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INDUSTRY NEWS |
Carrier Unveils Innovative Solution to Preserve
Michelangelo's Frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.
- State-of-the-art heating, ventilating and
air-conditioning system highlighted at Vatican Museums
cultural heritage event -
 Carrier
announced Wednesday the completed installation of an
innovative heating, ventilating and air-conditioning
(HVAC) solution for the Sistine Chapel, developed to
help preserve Michelangelo's masterpieces against
deterioration caused by increasing numbers of visitors.
The new Carrier HVAC system design will be presented
over the next two days to an international audience
specializing in cultural heritage preservation at a
Vatican Museums event, "The Sistine Chapel 20 Years
Later: New Breath, New Light," in Rome. Carrier, the
world's leader in high-technology heating, ventilating
and air-conditioning solutions, is a part of UTC
Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United
Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
The new system uses two Carrier AquaForce® 30XWV
water-cooled chillers with Greenspeed® intelligence,
each with 580 kilowatts of capacity. It leverages
specially designed software and components, as well as
patented, energy-saving technologies to maintain optimal
climate conditions for the protection of the paintings
within the chapel. An intelligent system of controls,
linked with an advanced video application from UTC
Building & Industrial Systems, enables the HVAC system
to anticipate visitor levels and adjust its performance
intuitively. The new system delivers twice the
efficiency and three times the capacity of the former
system, which was built and installed by Carrier in the
early 1990s. To ensure the smooth operation of the new
system, the Vatican has chosen to enter into a five-year
maintenance contract with Carrier Distribution Italy SpA.
"Our aim now is not restoration, but conservation. This
is why we have chosen Carrier, because a masterpiece
like the Sistine Chapel needs a comparable masterpiece
of technology," said Antonio Paolucci, director of the
Vatican Museums.
The company's expert global team of AdvanTE3C engineers
developed the solution, working in close collaboration
with the Vatican's technical teams and using
leading-edge computer modeling and simulation
techniques. The engineering team overcame several
challenges to meet the chapel's unique requirements. The
system carefully manages the flow, humidity, quality and
temperature of the air; maintains sound at
"church-quiet" levels; is virtually invisible to
visitors; and uses pre-existing duct openings in a
protected, historic landmark setting. It was also
designed to be adaptable to future needs.
"Supporting the Vatican with our advanced technologies
to preserve the extraordinary heritage of the Sistine
Chapel was a remarkable opportunity," said Geraud Darnis,
President and CEO, UTC Building & Industrial Systems.
"We put our world-class engineering and design resources
into this project and are exceptionally proud of the
outcome."
In 1993, Carrier designed and installed the Sistine
Chapel's first air-conditioning system to accommodate a
maximum load of 700 simultaneous visitors. Today, with
daily visitor traffic of approximately 20,000 people,
the new system is designed to accommodate up to 2,000
visitors at one time in nearly any weather condition.
Story
continues below ↓
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In addition, the Governatorate of the Vatican City
State and United Technologies Corp. have entered into an
agreement to ensure the protection and safety of the
Vatican Museums' artwork, spaces and visitors through
the deployment of building technologies from UTC
companies. According to the terms of the agreement, the
parties will work together on integrated solutions
spanning HVAC, elevators and escalators, fire detection
and alarm, fire suppression and safety, electronic
security, access control, video surveillance services
and related software solutions, from brands such as
Carrier, Otis, Lenel, Kidde, Chubb and Marioff.
"Today's excellent outcome reflects the success of the
development process. Collaborating for nearly three
years with Carrier, my teams and myself were able to
establish a fruitful working relationship, and together
overcome all obstacles to develop this technical
masterpiece," said the Rev. Rafael García de la Serrana
Villalobos, director, Vatican Technical Services.
The Vatican Museums was able to keep the chapel open to
visitors throughout the system dismantling and
installation process, which occurred over the peak
summer season, through use of a temporary HVAC system
provided by Carrier Rental Systems.
"From start to finish, this project has highlighted the
important role high technology can play in preserving
our most important pieces of history for future
generations," said Michel Grabon, director, Carrier
AdvanTE3C Europe. "When we started to design the system,
Professor Paolucci told us to think in terms of five,
six, seven centuries, and to think of it as work for
humanity. Our solution accomplishes this in a way that
strategically allows for future updates to help meet the
Vatican's evolving needs. We'll continue to innovate to
help preserve the brilliance of Michelangelo's
frescoes."
A video highlighting the new solution can be found at
www.YouTube.com/UTCBIS.
About Carrier
Founded by the inventor of modern air conditioning,
Carrier is the world's leader in high-technology
heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions.
Carrier experts provide sustainable solutions,
integrating energy-efficient products, building controls
and energy services for residential, commercial, retail,
transport and food service customers. Carrier is a part
of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United
Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace
and building systems industries worldwide. For more
information, visit
www.carrier.com or follow
@CarrierGreen on Twitter.
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