Fascinating Facts (Energy City, Geovator, & EFX)

October 3, 2017
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Joining the completely redesigned “classic” displays in the new Wiess Energy Hall 3.0 is a bonanza of entirely new exhibits, making the new hall the most contemporary, comprehensive, and technologically advanced exhibition on the science and technology of energy anywhere in the world—opening Nov. 20, 2017. Here are some fascinating facts about “Energy City,” the Geovator and Eagle Ford Shale Experience (EFX).

Energy City

  • It took 8,800 person-hours to design and build
  • Area of the model: 2,200 square feet
  • 19340” x 40″ tiles comprise the model (including water and partial tiles on edge of the map)
  • There are 2,148 individual assets on the map
  • Two tiles were modeled/designed per day in order to keep to the production schedule
  • There are 474cast houses based on 10 different designs
  • There are 89fabricated downtown buildings
  • There are 1103D-printed condos
  • There are 273D-printed wind turbines
  • There are 7123D-printed heliostats (mirrors) in the solar thermal array
  • There are 385energy-related 3D-printed assets (refineries, geothermal, nuclear, etc.) NOT including solar mirrors and wind turbines
  • The model is animated using 32 laser projectors of 8,000 lumens each
  • The model rests on a base made of square steel tubing weighing 5 tons
  • Actual downtown Houston buildings depicted = 12
    • City Hall; Esperson Building; Calpine Center; Bank of America; JPMorgan Chase Tower; Pennzoil Place; Well Fargo Plaza; Enterprise Plaza; Chevron Building; Heritage Plaza; Jones Hall; Capital One Plaza

The Geovator

  • 20 ft. x 20 ft. octagon, 10 tons
  • 20 people worked on it
  • Can transport 35 adults
  • The journey through the earth and back in time and back to HMNS takes 7 minutes
  • Captain Mercaptan, host of “Geovator 1.0” for 24 years (!), returns in “holographic” form to guide passengers in an all-new adventure aboard Geovator 3.0.

The Eagle Ford Shale Experience, aka the EFX3000

  • 32 ft. long and 20 feet wide, 20 tons
  • 25 people worked on it
  • Can transport 42 people in individual seating
  • The flight out to Karnes County, TX, voyage into the crevices of a hydraulic fracturing job in the Eagle Ford Shale, and then back home takes 10 minutes
  • The EFX3000 is piloted by DAR-C, a crusty robot with a rebellious streak

The Houston Museum of Natural Science

One of the nation's most heavily attended museums-is a centerpiece of the Houston Museum District. With four floors of permanent exhibit halls, and the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium, and George Observatory, and as host to world-class and ever-changing touring exhibitions, the Museum has something to delight every age group. With such diverse and extraordinary offerings, a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, located at 5555 Hermann Park Drive in the heart of the Museum District, is always an adventure.

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Media Information Sami Mesarwi Melodie Wade
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Next Release A first look inside the redesigned Wiess Energy Hall 3.0 featuring Energy City and two motion platforms—the Geovator and Eagle Ford Shale Experience

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The mission of the Houston Museum of Natural Science shall be to preserve and advance the general knowledge of natural science; to enhance in individuals the knowledge of and delight in natural science and related subjects; and to maintain and promote a museum of the first class.

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