PhD defense alert: Wito Plas

A Leaf-Resolved CFD Model for Coupled Heat and Mass Transfer in Plant Canopies

You are invited to join the PhD Defense of:

Name: Wito Plas

Title: A Leaf-Resolved CFD Model for Coupled Heat and Mass Transfer in Plant Canopies

Topic:

In this study, a new, more detailed model is proposed to simulate airflow, temperature, and humidity around plants in a controlled environment. Currently, plants are usually approached as “porous zones”: simplified blocks of plant material that slow down airflow and exchange heat and moisture via standard formulas. This method is fast and convenient but often uses fixed parameters and general assumptions that do not always fit real, complex plant structures. As a result, uncertainties arise in predictions of the microclimate around plants.

A new CFD model has been developed that uses a digital reconstruction of real leaves. By directly simulating the flow around individual leaves, fewer empirical estimates are used. The model was tested step by step: first with a single leaf, then with fully reconstructed basil plants, and finally with experiments in a wind tunnel and climate chamber. Heat and mass transfer, including radiation, were also fully taken into account.

The results show that the full plant model is more realistic, especially with complex airflows. Nevertheless, porous zone models remain useful thanks to their simplicity and low computation time. The choice between the two depends on the desired accuracy and available computing power.

Date defense: 18 May 2026  | 17 PM

Place: Paviljoen Vandenhove, Rozier 1, 9000 Ghent

Online: Link to follow online

Registration: Please confirm your attendance through this form before 11th of May or use it to request an (electronic) version of the thesis: