DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF AN ALGORITHM TO. CONTROL CROP TO AIR VAPOR PRESSURE DEFICIT IN A SUNLIT PLANT GROWTH CHAMBER THESIS A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science In Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky By Christian Anthony Mach Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Richard S. Gates, Associate Professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Lexington, Kentucky 2000TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLDGEMENTS.. LIST OF FIGURES... CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW... 1.1 Introduction. 1.2 Related Research. 1.3 Mechanies of VPD..........0005 1.4 Environmental Coupling. 1.4.1 Calculation of Coupling Factors... 1.4.2 Coupling Factor Results 1.5 Overview. CHAPTER 2: SIMULATION MODEL DESIGN AND RESULTS.. 2.1 Introduction... 2.2 System Definitions. 2.2.1 Sunlit Plant Growth Chamber. 2.2.2 Energy Balances. 2.2.2.1 Crop Canopy Balance......... 2.2.2.2 Supplemental Heating System. 2.2.2.3 Air Chamber Energy Balance. 2.3 Model Development... . 2.3.1 Theory 2.3.2. Parameter and Variable Development... eo 16 17 2d 24 ond 26 26 29 29 -30 30 362.3.3 Constructing the System Model.........--...--0.0++ 24 2.5 Conclusions. CHAPTER 3: MATERIALS AND METHODS. 3.1 Hardware Implementation 3.1.1 Control Actuation...... 3.1.2 Data Acquisition and Control Boards... 3.1.3 Instrumentation... 3.2 Design of Experiments for Control Verificat 3.2.1 Verification of System Performance........ 3.2.2 Control Response to System Disturbances. 3.2.3 Control Response to System Constraints... CHAPTER 4: CONTROL IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE RESULTS 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Sunlit Plant Growth Chamber...... 4.3 Energy Balance on SPGC Subsystems. 4.3.1 Crop Canopy Energy Balance. 4.3.2 Spray Chamber Energy Balance... 79 4.3.3 Supplemental Heat System Energy Balance... 4.3.4 Air Chamber Energy Balance. 4.4 Theory of VPDerpair Control.