Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH), in Pittsburgh, preserves natural history disciplines such as anthropology, paleontology, botany, zoology and ornithology, 22 million artifacts, geology
Exhibits in the museum include photographs, taxidermy, and bronze and wood objects. In addition, CMNH houses the fossilized remains of Carnegie Diplodocus, a nearly complete skeleton of the giant herbivorous dinosaur, which was among other fossils discovered by paleontologists.
These irreplaceable items need to be kept under strict and stable environmental conditions to prevent their deterioration. To validate their collection and existing environmental conditions, indoor environment professionals hired CMNH's Landmark Facility Group (LFG) to conduct a survey of the indoor environment. Due to the complexities involved in the buildings and interests of ONSET's HOBO® line, LFG proposed using ONSET's ZW Series wireless HOBOs for the collection of temperature and relative humidity data in CMNH's 420,000 square feet of indoor space
challenge
It was especially difficult to monitor and maintain stable temperature and humidity levels in CMNH's large building because it consists of three separate additions. Also, the HVAC system throughout the building is made up of several different makes and models, installed at different times – some with dehumidifiers and some not.
More to remember: This is the main museum building, Building 1907, which has neither vapor barriers nor insulation. The main construction of the building is stone, steel and concrete, which has constraints on it due to its status as a historical milestone. This includes using screws to secure equipment in certain areas of the wall.
The museum has a glass roof, which makes temperature and humidity control difficult. Maintaining 40% of the Museum's standard 50% relative humidity in all storage areas, preparation rooms and exhibit halls, is the order of Gretchen Anderson, CMNH's Conservator. Anderson also needs to maintain a tight three-degree temperature range. -
SolutionKIT-ZW-TRH
To overcome these challenges, LFG deployed 50 HOBO ZW series wireless data nodes ZW-001, ZW-003, ZW-005, ZW-006, ZW-007, ZW-008, ZW-RCVR, ZW-ROUTER integrated temperature and relative humidity sensor. HOBO data nodes ZW-001, ZW-003, ZW-005, ZW-006, ZW-007, ZW-008, ZW-RCVR, ZW-ROUTER are selected for their real-time data capability, compact size (suitable for discreet deployment), instant notification potential, and on-board caching to ensure data is not lost.
Despite stone, brick, and concrete walls, and rich metal museum-quality cabinetry, the wireless system functions reliably. Data loggers monitor CMNH's entire complex, from basement to attic. The nodes are attached to the walls and, in some cases, to the top of the cabinets. Mount the data node in the space of the history museum, and use 3M adhesive strips for non-marking. A wireless node was deployed outside to analyze how the outdoor ambient air temperature and humidity affect the museum's indoor environment. -
result
With the installation of the new wireless monitoring solution KIT-ZW-TRH, employees can immediately identify CMNH, diagnose, and troubleshoot HVAC equipment functions. In just a few short months, the sensors have helped them detect malfunctioning humidification systems and identify cracks in the walls, both of which have led to higher humidity levels. Before installing the new system, workers could spend three weeks identifying similar problems, but now they can isolate the fault and get environmental conditions back on track in a matter of hours.
In implementing the wireless system, CMNH jointly used stand-alone data loggers, drum hygrothermographs, and hand-held digital displays. "I had twenty separate data logger deployments and it took me two or three days to get the data ready for the collection management environment report," Anderson said. "Now I have fifty wireless nodes ZW-001, ZW-003, ZW-005, ZW-006, ZW-007, ZW-008, ZW-RCVR, ZW-ROUTER deployed and it takes me a day to generate the same Report."
The CMNH especially likes the ability of the hoboware® software to graph data from different data records on a single graphing staff. With this simple to use function, it is easy to compare data of groups.
