An energy efficient strategy for local environment control of relics preservation in archaeology museums with funerary pits

Indoor environmental control has been proved to be critical for long-term preservation for artifacts in archaeology museums. However, it is usually a very energy intensive process to sustain a steady condition continuously throughout the year for the whole exhibition hall. In this study, an energy efficient strategy that only controls the local environment for the preservation area is proposed. A laboratory room with a funerary pit was constructed to simulate a large open exhibition hall. Experimental investigations using the test pit, with radiant panels and air curtain system for control of the local environment for the funerary pit, validated this management strategy for the preservation of relics in archaeology museums. The results show that using both an air curtain and a radiant heating system provides a feasible and energy-saving strategy for controlling the preservation environment independently.