Download this case study as a pdf
Museum Maintains Proper Humidification Levels, Utilizes On-site Gas with Gas-to-Steam Humidifier
The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York utilizes a
DriSteem GTS® gas humidifier to preserve historical artifacts and reduce
energy costs.
As a creature bound to earth by gravity, man has always
had a fascination with the ability to fly. The Glenn H.
Curtiss museum in Hammondsport, New York is dedicated
to preserving the history of flight. Rooms are filled with
artifacts dating back to the first flight of Glenn H. Curtiss
1908, which was the first official, pre-announced public
flight in the United States.
Visitors can take a trip back in time to the early days of
flight — viewing actual aircraft, as well as replicas and
objects that are a part of the history of aviation. But what
the observer of these historical objects won’t see is that
the preservation of artifacts in this institution was once in
danger due to a lack of proper humidification.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING PROPER
HUMIDIFICATION
The Curtiss museum is filled with hundreds of objects
containing a variety of materials (wood, canvas, fabric
and paint) that are subject to cracking, chipping, peeling
and distortion without proper humidity levels — ideally
40% to 60% relative humidity (RH). When the Curtiss
Museum opened, a humidification system was not
installed, and the RH level hovered between 3% and 10%.
Jim White, the museum’s engineer, knew that he needed
to maintain humidification at an RH level of at least
40% with minimal fluctuation (±3%) — or jeopardize the
preservation of the museum’s contents.
MEETING THE MUSEUM’S SPECIFICATIONS AND BUDGET
After installing a DriSteem humidifier, Jim White can
confidently report that the museum consistently maintains
the RH levels necessary to preserve the museum’s sensitive
artifacts.
Jim White had specific objectives in choosing a humidification system.
“My first consideration was to find a system that could handle a large
area, yet fit in the limited floor space I had available,” said White.
The local DriSteem representative, Brian Willemsen of R.L. Kistler,
suggested a steam-to-steam humidification system. This system provides
chemical-free steam to the space and, because it uses boiler steam
as the heat source, it has very low energy costs. There was just one
problem: the museum did not have a boiler. “We knew the steam-tosteam
product would work for the museum, but in order to operate the
system, they would have to invest in a boiler,” Willemsen said, “and
we just didn’t want them to have to make that extra investment.”
Since the museum had natural gas as an energy source, Willemsen
told White about the DriSteem GTS gas-to-steam humidifier. The
GTS® humidifier could provide chemical-free, low cost humidification
with the control the museum required and fit in the space allotted,
without adding any additional equipment. “What excited me most about
the GTS humidifier was the fact that it was a direct-fired, stand-alone
unit that could be provided with an area-type steam distribution system
designed to distribute steam in large spaces without duct work,” said
White. “And, I was certainly excited about the lower energy costs we
would incur by using natural gas instead of electricity.”
MEETING HUMIDIFICATION DEMANDS
“The GTS humidifi er from DriSteem has met all of my expectations,” said
White. “I thought we may need to add one more unit to humidify the
2,000 cfm (cubic feet per minute) continuous outdoor air supplied by
our rooftop air conditioners. But we’re up and running at ideal RH levels
and the single GTS humidifi er is performing beautifully.”
Now Jim White can claim with confidence that the artifacts in the
Glenn H. Curtiss museum are being preserved for future flight history
enthusiasts. Thanks to DriSteem’s GTS humidifier, visitors can continue to
explore their fascination with man’s ability to fly, and see firsthand the
history of aircraft at the Glenn H. Curtiss museum.