The Venus Grotte is a manmade cave built into a hillside at the historic Lindenhof Castle in Germany. A century and a half of high humidity levels and limited air circulation within the space led to advanced deterioration of the cave’s interior such that the inner shell and ceiling showed significant defects and imminent threat of collapse. Baumann Consulting was contracted to perform CFD simulations of the cave’s interior to inform the development of a remediation plan.
Baumann began by laser scanning the space, including both the inner area of the cave itself as well as the antechamber positioned between the cave interior and the hillside exterior. Baumann’s team conducted a series of CFD analyses that examined seasonal airflow, humidity, and temperature fluxes into and out of the space. By pinpointing key issue areas, Baumann provided expert guidance to the mechanical engineering team to inform the development of the most effective yet least invasive air treatment system to be installed at this uniquely fragile and historically significant site.
