EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C Visitor Centre.
Working with Beaufort Bespoke, I was the Technical Designer for this job, taking Design Consultants, Smith and Jones, base ideas and expanding them into detailed and functional learning interactives for visitors to learn how the nuclear plant operates.
Featuring turbine interactives, accurate scale models of the reactors and an Augmented Reality supported site model of HPC. Designed fully in CAD and 3D printed.
Adapting Consultants Models
image courtesy of smithandjones.co.uk
At the beginning of the project we were handed the initial designs of the layout and proposed elements of the visitor centre fit out by smith and jones design consultants.
My role in this project was to take the proposed elements and refine and ensure accurate depictions of each model and make CAD drawings of all the fixtures so carpenters could manufacture them.
Over the following months, I worked closely with EDF technicians and architects to design accurate models of both the site and the interiors of the reactors so that the learning aids would be accurate and depict cohesive and understandable operations to the general public.
Turbine Interactive Models
One of the proposed interactive was a large scale model of the reactors turbines that was powered by the steam make by the nuclear reactors. I was responsible of the design of the whole model. Fortunately I had completed a very similar model years prior so it was a fairly simple process.
This turbine interactive similar to the previous, was attached to a motor and would spin to showcase its operation.
The turbine fins and assemblies themselves were also 3D printed with an FDM machine that I also operated. They were finished with a metallic paint.
A fun challenge was the smaller interactive the paired with the large turbine model. Part of this stand was a turbine efficiency demo. Visitors could select different turbine wheels, each with differing fan blade profiles and amount of blades. after selecting, visitors could mount them on a spindle and active a channel of air that would blow into the turbine wheel.
Depending on their choice, each turbine would spin after different speeds that was read out on a display. I had to design and 3D print many different turbine wheel profiles and test each to make sure that they each had considerable differences in speed to demonstrate that the blade quantity and profile design had dramatic impacts to the efficiency.
Each turbine wheel was 3D printed and finished in a durable brush metallic paint.
AR Facility Site Scale Model
Another interactive in the visitor centre was an Augmented Reality site model of the Hinkley Point C Facility. This element was fairly basic and they models served only as silhouettes for the AR to mount to and display more information about them.
Each model was printed with SLA 3D printers, totalling 82 pieces total to complete this scale model.
The cabinet was also drawn up in CAD. Featuring sliding doors and lockable cupboards either side. With top down illuminating spotlights overtop of the model with handheld AR tablets that could be lifted by visitors.
Future Energy Interactive
This element was a display of power, showing the capability of HPC’s energy output potential. Featuring a model cityscape to show its scale. These models were rudimentary and contained mostly simple shapes and angles so they were manufactured out of MDF.
Featuring an overhead projector that turned the table top into a touchscreen, this model would show infographics stating how long HPC could power a city for and the amount of pollution that it would output as a result. Depending on what was clicked it would also impact the colour of the models projection.
Curved Projector Screen and Fixtures
The curved projector screen is a pretty self explanatory element. Made of a timber framework and clad with thin matte white boards to give a non reflective surface for the projectors images.
Controlled via the free standing table with projector canopy above similar to the Cityscape model. Interacting with the table top ‘touchscreen’ allows visitors to interact with the projectors.
Again, self explanatory fixtures being the tables on which interactive where mounted. Featuring lockable undercabinet and conical bases.
Featuring under lighting and low reflective finishes to allow clear projection images from the overhead canopies.
This exhibit also included some AV displays for more informational graphics to be accessed by visitors. featuring full length touchscreen displays and tiled screens.
The cabinets were designed to accommodate the internals of both the screens and the computers that ran the interactives. Ventilation and locked discrete but accessible doors where included in each design for ease of updating and troubleshooting should the AV components fail.
Nuclear Reactor Interactive Model
The biggest challenge of this project was certainly making accurate scale models of the facilities nuclear reactors and reactor core.
Made with 3D printing and hand turned stainless steam generators. This project was one of the most involved that I had undertaken at the time as there were many parts all with small intricate details that also housed LED lights that would react to inputs on the touchscreen table.
Months of back and fourths with EDF technicians and referencing nuclear reactor blueprints we were finally able to create an albeit simplified but accurate model of the interiors of both the nuclear reactors and the reactor cores.
This was also on of the largest models I had 3D printed at the time as the entire dome that houses the nuclear reactor was also 3D printed and housed LEDs in the gap between walls that would illuminate to show temperature of the reactor.
