3D Immersive Display Application for Nuclear Education and Public Acceptance

Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) systems based on multiple stereoscopic projectors are very popular in many applications, such as training operators for nuclear power plants and surgeons for surgical operations. Due to the increasing number of nuclear reactors in Guangdong province of China, Hong Kong residents are concerned about the nuclear safety and impact on Hong Kong society. There is clearly a strong demand for nuclear literacy education in order to make the public aware of and accept nuclear energy. Thus, City University of Hong Kong has built an IVR system with a 9-meter diameter, 4-meter-height, 235 curved screen for nuclear literacy education. The actual CAD drawings of the Daya Bay nuclear power plant were used to recreate the virtual Daya Bay plant in our IVR system, emphasizing the reactor pressure vessel and steam generators inside the containment building. Visitors can enter the virtual containment building, and experience the actual operation environment in order to understand the basic knowledge of nuclear reactors. At present, the system is not only capable of illustrating the basic knowledge of nuclear reactor physics but also shows the normal and abnormal operations including reactor scram and emergency containment spray. In order to provide visitors with a full understanding of the role of nuclear power in Hong Kong's fuel mix, a Low Carbon Energy Education Center (LCEEC) was set up in which the IVR system was the main attraction. Other low carbon energy sources are also introduced in LCEEC. The Centre was visited by thousands of visitors since its opening in April 2017. Surveys have been conducted to collect their comments and suggestions. The results showed that the IVR system is very helpful in raising public understanding of nuclear power.