Robust microclimate control for artwork preservation in response to extreme climatic conditions: simulation of museum halls for temporary exhibitions with a validated dynamic tool

Abstract

In museums, artworks preservation is hampered by several factors, in particular temperature and relative humidity as inappropriate values of these parameters can cause biological, mechanical, and chemical degradation. Thus, HVAC systems must be able to maintain specific suitable indoor microclimate also in critical conditions, such as variation of external climate and huge presence of visitors. In this paper, we first present the results of a monitoring campaign conducted in some rooms of an Italian museum in the 2015-2016 winter exhibition. The current HVAC system was able to maintain the required microclimate. A dynamic model (using TRNSYS for the envelope modeling and an in-house developed tool for the HVAC system) has been validated through the measured data. The dynamic model allows performing additional simulations characterized by critical boundary conditions (e.g., low external temperature and/or high relative humidity, and high number of visitors). In current conditions, these conditions would have caused unacceptable microclimate in the exhibition rooms, meaning higher risks for artworks. Through a rational rearrangement of the current HVAC system (both generators and terminal units), the microclimate was found to be suitable also in critical situations. This outcome is particularly important in exhibition rooms with temporarily borrowed artworks, since climatic conditions are basically unpredictable for the season of exhibition and so a robust HVAC system is needed.