Impact of Air Flow and Humidity on the Erosion of Walli Castle in Ilam: A CFD Approach

Document Type : Original

Authors

1 Master of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Ilam Branch, Islamic Azad University

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Ilam Branch, Islamic Azad University

3 Master of Science in Mechanics Department, Ilam Branch, Islamic Azad University

Abstract

The preservation of historical monuments is increasingly recognized as a critical and vital concern within global scientific communities. Therefore, analyzing the biological and functional dimensions of historical buildings, both from an architectural perspective and across other engineering disciplines, is an essential research priority. Addressing the impact of relative humidity (RH) on thermal comfort and structural integrity in historic buildings necessitates strategies such as proper ventilation, humidity control measures, and periodic maintenance during restoration or renovation projects. This study simulates and analyzes air flow and relative humidity inside a historical building (Walli Castle in Ilam) using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach in Fluent software. Since moisture is one of the main destructive factors for historical structures —particularly in cold winters— the study first conducted experimental measurements of air temperature, relative humidity, pressure and flow velocity during a critical low-temperature winter day using data-recording equipment. Subsequently, a 3D geometric model of the building was created in Rhino software and CFD analyses were performed in Fluent. The experimental and numerical results were compared under two distinct scenarios. Based on the comparative analysis, to mitigate the adverse effects of humidity while preserving the historical fabric, it is recommended to implement a heating system with an optimally calculated heat flux to reduce relative humidity. The results indicate that intense air flow and the high relative humidity during winter are key factors contributing to the interior erosion of the Walli Castle in Ilam, necessitating repeated restorations in recent years. The novelty of this research lies in validating the Fluent software simulation model and demonstrating its capability to predict the potential erosion of valuable historical buildings based on air flow intensity and relative humidity, achieving an average error margin of 2.9% under varying climatic conditions.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Iranian Architecture Studies
Volume 13, Issue 25
August 2024
Pages 79-95

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