold (RG) Formation at the Hanford Site and a clay-rich saprolite from the Field Research Center (FRC) background site …

Characterization Of An Electron Conduit Between Bacteria And The Extracellular Environment, Robert Hartshorne, Catherine Reardon, Daniel Ross, Jochen Nuester, Thomas Clarke, Andrew Gates, Paul Mills, James K. Fredrickson, John M. Zachara, Liang Shi, Alexander Beliaev, Matthew Marshall, Ming Tien, Susan Brantley, Julea N. Butt, David J. Richardson

United States Department of Energy: Publications

A number of species of Gram-negative bacteria can use insoluble minerals of Fe(III) and Mn(IV) as extracellular respiratory electron acceptors. In some species of Shewanella, deca-heme electron transfer proteins lie at the extracellular face of the outer membrane (OM), where they can interact with insoluble substrates. To reduce extracellular substrates, these redox proteins must be charged by the inner membrane/periplasmic electron transfer system. Here, we present a spectro-potentiometric characterization of a trans-OM icosa-heme complex, MtrCAB, and demonstrate its capacity to move electrons across a lipid bilayer after incorporation into proteoliposomes. We also show that a stable MtrAB …

Photoionization Cross Sections For Ions Of The Cerium Isonuclear Sequence, M. Habibi, D. A. Esteves, R. A. Phaneuf, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, A. Aguilar, C. Cisneros

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Photoionization cross sections for Ce^q+ (1 ≤ q ≤ 9) ions were measured in the 105–180 eV energy range of the 4d inner-shell giant resonance by merging a mass-to-charge-ratio-selected ion beam with a beam of monochromatized synchrotron radiation. The Cowan atomic structure code was used as an aid to interpret the experimental data. Four Rydberg series for 4d→nf (n ≥ 4) and 4d→np (n ≥ 6) autoionizing excitations were assigned using the quantum-defect theory in the Ce³⁺ photoionization cross section. The experimental data show the collapse of the nf wave functions (n ≥ 4) with …

Electronic Inhomogeneity And Ag:Sb Imbalance Of Ag1−Ypb18sb1+Zte20 High-Performance Thermoelectrics Elucidated By 125te And 207pb Nmr, E. M. Levin, B. A. Cook, K. Ahn, M. G. Kanatzidis, Ames Laboratory Doe

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Using magic-angle spinning ¹²⁵Te and ²⁰⁷Pb NMR, we have discovered the presence of two phases of approximately tenfold different free-electron concentration, n, in high-performance thermoelectrics Ag_1−yPb₁₈Sb_1+zTe₂₀ (“LAST-18”), proven by pairs of Knight-shifted NMR peaks and biexponential spin-lattice relaxation. The ratio of the phases is typically 2:1 with n ≈ 2 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ and 0.2 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³, respectively, determined from the spin-lattice relaxation times. ¹²⁵Te NMR spectra show that both phases contain similar concentrations of Sb. The low-n component is assigned to …

Fullerene-Encapsulated Atoms In The Light Of Synchrotron Radiation, A. M. Müller, S. Schippers, D. Esteves, M. Habibi, R. A. Phaneuf, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, A. Aguilar, L. Dunsch

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Mass-selected beams of endohedral fullerene Ce@C⁺₈₂ ions, of atomic Ce^q+ ions (q=2,3,4), and of empty fullerene-cage C⁺₈₂ ions were employed to study photoionization of fullerene-encapsulated and free cerium atoms. The Ce 4d inner-shell contributions to single and double ionization of the endohedral Ce@C⁺₈₂ fullerene have been extracted from the data and compared with expectations based on theory and the experiments with atomic Ce ions. Dramatic reduction and redistribution of the ionization contributions to Ce 4d photoabsorption is observed. More than half of the Ce 4d oscillator strength is apparently diverted to …

Biofuels, Land, And Water: A Systems Approach To Sustainability, Gayathri Gopalakrishnan, M. Cristina Negri, Michael Wang, May Wu, Seth W. Snyder, Lorraine Lafreniere

United States Department of Energy: Publications

There is a strong societal need to evaluate and understand the sustainability of biofuels, especially because of the significant increases in production mandated by many countries, including the United States. Sustainability will be a strong factor in the regulatory environment and investments in biofuels. Biomass feedstock production is an important contributor to environmental, social, and economic impacts from biofuels. This study presents a systems approach where the agricultural, energy, and environmental sectors are considered as components of a single system, and environmental liabilities are used as recoverable resources for biomass feedstock production. We focus on efficient use of land and …

Doe Climate Change Research Program: Strategic Plan

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Advance the forefront of climate change research to provide the nation with the scientific knowledge it needs about the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on Earth's climate and biosphere to support effective energy and environmental decision making.

Mineralogical Transformations Controlling Acid Mine Drainage Chemistry, T. Peretyazhko, John M. Zachara, J.-F. Boily, Y. Xia, P.L. Gassman, B.W. Arey, W.D. Burgos

United States Department of Energy: Publications

The role of Fe(III) minerals in controlling acid mine drainage (AMD) chemistry was studied using samples from two AMD sites [Gum Boot (GB) and Fridays-2 (FR)] located in northern Pennsylvania. Chemical extractions, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to identify and characterize Fe(III) phases. The mineralogical analysis revealed schwertmannite and goethite as the principal Fe(III) phases in the sediments. Schwertmannite particles occurred as sub-micron sized spheroids. Their transformation into goethite occurred at the GB site where poorly-crystallized goethite rich in surface-bound sulfate was initially formed. In contrast, no schwertmannite transformation occurred …

Estimating Percent Residue Cover Using The Line-Transect Method, David P. Shelton, Paul J. Jasa

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Leaving crop residue on the soil surface is one of the easiest and most cost-effective methods of reducing soil erosion. Research in Nebraska and other midwestern states has shown that leaving as little as 20 percent of the soil surface covered with crop residue can reduce soil erosion by one-half of what it would be from residue-free conditions. Greater amounts of residue cover will further reduce erosion. Many Conservation Plans specify crop residue management or residue left on the soil surface as the primary erosion control method. Generally, the amount of cover required after planting ranges from 30 percent to …

Development Of Novel Microwave Cooking Model For Not-Ready-To Eat Foods, Sohan Birla, Krishnamoorthy Pitchai, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, David D. Jones

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Recently safety of microwave cooked food has come under scrutiny because of recent outbreak and recalls associated with some of these not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) frozen foods. Heating uniformity of these foods is paramount in rendering the foods safe for consumption. Degree of uneven microwave heating is influenced by both microwave oven and characteristics of food load which decides the electric field distribution within the food load. Given the complexity of parameters, a computer model is always desirable to optimize heating uniformity by proper selection of food shape, proportions, plating, packaging selection and more. Earlier many researchers have made one or more …

Integrated Capture And Spectroscopic Detection Of Viruses, Crystal A. Vargas, Allison A. Wilhelm, Jeremy Williams, Pierre Lucas, Kelly A. Reynolds, Mark R. Riley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The goal of this work is to develop an online monitoring scheme for detection of viruses in flowing drinking water. The approach applies an electrodeposition process that is similar to the use of charged membrane filters previously employed for collection of viruses from aqueous samples. In the present approach, charged materials are driven onto a robust optical sensing element which has high transparency to infrared light. A spectroscopic measurement is performed using the evanescent wave that penetrates no more than 1 m from the surface of an infrared optical element in an attenuated total reflectance measurement scheme. The infrared measurement …

Grand Challenges For Biological Engineering, Jeong-Yeol Yoon, Mark R. Riley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Biological engineering will play a significant role in solving many of the world's problems in medicine, agriculture, and the environment. Recently the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) released a document "Grand Challenges in Engineering," covering broad realms of human concern from sustainability, health, vulnerability and the joy of living. Biological engineers, having tools and techniques at the interface between living and non-living entities, will play a prominent role in forging a better future. The 2010 Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE) conference in Cambridge, MA, USA will address, in part, the roles of biological engineering in solving the challenges presented …

Special Issue On Evapotranspiration Measurement And Modeling, Samuel Ortega-Farias, Suat Irmak, R. H. Cuenca

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Water availability for irrigation throughout the world has been reduced in recent years due to a combination of frequent droughts and competition for water resources among agricultural, industrial, and urban users. In addition, some major agricultural areas face moderate to significant reductions of rainfall, or changes in timing of stream flow due to changes in timing of snowmelt, as a result of global climate change. Under such conditions, sophisticated irrigation water management will be required to optimize water use efficiency and maintain sufficient levels of crop productivity and quality. A key factor to achieve these targets is the estimation of …

Magnitude And Trends Of Reference Evapotranspiration Rates In South Central Nebraska: Daily, Monthly, Growing Season Total, And Annual Total, Suat Irmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Reference evapotranspiration (ET_ref ) is used to determine the actual water use (ET_a) rate for various crops and is one of the key variables that needs to be determined accurately for effective irrigation management. This extension circular provides information on the magnitude and temporal distribution of daily, monthly, annual, and growing season alfalfa-reference evapotranspiration (ET_ref)) in south central Nebraska. It also discusses why long-term average ET_ref values may not represent non-average years or be accurate enough for irrigation management.

The most common way to calculate actual crop water use (ET_a) for a …

Managing Livestock Manure To Protect Environmental Quality, Brian L. Benham, Richard B. Ferguson, Christopher G. Henry, Michael A. Reynolds, Charles A. Shapiro, James P. Stack, Charles S. Wortmann

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Proper utilization of livestock manure is a major environmental concern. Livestock manure has typically been considered a ‘waste product’ of livestock production. A more accurate name for this material is a ‘recycled resource’ from the production of livestock. By managing livestock manure, the producer has a second chance to utilize the nutrients that have already been paid for but not fully utilized by the animal. Collecting, containing, and properly spreading livestock manure will incur additional costs for the producer. However, these costs can be offset or justified by the producer in terms of the yield enhancement and nutrient credits that …

Uranium In Framboidal Pyrite From A Naturally Bioreduced Alluvial Sediment, Nikolla P. Qafoku, Ravi K. Kukkadapu, James P. Mckinley, Bruce W, Arey, Shelly D. Kelly, Chongmin Wang, Charles T. Resch, Philip E. Long

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Samples of a naturally bioreduced, U-contaminated alluvial sediment were characterized with various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques and wet chemical extraction methods. The objective was to investigate U association and interaction with minerals of the sediment. Bioreduced sediment comprises ∼10% of an alluvial aquifer adjacent to the Colorado River, in Rifle, CO, that was the site of a former U milling operation. Past and ongoing research has demonstrated that bioreduced sediment is elevated in solid-associated U, total organic carbon, and acid-volatile sulfide, and depleted in bioavailable Fe(III) confirming that sulfate and Fe(III) reduction have occurred naturally in the sediment. SEM/EDS analyses …

Heterogeneous Reduction Of Tc(Vii) By Fe(Ii) At The Solid–Water Interface, T. Peretyazhko, John M. Zachara, S.M. Heald, B.-H. Jeon, Ravi K. Kukkadapu, C. Liu, D. Moore, C.T. Resch

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Experiments were performed herein to investigate the rates and products of heterogeneous reduction of Tc(VII) by Fe(II) adsorbed to hematite and goethite, and by Fe(II) associated with a dithionite–citrate–bicarbonate (DCB) reduced natural phyllosilicate mixture [structural, ion-exchangeable, and edge-complexed Fe(II)] containing vermiculite, illite, and muscovite. The heterogeneous reduction of Tc(VII) by Fe(II) adsorbed to the Fe(III) oxides increased with increasing pH and was coincident with a second event of Fe²⁺_(aq) adsorption. The reaction was almost instantaneous above pH 7. In contrast, the reduction rates of Tc(VII) by DCB-reduced phyllosilicates were not sensitive to pH or to added Fe^{2+ …}

Gathering Cows Using Virtual Fencing Methodologies, Dean M. Anderson, Marek Doniec, Carrick Detweiler, Iuliu Vesilescu, Daniela Rus, Barbara Nolen, Roy Libeau

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

Free-ranging livestock are classically controlled by herders. Holding, moving, or gathering free-ranging cattle requires flexible husbandry practices for efficient and effective lowstress animal management. Behavioral theory and practical experience indicates cattle can be taught to respond to auditory cues. Preliminary research has demonstrated that cows can be gathered autonomously using recorded audio cues associated with manual gathering. However, efficient gathering requires movement in the proper direction. Therefore, we believe using audio cues administered from directional virtual fencing (DVF™) equipment can facilitate proper animal orientation and facilitate the gathering of animals with minimal human intervention. Results from applying directional audio cues …

Impact Of Microclimatic Data Measured Above Maize And Grass Canopies On Penman‐Monteith Reference Evapotranspiration Calculations, Suat Irmak, Lameck O. Odhiambo

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ET_ref) using measured microclimatic data and the Penman‐Monteith (PM) method provides a powerful means of quantifying actual plant evapotranspiration (ET_a) needed for use in various disciplines. When applying the PM method to estimate ET_ref, it is desirable to measure the required microclimatic data over a reference grass or alfalfa surface rather than above non‐reference surfaces. However, in reality, establishing and maintaining a reference surface for long periods of time is a difficult task. Other surface energy balance systems, such as the Bowen ratio energy balance system (BREBS), eddy covariance system, …