The Future Is Now
(Syracuse, N.Y., September 30, 2002) ¿ It's hard to believe that just 20 years ago cell phones, DVD players and the Internet had yet to hit the mainstream. In the early 1980s, many of the technological advances we take for granted today were part of a vision of the future. In 1982, Walt Disney expanded its Walt Disney World theme park in Orlando, Fla. to include Epcot Center, a section dedicated to technology and the future.
Epcot Center is 2 ½-mi. south of the Magic Kingdom and is twice as large. Built at a cost of $1 billion, Epcot is a showplace for the creative concepts of the future and the accomplishments of today's nations, and is composed of two major areas: World Showcase and Future World.
World Showcase focuses on a typical town scene ¿ and cuisine ¿ from many different countries including Canada, Mexico, France, Japan and many others. Future World has many pavilions sponsored by major U.S. companies and presents themes on communications, energy, transportation, agriculture, imagination and technology. In fact, Carrier's parent company, United Technologies Corporation, was the original sponsor of the "Living Seas" pavilion. Most pavilions explore the past, present and future possibilities of their subjects.
And what would a place dedicated to technology and the future be without the innovations of Carrier? Technology behind the scenes at Epcot is as important as it is in the public attractions at Epcot Center.
In the initial phase of the energy system, Carrier provided a central air conditioning plant and other equipment to keep the buildings comfortable. The Carrier central plant initially had two hermetic centrifugal chillers rated at 1,800 refrigeration tons each and two open drive centrifugal chillers rated at 4,200 refrigeration tons each. Carrier also provided about 150 air handling units for various pavilions. The chilled water circulates through them to cool the pavilions and then back to the central plant for re-cooling.
Epcot is not the same as it was when it opened its gates almost twenty years ago. Attractions are continually renovated and replaced so that Epcot can continually maintain visions of the future.
When he introduced his idea for what became Epcot Center, the late Walt Disney said, "it will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will be always introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems."
The same could be said about Carrier.
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