A comparison of HVAC systems for artwork conservation

The growing interest in Italy for its cultural heritage and the necessity for better conservation usually require that museums be provided with appropriate HVAC systems. Control of indoor relative humidity must ensure that the vapour transfer between the materials and the ambient is such as to avoid mechanical, chemical and biological damage. Thus, it is necessary to balance the main thermal loads, that one due to the occupants in exhibition areas, subject to rapid change and directly proportional to the degree of overcrowding, and thermal load related to outdoor air. A case study concerning a simulated modem museum is presented in this paper. Using the dynamic simulation code DOE 2.1 E and hourly climatic data (TRY), the operating costs of different all-air systems (also with dehumidification by adsorption) have been evaluated for exhibition areas and stock spaces, as well as system performance in controlling thermal-hygrometric ambient parameters. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.