CCS VILVITE | 2024

This carbon capture installation allows users to explore a natural gas plant and test two types of carbon capture technologies: oxyfuel and amines.

A long table with light tubes, dials and a turbine represent a natural gas plant. The light tubes represent gas flow that goes from the natural gas reservoir (a small screen on the table on the left) to a combustion chamber, then on to a gas turbine and an electrical generator. The gas flow ends on either a chimney where exhaust is displayed on the big screen, or on a CO2 storage reservoir (shown on a small screen on the table at the bottom to the right). The different molecules interacting in this process are shown as backlit texts. There are two slots in the plant where the two different types of carbon capture modules can be placed and tested, one at a time.

A large screen in front of the table shows a city that lights up continuously due to the electricity coming from the gas plant. The screen also shows various statistics, such as natural gas production, CO2 emissions from the chimney, and CO2 captured and stored when testing the two different carbon capture modules.

Visitors can see in the “default” mode, with no carbon capture modules, that a lot of CO2 is released from the chimney. Visitors are challenged to choose a carbon capture module and see what happens at the gas plant. When users select a module and place it in the correct slot, gas starts flowing from the natural gas reservoir. The tubes and the various molecule texts light up when the “gas” moves further in the plant. There are a couple of valves that direct the gas flow. Visitors are encouraged to switch the direction of the valves to direct where the gas goes in the plant and thus find the correct gas flow that works with the carbon capture module that is active. What happens on the chimney? What type of molecules are added or taken away in the process?

A message on the big screen invites visitors to test the other module and see the difference in the process both at the plant, and on the big screen showing various statistics about CO2 and natural gas production.

Physical buttons next to some elements on the plant trigger graphics on the large screen with more information. Subtle sound effects create an immersive experience.

More about the design process here.

Acknowledgements

Developed by Logic Interactive

Client: VilVite Science Center

My role: concept development, installation design, UX, graphic design, interaction and digital design