An integrated approach to the preventive conservation of cultural heritage: computational fluid dynamics application

A transient simulation model, for coupled heat and mass-moisture transfer, taking into account archivist and general public movements, combined with the related sensible and latent heat released to the ambient, is provided. Our method can be a useful tool for the evaluation of the indoor environment and air quality, with the aim of the best compromise between people working and visitor comfort. The evaluation of air temperature, relative humidity, presence of gases and particles tracing and distribution, recommended concentration levels for conservation and maintenance of works of art, conditioning and ventilation plant solutions can be evaluated. It can also suggest refurbishment actions for compliance with national and international regulations and standards for historical buildings protection and preventive conservation of works of art in them. Results from the transient simulation are in good agreement with the experimental data collected during our case study: a monitoring campaign of microclimatic conditions in the eighteenth-century Palatina library in Parma, Italy. Our work aims at contributing toward the definition of standardized methods for assessing the biological and microclimate quality of cultural heritage environments