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Basic module of the CLIMATE for CULTURE software Lead Beneficiary: Issued by: University of Zagreb Prof. Vlatka Rajcic/Oto Sladek/Ales Sladek Date: 26 November 2012
1. Background
Climate measurements already take place everywhere in the EU. Usually the data is
collected and stored at various places without any further assessment or evaluation due to
the lack of a reliable and standardized interpretation and analytical tools. For the assessment
of risks to cultural heritage objects and to historic buildings itself, a completely new CLIMATE
for CULTURE software will be developed to analyse climate data. The data will cover how
and what for the building is used and which risks of damage occur, applying already-available
and new damage functions. In the European Market there is no such software yet existing.
This software will be a cost-effective tool for preventive conservation and maintenance to
support decision makers in defining the most appropriate microclimate to ensure a
sustainable and energy saving use of the historic buildings.
The CLIMATE for CULTURE software will be available for online analysis of indoor and
outdoor climate data collected in archaeological sites, museums, libraries and archives, castles
and churches or human dwellings in historic buildings.
Various climate data interpretations existing throughout Europe will be combined by
integration of the latest knowledge of the leading experts in this field as it is currently discussed
in the standardization working group CEN TC 346. These ideas and concepts will be used as
a basis for a new risk assessment approach that will develop innovative damage functions.
These will then be implemented into the software-based Analysis and Decision Support System
(CLIMATE for CULTURE software) and into the economic impact of climate change on cultural
heritage.
Also for offline use, a simplified analytical tool based on the Matlab code has been prepared
that will be provided for free to the general public. Analytical tools will provide the possibility to
investigate measured hygrothermal data through statistical analysis and to make a first check
of the data based on the standard temperature and relative humidity ranges for collection
materials and also for the ranges that will be developed by the end of the project.
According to the Description of Work (DoW) the basic module of the CLIMATE for
CULTURE software will be presented here integrating improved climate risk maps of Europe
and including a web-based database for the storage of measured climate data.
2. Database
The web-based database which is the basic module of the CLIMATE for CULTURE
software has been developed at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE). The website
www.monumenten.bwk.tue.nl was created during earlier research carried out in the Department
of Building Physics and Services (TUE) in order to solve measurement data management
problems. The website was further developed during the start of the Climate for Culture project
and has served since then as a database for the measured data of CfC case studies. Already
temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) measurements for 70 case studies are uploaded in
the database in the frame of the CfC project.
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Physics of Monuments/Climate for Culture website
The database is an SQL Express database with the possibility of daily updates.
Example of a data table in an SQL database
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The website enables uploading of measurement setups (sensor ID, measured
quantity, position description, floor plans indicating sensor positions) for every case study as
well as measurement data files. The formats currently available are: Hanwell formatted file,
Eltek formatted file, Escort formatted file and Humbug formatted file. Most measurement
equipment saves files to some other extension (.csv, .z01 etc.) instead of .txt. One can either
upload one file containing all data or upload several smaller files. The uploaded files are
converted once a day and simultaneously. The name of the .txt files should contain a
number in such a way that sorting the files alphabetically results in a continuous data file. An
example of numbering is the date: Amerongen_20100101.txt, Ameron-gen_20100102.txt etc.
The number of formats available will increase in time.
Example of an Eltek text file
Data can be retrieved using the website in .txt or .mat format for further research but
also a graphical output can be created in order to quickly assess your data. The .txt format
can be opened in Microsoft Excel, Notepad, Textpad, Word and many other programs.
The .mat format is especially suited for Matlab (by Mathworks). Both formats allow you to store
data, make your own calculations or to create other forms of output.
Example of an exported data file in .mat format
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The graphical output consists of several types of plots: time plots, climate evaluation plots
and risk plots.
Example of a T & RH Time Plot
Example of a T & RH Climate Evaluation Chart
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Example of a General Risk Plot (ASHRAE)
Example of a Specific Risk Plot
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3. Future further development of the website
Necessary changes to www.monumenten.bwk.tue.nl website are:
- increased safety (backups)
- linking www.monumenten.bwk.tue.nl to www.climateforculture.eu
- making the database suitable for solar radiation data alongside temperature and
relative humidity
- making the database data values available for others e.g. Kybertec
- automatic online processing of a .doc report for each project (format Dario Camuffo)
- implementation of other damage functions (if needed)
- regular maintenance of the website
- assistance for users (FAQ etc.).
Future development includes implementing a user interface for filling in the
questionnaire (from partner Doerner (Melanie Eibl's PDF)) online, with results stored in a
database. Transfer functions will be created out of the measured data directly. Simulated indoor
climate data from the REMO high resolution climate model for the next century will be
developed as well as damage assessments in EU-map pictures.
Advanced features include creating thermal and hygrical images from uploaded FLIR
.mat-files (infrared thermal camera) as well as a possibility to create HAMbase results out of
an uploaded HAMbase file.
HAMbase simulation file upload
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Example of an infrared thermal image and hygric image
3.1
Simulations of indoor climate data
For the simulation of indoor climate data inverse modeling has been successfully
applied on a simplified hygrothermal building model ("From Castle to Binary Code", MSc
dissertation).
a)
b)
Best thermal (a) and hygric (b) model
The State Space modelling approach is applied successfully for inverse modelling
and simulation. The developed thermal (3rd order) and hygric (2nd order) models perform
excellently for most cases (Goodness of Fit > 80%). The identified parameter values are
effective, not apparent valuesso it is harder to verify the accuracy by calculations. It is highly
necessary to include solar irradiation in the thermal model. The proposed method for
modelling solar irradiance works very well. Fixed temperature and fixed vapour pressure nodes
are effective for modelling constant temperature zones and constant vapour pressure zones
respectively. Identified parameters are a ratio of a variable with a capacitance (Gx/Cx).
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3.2
Damage risk assessment - EU Risk maps
Damage risk assessment of museum objects in historic buildings due to shifting climate
zones in Europe can graphically be represented using EU Risk maps. For the mapping function
a Hygrothermal building simulation model (HAMBase) is used. Hourly outdoor climate
data from 468 weather stations across Europe are available covering three periods: recent
past (1960-1990), near future (2020-2050) and far future (2070-2100). As a case study,
characteristic monumental buildings are used, both heated and unheated. Damage risk
assessment to objects includes risks of biological, chemical and mechanical degradation.
Interpolation of mean temperature in recent past
Mean indoor climate change in unheated church from recent past to far future
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Specific climate risk assessment for heated church – object: panel painting
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4. Offline analytical tool
4.1
Introduction into a single analytical tool
A single analytical tool is the Matlab environment (R2009b - Sp1) tool for filtering and
analysis of measured data. Temperature and relative humidity were identified as the most
important parameters for the work of the conservator. Basic analysis provides data and figures,
which should provide relevant decision support in the cases of necessary microclimate
control.
4.2
Data import
To import the data from the measurement click on the “Open” button in the upper left
corner of initial screen, shown in figure bellow. Data should be provided in the standardized
format for both temperature and relative humidity.
Initial screen
Standardized format for the files is necessary for the correct import of the data. The
content of files should be provided in three columns, separated by space or tab. First column
provides information on the date of the measurement, second column on the time of the
measurement and the third the value of measured parameter. Example of the file content for
the temperature measurement is shown in figure on the top of next page
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Data file format
In the case that the Climate for culture filename format was, used corresponding data
for temperature and relative humidity should be loaded and additional information should be
provided below the file names, as shown in figure below
Additional data provided in the case CfC filename format use
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4.3
Displaying the data
After the upload of the data, the visual output in the graphical window should be
provided instantly as shown in the figure below. The displayed data could be manipulated in
several ways according to the needs of the user as commented in subsequent paragraphs.
Screen after load of the data
Time scale
The time scale of visualized data can be adjusted by the controls shown in figure below.
It is possible to show data in time scales of years, months, weeks and days. Also the possibility
to define the starting point and the end point to be shown is enabled by the filling dates below
the control buttons. In the case that any controls are used, all data are visualized.
Time scale controls – initial (left), in use (right)
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Property
Below the time scale controls, the rolling menu with the graphs which could be visualized
is shown. Properties and graphs that could be visualized are summarized in the table below.
Most of the graphs provide the simple visualization of the property vs. time with the exception
of the T/H diagram and Mollier diagram shown in figures below, which are important for the
definition of the regions of interest and also for the dimensioning of the air- conditioning and
heating systems.
Temperature [°C]
Temperature versus Time graph Dew
point [°C]
Dew point versus Time graph
Relative humidity [%]
Relative humidity versus Time graph
Absolute humidity [g/m3]
Absolute humidity versus Time graph
Specific humidity [g/kg]
Specific humidity versus Time graph
Dry air density [kg/m3]
Dry air density versus Time graph
Wet air density [kg/m3]
Wet air density versus Time graph
Enthalpy [kJ/kg d.v.]
Enthalpy versus Time graph
Saturation vapour pressure [hPa]
Saturation vapour pressure versus Time graph
Partial vapour pressure [hPa]
Partial vapour pressure versus Time graph
T-Dew point [°C]
Temperature minus dew point versus Time graph
Specific heat capacity [kJ/kgK]
Specific heat capacity versus Time graph
TH diagram
Temperature versus Relative humidity graph
IX diagram
Mollier diagram of moist air
List of the graphs and the properties which could be visualized
Temperature – Relative humidity diagram
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Molliere diagram
Graph type
On the bottom of the Display window the type of the graph can be selected. It is possible
to select between types described in table below. Graph types are visualized in the next 4
figures below:
Data
Data – filtered
Variation to filtered data
Data & Data – filtered
Variation to day average
Tab. 1 – Graph types
Measured data with no manipulation
Filtered measured data
Variation of the measured data to filtered data curve
Combination of filtered and raw measured data
Variations of measured data to 24 hour averages
Data – filtered graph type
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Variation to filtered data graph type
Data & Data – filtered graph type
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Variation to day average graph type
Data filtering
In the case of the Data – filtered, Variation to filtered data and Data & Data – filtered
graph type selection, the filtering is enabled. The level of the applied filter can be adjusted by
the controls displayed at the bottom of the Display window as shown in figure below. The
filtering is based on the analysis of the data within prescribed time frame – the bigger the
scale of the time frame is, the bigger the smoothening effect is. Maximum allowed time frame
in the tool is 30 days.
Filter controls
4.4
Data analysis
The analytical capabilities of the tool can be divided into two main categories – statistical
analysis of the measured data and the analysis of the regions with appropriate conditions for
the optimal conservation of the material.
Statistical analysis
Basic statistical analysis of measured data is provided within the tool. For visualized
data values of minimum, maximum, average and deviation from average are calculated as
shown in following figure. Statistical data are automatically recalculated whenever the time
frame is changed by the user. In the case of the minimum and maximum, additional information
on the appearance of the extreme are included within the brackets – extremes are also
visualized in the graphical window.
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Statistical analysis
For the case that information on the appearance of the data within specific range is
needed, limiters could be used. Information on the percentage of the measured data above
limiter #1, bellow limiter #2 and between the limiters is provided as shown in figure bellow.
Fig. 1 – Use of the limiters
Material polygon analysis
As one of the main concerns of conservators is to prevent any possible damage to
the objects collected in the interior, the temperature and relative humidity relation within the
interior has a high priority.
The tool provides the possibility to define the boundaries of the temperature and relative
humidity by new material polygon or by the use of the library where several materials are
already predefined.
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Material polygons are defined in the T/RH diagram by Add button. After clicking on the
add button the menu shown in figure below is displayed. As the number of the vertices and the
name of the material polygon are specified, the possibility to define the vertices by the mouse
or by the filling of the table as shown in figure bellow can be applied
Add button menu
Creation of material polygon via the parameter table
In the case of saving the material polygon by the Save button, it is also necessary to
enter maximum allowed daily fluctuations for temperature and humidity and to put comments
on the material, place or source that can be specified by the words range of the applicability
of material polygon. The Save menu is shown in following figure
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Menu for the saving of material polygon
Another way how to apply the material polygon is to use a predefined library. The Library
contains the material polygon specified by ISO 11799, BS 5454 standards and also the
recommendations of UNESCO Memory of the World project. In the case that only upper
boundary for the temperature is specified, lower value is set to -30°C and commented in the
files.
As the interior can contain collections and objects with specific needs, it is possible to
combine displayed material polygons and create their intersections as shown in figure below
Intersection created from other two material polygons
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In the case that the material polygon is displayed in the graphical window, the legend
directly provides the information on the content of the measured data within a defined
material polygon.
Further statistics and visualizations can be obtained by the selecting a property vs. time
type of graph. Measured data which fulfill the conditions for the temperature and relative
humidity are displayed by the red points on the graph and also statistical analysis for the data
within the material polygon are provided as shown in next figure
Temperature vs. time graph with selected material polygon
It has to be specified that in the T/RH diagram only absolute values of the temperature
and relative humidity are compared. In the case that we would like to analyse the oscillation
of the values it is necessary to select “Variation to day average” graph type as shown in
figure bellow
Oscillation analysis in the Variation to day average graph
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