# ORNL in the News

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**ORNL in the News**

Behind the new faces of engineering(ASME Podcast) ORNL's Amy Elliott shares her work in 3D printing and robotics at the lab, as well as her public outreach initiatives representing women in STEM and helping kids find their passion in engineering. April 8

Nuclear fusion is not a moonshot but an attainable goal(Forbes) Many energy experts consider nuclear fusion the North Star — a way to generate cleaner and more affordable electricity than fossil fuels without creating long-term nuclear waste. ORNL's fusion energy R&D efforts are mentioned in this story. April 8

ORNL’s integrated dataset shows pathways for enhanced bioenergy crop performance(datanami) A first-ever dataset bridging molecular information about the poplar tree microbiome to ecosystem-level processes has been released by a team of DOE scientists led by ORNL. April 9

Celebrating East Tennessee's women!(WBIR) From Dolly Parton to ORNL's Clarice Phelps, women trailblazers in Tennessee are highlighted for their contributions to the community as a part of Women's History Month. Phelps is an ORNL engineer, who is recognized for making history as the first Black woman involved in discovering an element, now known as Tennessine.  March 20

New report outlines how to sustainably produce 1 billion tons of biomass per year(Renewable Energy Magazine) The 2023 Billion-Ton Report, developed by ORNL, identifies feedstocks that could be available to produce biofuels to decarbonize transportation and industrial processes. March 18

ORNL researchers develop an AI-driven tool for near real-time cancer surveillance(HPCwire) In partnership with the National Cancer Institute, ORNL researchers helped develop a long-sequenced AI transformer that will provide experts researching cancer diagnoses and management with more accurate information on cancer reporting. March 14

ORNL director Stephen Streiffer talks about why he loves the job(Knox News) Stephen Streiffer, who became director of ORNL in October 2023, discusses why he loves the job, including strong partnerships and the impact ORNL has on the science and technology industry as well as the local community. March 19

US scientists power EV with 100-kW wireless charger in 20 minutes(Interesting Engineering) ORNL researchers have achieved the highest power density for a wireless charger for an SUV. March 14

Breaking barriers in energy storage(STEM Magazine) For those who dream of driving their electric vehicle long distances to see the world’s largest ball of twine, ORNL's Chelsea Chen is dedicated to making it possible. March 15

Type One to build stellarator prototype with plans to commercialize fusion energy(The Chemical Engineer) Type One Energy Group plans to build Infinity One, a prototype of its fusion device, using TVA's retired Bull Run Fossil Plant. ORNL's Mickey Wade is quoted in this story. March 8

ORNL unveils new AI method for quick cancer data analysis(HPCwire) With the use of advanced AI models, ORNL researchers have established a method of extracting valuable information from cancer pathology reports to streamline uploading data into the National Cancer Institute database. March 8Want to electrify your home? It might need this upgrade first.(Washington Post) The U.S. electrical grids might be getting an upgrade, using smart panels that can track and adjust the energy demand of devices from toasters to electric cars. ORNL's Helia Zandi speaks on ORNL's work with electrification for homes and transportation. March 5

Living East Tennessee: American Museum of Science and Energy(WATE) The American Museum of Science and Energy highlights their exhibit called The Art of Science, featuring images that are collected from ORNL and other scientific institutions across the country. March 5

ORNL turned its COVID success into a cancer-fighting mission – here’s how(Sky News) Scientists at ORNL are advancing cancer treatment research by designing drugs that target the metabolic pathways cancer cells rely on for growth, aiming to develop treatments for aggressive cancers, including lung and breast cancer. March 5

NASA uses ORNL’s supercomputers to research plan for safe landing on Mars(WATE) A team of NASA scientists and their partners used ORNL supercomputers to conduct simulations of a human-scale Mars lander, which is the first step in determining how to safely land a vehicle with humans onboard onto the surface of Mars. March 2

Net-zero energy house in South Knox will come with built-in employment opportunity(Knox News) Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development partnered with UT-Battelle and ORNL to embark on the construction of an innovative and environmentally friendly net-zero energy house. Feb. 29

Prototype fusion reactor planned for Tennessee Valley Authority site(World Nuclear News) ORNL and TVA are exploring opportunities with Type One Energy to advance commercial deployment of fusion energy in the East Tennessee region. Knox News, WATE and Axios also covered this story. Feb. 23

Wireless charging for electric cars is inching closer to reality(Bloomberg) Someday soon, plug-in cars may no longer need a plug. Multiple startups have spent years working toward a world in which wireless charging goes mainstream, and as EV adoption picks up, momentum is building to make that dream a reality. ORNL's work with wireless charging is highlighted in this story. Feb. 20

US energy bills could be lowered by heat pumps—'tremendous impact'(Newsweek) A new study by ORNL found that U.S. energy costs could be lowered by ground-source heat pumps, and geothermal energy would reduce carbon emissions if it were implemented across the U.S. Feb. 16

Science teams win $20 million to fix cancer treatment, make auto manufacturing green(Knox News) When the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute asked scientists for $20 million ideas that could change the world, 54 teams answered the call. The institute chose projects that could improve cancer treatments and push sustainability to the next level. Feb. 15Tiny life forms yield big insights into ecosystem health(STEM Magazine) ORNL's Louise Stevenson uses her expertise as an environmental toxicologist to evaluate the effects of stressors on aquatic systems. Feb. 12This potential cancer treatment requires modern alchemy(Scientific American) Scientists are ramping up production of the isotope actinium-225, which could help treat prostate cancer. The Radiochemical Engineering Development Center at ORNL is one of the locations used to produce actinium-225. Feb. 13

Could ORNL's supercomputer track how disease-causing proteins act?(Oak Ridger) A Nobel laureate came to town recently to deliver a lecture and determine whether the world’s fastest supercomputer at ORNL could help him make sense out of the floods of biological data produced by his microscope innovations. Feb. 8

TSU Alum is the first Black woman to help discover element for periodic table(TSDMemphis.com) Tennessee State University graduate and ORNL engineer Clarice Phelps is recognized for making history as the first Black woman involved in discovering an element, now known as Tennessine. Feb. 9

Scientists develop new EV battery material(The Cool Down) Researchers from ORNL have come up with a fast-charging, long-lasting battery that could make electric vehicles much more viable. Feb. 7

Researchers target better, cheaper batteries(Oak Ridger) ORNL's Mali Balasubramanian, leader of the Emerging and Solid-State Batteries group, spoke to Friends of ORNL about ongoing research to develop many different battery technologies, including advanced solid-state batteries. Feb. 1

ORNL employees, contractor give about $1 million to nonprofits(Oak Ridge Today) Employees of ORNL donated more than $828,000 to local nonprofits through the lab’s employee giving programs in 2023. Feb. 1

EPB, ORNL aim to use quantum technology to secure the power grid(News Channel 9) EPB and ORNL marked 10 years of collaboration with the announcement of the new Collaborative for Energy Resilience and Quantum Science. Jan. 26

Battle of the brains: college students compete at ORNL(WVLT) ORNL is looking for the next great, young scientist. The lab hosted a science competition this week for college students across the nation, and a valuable reward is on the line. Jan. 25

The state of quantum with Travis Humble(InsideHPC) ORNL distinguished scientist Travis Humble joins the HPCpodcast to discuss the state of quantum information science, including how quantum computing works and quantum’s relationship with AI. Jan. 25

UT student studying relationship between plants and decaying bodies(WATE) ORNL intern Jack Orebaugh and the lab's Autonomous Systems Research group use multispectral cameras on drones in their study on the relationship between plants and decaying bodies, a potential key to helping search-and-rescue teams find missing persons. Jan. 31

Are 3D-printed homes the future of housing?(U.S. News & World Report) ORNL's Soydan Ozcan discusses a collaboration between ORNL and the University of Maine to introduce smart-wall features that can improve energy efficiency in response to a change in the environment. Jan. 19

ORNL honored with five awards from the Federal Laboratory Consortium(Teknovation) Kyle Gluesenkamp, senior research scientist in the Buildings and Transportation Science Division, was recognized with the Outstanding Researcher Award. Other ORNL individuals and programs were honored for their tech transfer efforts. Jan. 23

Four scientists recognized as distinguished inventors(WBIR) Four ORNL scientists are now considered distinguished inventors, which means they have successfully received at least 14 patents for scientific inventions that significantly improve society. Dec. 28

Chess game: how cyberattacks and artificial intelligence are evolving(WVLT) Every day there are 2,200 cyberattacks. A new team of artificial intelligence experts at ORNL is working to stay one step ahead of the hackers. Dec. 20

ORNL exploring reducing emissions in marine engines(WVLT) On Wednesday, ORNL announced a partnership with Caterpillar Inc. to develop marine engines that would reduce carbon emissions. This story was also covered by WBIR and WATE. Dec. 6

EV batteries may have a new source material – used tires(CBS) As demand for EVs continues to grow, one start-up company is looking to make the cars even more sustainable – by turning used tires into batteries. This story highlights an ORNL study found carbon can be isolated from tire rubber-derived materials. Nov. 28

Harlan County High School student participates in STEM academy(Harlan Enterprise) Harlan County High School sophomore Shania Middleton was honored during a Harlan County Board of Education meeting for her participation in the Appalachian Regional Commission’s STEM Academy Bridge Program at ORNL. Aug. 30

US announces $24M funding for quantum networks research(Innovation News Network) DOE will fund collaborative research projects on quantum networks, including an ORNL-led effort with the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the University of Arizona and Arizona State University. Nextgov also covered the story. Aug. 30

Wabtec: Hydrogen is the locomotive fuel of the future(Trains) Hydrogen makes metal brittle over time, which can lead to mechanical failure. To solve this problem, Wabtec is collaborating with ORNL to test a single-cylinder, hydrogen-fueled engine that uses port injection. Wiredfocus also covered this story. Aug. 30

ZEISS, ORNL join forces for inspection of 3D-printed parts(3DPrinting.com) ORNL and ZEISS signed a licensing agreement to enhance the inspection of 3D-printed components using industrial X-ray computed tomography. 3Printr.com and 3DPrint.com also covered the story. Aug. 30

Scientists access ORNL's supercomputer from all over: New York, a plane, even Hardee's(Knox News) ORNL's Frontier is the world's fastest supercomputer. One of the wonders of supercomputers, in addition to their speed and memory, is that they can be accessed from just about anywhere to solve generational scientific problems. Aug. 28

Exascale supercomputers unlock a new era in biophysics discovery(List 23) Next-generation supercomputers and artificial intelligence play a crucial role in groundbreaking discoveries. ORNL's Frontier supercomputer underscores the enormous progress being made to seamlessly bridge simulation with actual observation. Aug. 27

US lab testing new model for investigating grid faults(Smart Energy International) Researchers at ORNL are working to understand the effects of electrical faults in the modern U.S. power grid. Faults are abnormal conditions in an electrical circuit that interrupt the flow of power, with the potential to cause blackouts. Aug. 27

MMX 2023: Additive manufacturing has bright future(Digital Engineering) At the 11th annual America Makes Members Meeting and Exchange, Ryan Dehoff, director of ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, discussed additive manufacturing-specific needs of the Department of Energy. Aug. 25

VW's 3D-printed plastic battery pack housing trims weight 60%(DesignNews) Researchers at Volkswagen’s Innovation Hub at the University of Tennessee Research Park are using ORNL and UT Knoxville resources to pursue a lightweight composite structure that could replace today’s heavy steel electric vehicle battery housings. Aug. 25

Decarbonizing industry(Quality Digest) ORNL researchers have developed a training camp to help manufacturing industries reduce energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and improve cost savings. Aug. 24

DataDigest: Tallying the damage of Hawaii’s Lahaina wildfire(Housing Wire) The scope of the tragedy of the Lahaina wildfire is coming into focus. Scientists used USA Structures, a dataset maintained by several federal institutions including ORNL, to estimate that nearly 1,800 residential structures were damaged in the fire. Aug. 23

ORNL adds to its total with six new R&D 100 Awards(Teknovation) The 100 winners of the 2023 R&D 100 Awards have been announced by R&D World magazine, and ORNL was honored with six awards. The latest awards push the lab’s total to more than 250 since the recognition was established in 1963. Aug. 23

Meet the man bridging the gap between UT and ORNL(Teknovation) David Sholl is temporarily filling the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute executive director role vacated by Joan Bienvenue, who recently left the institute for a job at the University of Texas. Aug. 23

Holocene Climate Corporation adds a third co-founder, moves into new space(Teknovation) The start-up, which is a member of Cohort 6 of ORNL's Innovation Crossroads program, has been expanding its staff and hopes to have its first commercial facility operating by the end of 2025. Aug. 22

Neutron images reveal zinc as culprit in Arecibo radio telescope collapse(New Atlas) Almost three years after the event, neutron scans completed at ORNL have uncovered the cause of the platform collapse that resulted in the destruction of the 1,000-foot-wide Arecibo Observatory radio telescope. Aug. 22

DOE’s CAST best practices guide published(GPS World) DOE created the Center for Alternative Synchronization and Timing, or CAST, at ORNL to develop a solution to vulnerabilities within the timing and synchronization platforms used by the energy sector. Aug. 22

Advanced pavement markers could aid autonomous vehicles in remote areas(Highways Today) Self-driving electric vehicles still face steep hills on the road to reliability. Researchers from ORNL and Western Michigan University are working together to drive solutions from outside the car: sensors and processing embedded in road infrastructure. Aug. 22

A holistic approach to hydropower data(Eos) A new online platform offers comprehensive data and tools for U.S. hydropower assets, enabling data-driven decision making at the energy-water nexus. ORNL's hydropower research is mentioned in this story. Aug. 21

Thirteen start-ups begin 13-week program in Knoxville(Teknovation) The first-ever collaboration between two local start-up accelerators involves seven participants in Cohort 7 of the ORNL-operated Innovation Crossroads program and six start-ups participating in the Spark Cleantech Accelerator. Aug. 21

Scientists may have discovered a new, money-saving way to make battery electrodes(The Cool Down) ORNL battery experts may have found a way to remove a slurry of toxic solvents typically needed in the process to make battery electrodes. They are developing a dry technique in partnership with Navitas Systems. Aug. 21

Established theory challenged by surprising atomic nucleus shape change(SciTech Daily) New research led by ORNL's Timothy Gray may have revealed an unexpected change in the shape of an atomic nucleus. The surprise finding could affect our understanding of what holds nuclei together, how protons and neutrons interact and how elements form. Aug. 20

Solve worker shortages with ACE workforce development(Modern Machine Shop) The America’s Cutting Edge program is addressing the current shortage in trained and available workers by offering no-cost online and in-person training opportunities in CNC (computer numerical control) machining and metrology. ACE is based at ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. Aug. 18

DOE lab develops new models to address inverter faults, avoid grid disruptions(Utility Dive) Electromagnetic transient domain analysis may be key to stopping inverter-based resources from tripping offline or reducing output, according to research from ORNL. Aug. 18

Neutrons look inside working solid-state battery to discover its key to success(STEM Magazine) Researchers at ORNL were the first to use neutron reflectometry to peer inside a working solid-state battery and monitor its electrochemistry. Aug. 2023

Bio buildings, printed pavilions(SME) On any given night in the United States, more than 500,000 of our fellow citizens sleep in a tent, a homeless shelter or an abandoned building, on the sidewalk, or in the back seat of their car. ORNL scientist Halil Tekinalp is quoted in this story. Aug. 17

Photo-sharing website powers train disaster maps(WVLT) Over the last decade, more than 300 crude oil trains derailed across America. Now some repurposed technology and the researchers behind it hope to prevent more trouble. This story quotes ORNL scientist Majbah Uddin. Aug. 17

Can computing clean up its act?(Economist) With its eye on government pledges to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, the computing industry is trying to find ways to do more with less and boost efficiency. ORNL's Frontier is the world's fastest supercomputer but also the sixth most energy efficient. Aug. 16

AML3D extends contract for US Navy alloy testing program(3D Printing Industry) 3D printer manufacturer AML3D announced a contract extension to continue supporting the Navy’s submarine program. AML3D's metal 3D printing system is housed at ORNL. Aug. 16

Sen. Blackburn backs quantum development in visit to Chattanooga(Times Free Press) U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn has introduced two bipartisan bills this year that would encourage cooperation and support for quantum research and development by both ORNL and the National Science Foundation. Aug. 15

ORNL to host training camp for manufacturers interested in reducing emissions(Teknovation) ORNL's Oct. 16-19 Energy Bootcamp will provide hands-on training for energy and sustainability managers, analysts, plant engineers and facility supervisors with industrial plant oversight responsibilities. Aug. 15

ORNL demonstrates power of new modeling approach to understand faults in the modern electric grid(North American Clean Energy) ORNL researchers are leading the way in understanding the effects of electrical faults in the modern U.S. power grid. Understanding them enables electric companies and system operators to maintain reliable electricity service. Aug. 15

DOE invests $112M in computational fusion energy research(Nuclear Newswire) DOE's Office of Science announced $112 million in funding on August 14 for 12 projects, including one led by ORNL, designed to apply high-performance computing and exascale computers to complex fusion energy problems. Aug. 15

A huge scam targeting kids with Roblox and Fortnite ‘offers’ has been hiding in plain sight(Wired) Thousands of websites belonging to U.S. government agencies — including ORNL — leading universities and professional organizations have been hijacked over the last half decade and used to push scammy offers and promotions. Aug. 14

Metal powders for 3D printing: An engineer’s guide(Engineering.com) As a technology, metal 3D printing has seen remarkable growth in recent years, with new tools and new materials being added all the time. Ryan Dehoff, director of ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, is quoted in this story. Aug. 14

Society announces 2023-2024 ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship recipients(Electrochemical Society) Yaocai Bai, an R&D associate staff scientist at ORNL, received the fellowship for his work in green energy technology. Week of Aug. 14

Spallation Neutron Source closes for upgrade work(AIP) On Thursday, the Spallation Neutron Source user facility at ORNL will start a shutdown lasting until July of next year to install equipment for its Proton Power Upgrade project. Aug. 14

APSU College of STEM alumni find success in prestigious roles in Oak Ridge(Clarksville Now) Many graduates from Austin Peay State University’s College of STEM have chosen to pursue careers at ORNL. They're already making waves in their fields, from advancing nuclear reactor efficiency to using AI for cancer treatment insights. Aug. 13

Auburn's McCrary Institute, utility leaders share cyber threat mitigation strategies(Energy Central) Auburn University's McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security hosted representatives from ORNL and leading utility companies to discuss industrial control system security best practices and cyber threat mitigation lessons. Aug. 11

Researchers validate benefits of dry processing in lithium-ion battery manufacturing(EE Power) ORNL researchers recently tested an alternative manufacturing process for lithium-ion batteries that could allow electric vehicle battery makers to avoid toxic solvents in electrode production. Aug. 11

Chemistry goes in silico(Chemical and Engineering News) Chemistry today is virtually inseparable from computers. Chemists have applied innovation in computer science to investigate the structure, reactivities and energetics of chemical systems. ORNL's Maxim Ziatdinov is quoted.  Aug. 11

Is quantum key distribution the key to power grid modernization?(Forbes) ORNL scientists have been conducting feasibility studies of quantum key distribution and other quantum technologies for potential applications with the power grid. The technology could be used to protect utility infrastructures. Aug. 11

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency releases new global population data(Homeland Security Today) The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, in partnership with ORNL, has released the latest version of global population distribution data, LandScan Global 2022. Aug. 10

Spirit AeroSystems, ORNL partner to shape future of aerospace(AviTrader) Spirit AeroSystems announced a significant strategic collaboration with ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. The partnership is aimed at pioneering applications in hypersonic travel and next-generation aircraft. Aug. 9

Mirko Musa: Rescuing rivers — and the world — with help from water power(CleanTechnica) ORNL's Mirko Musa was always fascinated by the power of rivers, specifically how these mighty waterways sculpt landscapes. Now, as a water power researcher, he’s finding ways to harness that power and protect rivers at the same time. Aug. 9

Recycling revival: Creative problem-solving for EV battery recycling(CleanTechnica) Through his own initiative and perseverance, along with opportunities from ORNL management, ORNL's Jonathan Carter overcame health and funding hurdles to develop his technical career in electronics recycling and high-voltage technologies. Aug. 9

Ramaco to start operations at Brook rare earth mine in Q4 2023(Mining Technology) U.S.-based coal producer Ramaco Resources has been working with ORNL, with which it has developed two new technologies that use coal as the main ingredient. Ramaco is set to begin mining operations in Wyoming in the last quarter of this year. Aug. 8

Optima 3D demonstrates new 3D weaving technology for ASCC(Composites World) Optima 3D is delivering weaving technology to the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center for the processing of carbon fiber yarns. The story mentions ASCC's partnership with ORNL to build a 3D-printed house. Aug. 8

Microalgae vs. mercury(CleanTechnica) In the search for ways to fight methylmercury in global waterways, ORNL scientists discovered that some forms of phytoplankton, or microalgae, are good at degrading the potent neurotoxin. Aug. 8

FMD, ORNL collaborate on alternative fuels tech for DoD(Marine Link) ORNL and Fairbanks Morse Defense entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the development and integration of alternative fuel technologies aimed at reducing marine engines' reliance on fossil fuels. Aug. 8

How much would Oak Ridge taxpayers be on the hook for an airport?(Hellbender Press) UT-Battelle, which manages ORNL, provided a statement fully endorsing the plan to build a 323-acre general aviation airport on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Meanwhile, opponents of the project have voiced ample concerns. Aug. 8

‘Secret sauce’ enables new way to fabricate compositionally graded alloys(Quality Digest) Developed by ORNL scientists, this unique technology enabling the design of compositionally graded composite parts for a wide range of applications in extreme environments is showing promise for additive manufacturing. Aug. 8

Benefits of a dry side to battery production(GlobalSpec) Researchers from ORNL and Navitas Systems developed a dry battery manufacturing process for lithium-ion batteries that negates the need for the toxic, solvent-infused wet slurries typically used in battery electrode production. Aug. 8

Roane State launching nuclear tech program next year thanks to $100K from ORNL contractor(Oak Ridger) Roane State Community College has announced the launch of a nuclear technology program with a $100,000 contribution from UT-Battelle, which manages and operates ORNL. Aug. 8

Knoxville YWCA honors Tribute to Women 2023 finalists(Knox News) This photoessay featuring YWCA Knoxville's 2023 Tribute to Women honorees includes ORNL's Jennifer Niedziela, a senior research and development staff scientist and group lead in the National Security Sciences Directorate. Aug. 7

Yes, driving with cruise control can help you save on gas(Verify) ORNL researchers found that behaviors associated with driving at inconsistent speeds can “lower gas mileage in light-duty vehicles by about 10 to 40% in stop-and-go traffic and roughly 15 to 30% at highway speeds.” Aug. 7

HPC News Bytes podcast: Quantum at Oak Ridge(insideHPC) In this podcast, insideHPC staff discuss ORNL scientists using a Quantinuum quantum computer to produce “an intriguing scientific result” in solar cell research. Aug. 7

Supercomputer simulation seen as tool to guard against US power grid failures(UPI) As part of the Exascale Computing Project's ExaSGD project, a research team led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory used ORNL's Frontier supercomputer to develop new software to respond to a variety of grid failures. Aug. 7

Two area start-up accelerators announce collaboration(Teknovation) Administrators at ORNL announced that fellows in Cohort 7 of its Innovation Crossroads program will complete the Spark Cleantech Accelerator, a 12-week program offered by the Spark Innovation Center at the University of Tennessee Research Park. Aug. 7

Wildfire impacts are evolving due to climate change, but in what ways?(earth.com) At ORNL, scientists are actively engaged in multiple initiatives aimed at comprehending and forecasting wildfire impacts, along with their implications for the carbon cycle and biodiversity. Aug. 7

Quantum physics, supercomputers and solar cell efficiency(PV Magazine) ORNL scientists applied quantum computing techniques to the study of singlet fission, which could eventually help scientists identify better materials for highly efficient solar cells. Solar Magazine also covered the story. Aug. 4

New ORNL entrepreneurs shake up 3D printing and beyond(3Dprint.com) ORNL is making waves with its groundbreaking entrepreneurship program, Innovation Crossroads. This program provides hard science entrepreneurs with access to the lab’s facilities, personnel, financial support and guidance. Aug. 4

ORNL team gains recognition for new printable alloy(3D Printing) An ORNL research team recently earned recognition at the Vehicle Technologies Office's Annual Merit Review for its work in developing a lightweight aluminum alloy, DuAlumin-3D, created as a strong and lightweight material suitable for 3D printing. Aug. 3

Engineer wins U.S. Bank Foundation Cleantech Award for clean water technology(Accesswire) Bianca Bailey, CEO of Agriwater and a former participant in the ORNL-led Innovation Crossroads program, is the winner of the 2023 U.S. Bank Foundation Cleantech Inclusion Award, which supports female and minority entrepreneurs. Aug. 3

SMaRT interns finish a summer spent in the labs of UTK, ORNL(Teknovation) Dozens of undergraduate STEM students are headed home from Knoxville this weekend after 10 weeks of hands-on research, thanks to an opportunity from the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute. Aug. 3

RSCC launching nuclear technology program(Roane County News) Roane State Community College has announced the launch of a Nuclear Technology Program with a $100,000 contribution from UT-Battelle, which manages and operates ORNL for DOE. Aug. 3

Physicists pushing boundaries of physics using quantum computers(Forbes) Like the early developers of conventional computing methods, today’s researchers are just beginning to explore the uses for quantum computers. ORNL is mentioned as one of the organizations using quantum computing for materials research. Aug. 3

Scientists dig into wildfire predictions, long-term impacts(CleanTechnica) ORNL scientists are working on several fronts to better understand and predict wildfires — which have grown in frequency, range and intensity in response to a changing climate — and what they mean for the carbon cycle and biodiversity. Aug. 3

Planned ORNL facility to meet growing US demand for medical radioisotopes(Oak Ridger) Around 100 useful radioisotopes are not made in the U.S. In an effort to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign isotope suppliers, DOE’s Office of Science is funding the design and future construction of a Radioisotope Processing Facility at ORNL. Aug. 2

$100K from UT-Battelle helps Roane State launch nuclear technology program(WATE) Roane State Community College is launching a nuclear technology program, made possible with a $100,000 contribution from UT-Battelle, which manages and operates ORNL for DOE. This story was also covered by WVLT. Aug. 2

Three Knoxville-area startups join four others in latest 'Innovation Crossroads' cohort(Teknovation) Seven entrepreneurs, including three from the Knoxville region, have been selected for Cohort 7 of the “Innovation Crossroads” program operated by ORNL. Aug. 2

High-tech pavement markers support autonomous driving in tough conditions, remote areas(CleanTechnica) Self-driving electric vehicles still face steep hills on the road to reliability. Researchers from ORNL and Western Michigan University are working together to drive solutions from outside the car: sensors and processing embedded in road infrastructure. Aug. 2

Top 10 energy-efficient supercomputers(ITPro Today) In June, Top500 released its biannual Green500 ranking, featuring the world’s most energy-efficient supercomputers. ORNL's Frontier exascale supercomputer was ranked sixth most efficient. Aug. 2

Federal, state and industry officials outline opportunities, challenges for nuclear in the region(Teknovation) East Tennessee has an abundance of nuclear energy assets, including one of the top nuclear engineering programs in the country at UT Knoxville, research underway at ORNL, uranium expertise at Y-12 and nuclear-related companies in the Heritage Center. Aug. 2

What is a cat qubit and why should you care? Ask Alice & Bob(HPCwire) ORNL's Quantum Science Center is researching the potential of topological qubits that could help overcome noisy, intermediate-scale quantum devices based a variety of qubit modalities, all of which are too error-prone for practical computing. Aug. 1

Carbon nanotube coating could expand the applications for superlubricity(Chemical Engineering) ORNL researchers demonstrated a path to expand superlubricity from controlled environments to the most common bearing system: steel-steel contact. A sliding interface with a coefficient of friction below 0.01 indicates superlubricity. Aug. 1

Cicada wings kill superbugs on contact, and we may finally know how(ScienceAlert) Cicada wings can kill and remove bacteria, and now researchers have used simulations to study the functions of blunt spikes on their surface. This story describes the contributions of ORNL scientist Jan-Michael Carrillo's simulations to the research. August 1

Oak Ridge scientists developing wildlife crosswalks for salamanders(WBIR) ORNL researchers are studying the movement patterns of four-toed salamanders to help protect the important amphibians. ORNL's Evin Carter said roads are a barrier for most animals who live in Oak Ridge's wetlands. Aug. 1

Oak Ridge scientists use quantum computer for solar cell research(insideHPC) ORNL researchers used the Quantinuum H1-1 quantum computer to demonstrate best practices for scientific computing on current quantum systems and produce what the lab said is an intriguing scientific result. This story was also covered in ExecutiveGov. July 31

ORNL’s Frontier supercomputer enhances predictions of climate-driven wildfires(HPCwire) Wildfires have shaped the environment for millennia, but they are increasing in frequency, range and intensity in response to a hotter climate. The phenomenon is being incorporated into high-resolution simulations of the Earth’s climate by scientists at ORNL. July 31

Stephen Streiffer to assume Oak Ridge National Lab director post in October(ExecutiveGov) Stephen Streiffer, interim director and vice president of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, has been appointed director of ORNL. This story was also covered by Physics World and in a news roundup at Federal News Network. July 31

Researchers use quantum computer to identify singlet fission molecules for efficient solar cells(HPCwire) Using the full capabilities of the Quantinuum H1-1 quantum computer, ORNL researchers not only demonstrated best practices for scientific computing on current quantum systems but also produced an intriguing scientific result. July 28

The solid-state electric vehicle battery code is starting to crack(CleanTechnica) The solid-state electric vehicle battery of the future promises eventual lower cost, longer range, faster charging and improved safety compared to the EV batteries of today. This story mentions ORNL's research in solid-state EV battery performance. July 28

UT-ORII internships helping college students jump-start their careers(WATE) A group of 45 undergraduates from across the United States recently completed 10-week internships working alongside UT and ORNL researchers through the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute. This story was also covered by WBIR. July 28

Announcing the 2023 ACS fellows(Chemical and Engineering News) The American Chemical Society has named 42 members as ACS fellows, including ORNL's Leigh R. Martin. July 27

ExaWorks: Tested component for HPC workflows(InsideHPC) ExaWorks is an Exascale Computing Project–funded project that provides access to hardened and tested workflow components through a software development kit. July 27

Geoscientists aim to improve human security through planet-scale modeling(Homeland Security Today) When geoinformatics engineering researchers at ORNL wanted to better understand changes in land areas and points of interest around the world, they turned to the locals — their data, at least. July 27

New Oak Ridge National Laboratory director named(Times Free Press) Stephen K. Streiffer, the interim director of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University, has been picked to be ORNL's next director. This story was also covered in the Oak Ridger, Teknovation and Compass. July 27

First X-ray structure of radium compound gives glimpse of element’s coordination chemistry(Chemistry World) ORNL researchers reported the first synthesis and characterization of a molecular radium compound by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Findings reveal the element’s coordination chemistry and could help develop new radium-based treatments for cancer. July 27

Oak Ridge National Laboratory names new director(Knox News) Stephen K. Streiffer will be ORNL's next laboratory director. Streiffer, a material scientist and engineer who spent 24 years at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, was appointed by UT-Battelle, the company that manages ORNL for DOE. His tenure will begin in October. WATE and FedScoop also covered the story. July 27

Six things other states are doing that could impact Virginia(Cardinal News) Knoxville is making a bid based on nuclear energy, tied in with nearby ORNL and the nuclear facilities there. Tennessee is pushing for a tech hub focused on the same nuclear energy topics that Lynchburg and Southwest Virginia are. July 27

How to better forecast the weather(The Economist/Yahoo! Finance) Scientists at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts used ORNL's Frontier exascale supercomputer to experiment with running a worldwide weather model with a 1 km resolution. July 26

NAMRC attracts top researchers(SME) ORNL's Jaydeep Karandikar received the S.M. Wu Research Implementation Award at the 51st North American Manufacturing Research Conference. NAMRC is the premier international forum for applied research and industrial applications in manufacturing and design. July 26

Podcast: Mining metals, minerals from seawater(Chemical and Engineering News) A limited number of mines produce energy-critical elements, making supply of these materials prone to disruption. So, researchers are looking to an unconventional source: seawater. This story quotes ORNL's Alex Ivanov and Suree Brown. July 25

SRNS high-risk property training helps protect U.S. strategic commodities(Augusta CEO) Savannah River Nuclear Solutions employees must ensure that publicly released items will not potentially impact national security. Krystee Ervin, ORNL nuclear nonproliferation and export control specialist, discusses the difficulty of this task. July 24

ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source reaches 1.7-MW power level(Nuclear Newswire) ORNL's Spallation Neutron Source set a world record when its particle accelerator beam operating power reached 1.7 MW, an improvement on the facility’s original design capability of 1.4 MW. That higher power provides more neutrons for researchers. July 24

Oppenheimer never won a Nobel Prize, but these 31 scientists with ties to the Manhattan Project did(Insider) Despite his early work on what would later become known as black holes, J. Robert Oppenheimer never won a Nobel Prize. This story mentions several Nobel winners with ORNL connections, including Eugene Wigner and Glenn Seaborg. July 24

New tech enables compositionally graded alloys for extreme environments(3Dprinting.com) With a new ORNL additive manufacturing technology, compositionally graded metal composite parts can transition seamlessly from high-strength superalloys to refractory alloys capable of withstanding extreme temperatures. July 24

ORNL researchers explore dry manufacturing process for lithium-ion batteries(Teknovation) ORNL scientists have demonstrated the benefits of a dry battery manufacturing process for lithium-ion batteries, used to power electric vehicles. Their electrodes are usually made using a wet slurry with toxic solvents, an expensive approach. July 24

SNS accelerator achieves world-record 1.7-megawatt power level(Oak Ridger) ORNL's Spallation Neutron Source recently set a world record when its particle accelerator beam operating power reached 1.7 megawatts. This story was also covered by Innovation News Network. July 23

Northlandia: Science fiction meets fact with bog enclosures in experimental forest(Duluth News Tribune) Octagonal enclosures from the ORNL-led SPRUCE experiment rise out of a forest where scientists are working to discern the effects of climate change on a massive carbon reservoir. The Duluth News Tribune's podcast also covered the story. July 22

Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project | The aftermath(WVLT) Part Three of a series on the Manhattan Project examines how Oak Ridge residents reacted to the use of the atomic bomb, whose creation is the subject of the recently released film “Oppenheimer." Watch Part One,Part Two and an additional story about the project. July 21

ORNL researchers develop wildlife crossing guards(Hellbender Press) ORNL researchers developed a model framework to ensure wildlife can safely navigate their habitats while not unduly affecting infrastructure. The project centered on the 32,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation, home to several at-risk species. July 21

VERIFY Fact Sheet: 5 ways to maximize your car’s fuel economy(VERIFY) Should you roll down your windows instead of running the air conditioner? Should you idle your car or restart it? Which gas should you get? VERIFY uses ORNL research to answer some of these questions. July 21

What is at the forefront of probabilistic risk assessment today?(Nuclear Newswire) This article by ORNL staff member Askin Guler Yigitoglu discusses probabilistic risk assessment, a mature technology that has improved the safety of the U.S. fleet of light-water reactors since the 1970s. July 20

Products like VYCOR enV-S are making houses greener(gb&d) ORNL scientists tested the VYCOR enV-S water- and air-resistive barriers from building materials company GCP and found that they boast an air leakage rate that is seven times lower and provides 56% more energy savings than a traditional housewrap. July 20

Better EV batteries start on factory floor with new 'dry manufacturing' method(Clean Technica) The latest development in EV battery technology comes from ORNL in a public-private partnership with energy storage firm Navitas Systems. This story was also covered by Top Car News  and electrive.com. July 20

DOE ramps up plutonium oxide production to fuel NASA’s deep space missions(Nuclear Newswire) DOE recently shipped half a kilogram of plutonium oxide pellets from ORNL to Los Alamos National Laboratory, marking the largest such shipment since DOE restarted domestic plutonium-238 production over a decade ago. July 20

ORNL study taps Flickr for crude-by-rail safety study(Railway Age) ORNL researchers have used images from the photo-sharing website Flickr to identify U.S. crude-by-rail routes “to provide data that could help transportation planners better understand regional impacts.” July 20

Air Force Weather-funded research aims to improve predictability of extreme weather(Homeland Security Today) ORNL's Moetasim Ashfaq has studied the Earth’s climate for over 15 years. He analyzes subseasonal-to-seasonal timescales in which natural climate variability and its global teleconnections are critical to shaping our current climate. July 20

Superlubricity coating reduces friction between steel parts(IOM3) ORNL scientists have invented a coating that reduces the friction of steel rubbing at least 100-fold. The new technology could improve the performance of bearing components for electric vehicles, diesel engines, wind turbines and industrial machinery. July 20 

Oppenheimer's greatest influence on Oak Ridge can't be seen today. Here's why(Knox News) The U.S. government bought 60,000 acres, moved residents off the land and broke ground on the Y-12 complex and the X-10 Graphite Reactor in February 1943. The X-10 site is where ORNL now sits. July 20

Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project | The origins(WVLT) In part one of a three-part series, WVLT News looks at the City of Oak Ridge’s involvement in the Manhattan Project and how the project changed East Tennessee. July 19

ORNL has the world's fastest supercomputer. So why is it building another?(Knox News) In May, just one year after Frontier debuted, the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility announced plans for its next supercomputer, OLCF-6. July 19

ORNL uses geotagging to recreate train routes to help with incidents (video)(WATE) Lab researchers used images from a photo-sharing website to identify crude oil train routes across the nation and help to provide data so transportation planners can better understand regional impacts. July 19

ORNL aids in climate research with supercomputer(WBIR) The lab's supercomputer has assisted the U.S. Air Force to predict the weather with hyper-local forecasts. This project was also highlighted in the Compass email newsletter. July 19

VW of America boosts research in US for electric mobility, sustainable transportation(Green Car Congress) Volkswagen’s Innovation Hub in Knoxville is driving applied materials science in collaboration with the University of Tennessee and ORNL. Integrated teams are pushing breakthroughs in automotive lightweight composites, recyclable interior materials and EV wireless charging. July 19

DOE completes major shipment of plutonium-238 for NASA missions(EE Online) DOE recently shipped 0.5 kilograms of heat source plutonium oxide from ORNL to Los Alamos National Laboratory, the largest shipment of plutonium oxide since DOE restarted domestic plutonium-238 production over a decade ago. July 19

Dry battery process: A step toward cleaner EVs(Labroots) A research team spearheaded by ORNL and Navitas Systems examined how a novel dry manufacturing process could help eliminate the slurry-based process that involves toxic solvents that are used to make lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. July 19

ORNL spotlights promising technologies during Friday event(Teknovation) Seven promising technologies that could change the world were spotlighted on July 14 during the 2023 edition of the lab's Technology Innovation Showcase at ORNL. July 16

Superlubricity coating could reduce economic losses from friction, wear(STEM Magazine) ORNL scientists have invented a coating that could dramatically reduce friction in common load-bearing systems with moving parts, from vehicle drivetrains to wind and hydroelectric turbines. It reduces steel-on-steel friction at least a hundredfold. July 2023

Oak Ridge National Laboratory through the years(Nuclear Engineering International) (Knox News) A photo essay posted by Knox News includes 53 images of ORNL activities over the lab's 80-year history. The photos highlight the lab's history, scientific discovery, facility upgrades, partnerships and community outreach. July 14

Record-breaking run for DIII-D National Fusion Facility(Nuclear Engineering International) The U.S. DIII-D National Fusion Facility has completed a two-year research campaign, which included a record-breaking 1,600 hours of plasma research as part of 140 groundbreaking studies. The DOE Office of Science user facility is operated by General Atomics. The story quotes ORNL's Morgan Shafer. July 14

Scientists use supercomputer to learn how cicada wings kill bacteria(WATE) Governor Bill Lee has announced the appointees of the new Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, intended to position Tennessee as a national leader for nuclear energy innovation and advancement. Among the council members is ORNL interim Director Jeff Smith. This story was also covered by On The Hill and energycentral. July 13

Governor Lee taps industry experts to guide Tennessee’s nuclear energy future(HPCwire) This story covers five papers on quantum science including one from ORNL's Travis Humble and Samudra Dasgupta reporting work on a stability metric and another from Joseph Wang and Ryan Bennink looking at variational quantum algorithms. July 12

Appetizing quantum bits: Five papers looking at noise, GANs, VQAs, qubit testing(HPCwire) This story covers five papers on quantum science including one from ORNL's Travis Humble and Samudra Dasgupta reporting work on a stability metric and another from Joseph Wang and Ryan Bennink looking at variational quantum algorithms. July 12

Techstars raising $150 million fund(Teknovation) Techstars, which just finished Cohort 2 of the “Techstars Industries of the Future Accelerator” underwritten by ORNL, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the University of Tennessee System, plans to raise a $150 million fourth fund. July 11

Revealing how tin selenide adapts to thermoelectric performance(AZO Materials) Working with ORNL, investigators from Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory revealed that when the compound tin selenide heats up, atomic-level structural changes occur. July 11

ORNL to showcase its best science projects at July 14 tech conference(Hellbender Press) Scientist-inventors from ORNL will present seven new technologies during the Technology Innovation Showcase on Friday, July 14, at the Joint Institute for Computational Sciences on the lab’s campus. July 11

New frontiers in CO2 reduction: A novel approach to double metal atom catalysts(Nanowerk) A recent study led by ORNL's Jingsong Huang and others unveils an innovative approach to double atom catalysts for CO2 reduction reaction applications, promising tools to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentration. July 11

Frontier supercomputer virtual training workshop to be held Aug. 23-25(insideHPC) ORNL's Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility will host a virtual Frontier Training Workshop Aug. 23-25, 2023. This event is meant to help new Frontier users learn how to run their research on the system. July 10

'Oppenheimer': Find out more about the man and the Oak Ridge connection before movie opens(Oak Ridger) Using archived ORNL Review content, this article discusses Oppenheimer's time directing accelerated developments at ORNL, which is less well known than his great wartime leadership as director of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. July 9

UnifyFS team wins IPDPS award for open source software(Inside HPC) A research team from ORNL and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory won the first Best Open-Source Contribution Award for its paper at the 37th IEEE International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium. July 6

July 11 talk focuses on planned ORNL facility to meet growing demand for radioisotopes(Oak Ridger) Rob Peacher, a nuclear operations expert with Strata-G LLC and a part-time consultant to ORNL, will speak on Tuesday to Friends of ORNL on plans to build and operate a new Radioisotope Processing Facility at ORNL by 2032. July 10

Researchers use ORNL supercomputer Summit to investigate dark matter(HPCwire) Researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz, used ORNL's Summit supercomputer to run one of the most complete cosmological models yet to probe the properties of dark matter. July 6

New ways for animals to safely cross habitats may save species: Study(Jerusalem Post) A recent peer-reviewed study from The Journal of Wildlife Management closely studied wildlife at the 32,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee. Here, researchers could closely follow many at-risk species such as the four-toed salamander. July 9

Exascale computing takes research to the next level(EdTech) Exascale computing has arrived, offering a new way to help solve some of the world’s most complex problems. The country’s first exascale computer is Frontier at ORNL. July 7

Lab innovates for the electric grid’s smallest components(Homeland Security Today) Researchers at ORNL are supporting the grid by improving its smallest building blocks: power modules that act as digital switches. July 6

Autonomous vehicles may better navigate roads with high-tech pavement markers(Inside Autonomous Vehicles) Autonomous vehicles may one day rely on high-tech versions of the pavement markers currently used to help drivers identify lanes to get key data about roads, a recent study by ORNL and Western Michigan University finds. July 5

ORNL’s Sergey Yakubov named IEEE senior member(HPCwire) ORNL's Sergey Yakubov has been named a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, one of the world’s largest technical professional organizations, effective June 21. July 5

RamSat mission’s goals achieved, says mentor(Oak Ridger) Peter Thornton, director of ORNL's Climate Change Science Institute, presented the history of Robertsville Middle School's RamSat miniature satellite mission. July 5

News & Notes(Teknovation) ORNL presented awards to four small businesses — Geiger Brothers,* *Government Scientific Source,* *Inovoal and Kalt Manufacturing Company — for their specific capabilities, contributions and strategic problem-solving that often led to cost savings for ORNL. July 4

Experts consider 'zero carbon' target for Galapagos Islands in Ecuador(Latin Times) At an upcoming conference, experts will present the results from the Galapagos Living Lab for Energy Innovation initiative. Speakers will include experts from ORNL and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. July 4

What do young people in federal jobs have to say about early career pipelines?(Federal News Network) The Biden administration has been unambiguous about its plans to create more opportunities in the federal government for young people like Cory Schwarze, who landed an internship at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source. July 3

Weaver named director for facilities and operations at ORNL(JEC) ORNL's Ann Weaver has been named facilities and operations director at ORNL, effective this fall. Weaver is currently serving as F&O's deputy director. June 30

Exascale blastoff: Early users helped launch Frontier to success(HPCWire) With the world’s first exascale supercomputer, ORNL's Frontier, now fully open for scientific business, researchers can thank the early users who helped get the machine up to speed. June 29

GE tests 'revolutionary' engine architecture on the world’s fastest supercomputer(Engineering.com) GE Aerospace has used ORNL's Frontier, the world’s fastest supercomputer, to run simulations for research and development of its new open fan engine architecture. June 29

Reflective raised pavement markers can help self-driving vehicles(Teknovation) Working with partners, ORNL engineers are working to improve self-driving vehicles by placing low-powered sensors in markers that are already used to help drivers identify lanes. June 29

El Niño is here — how bad will it be?(Nature News) ORNL geographer Assaf Anyamba has his eye this year on cases of diseases such as dengue and chikungunya in Southeast Asia, where El Niño’s impacts can be particularly strong. June 29

Seismic analysis informs geothermal, carbon storage projects(EE Power) Two subsets of the renewable energy field — carbon storage and geothermal projects — can benefit from new machine learning-based 3D seismo-acoustic mapping techniques developed by ORNL researchers. June 29

People in composites: June 2023(Composites World) This month’s "People in composites" roundup includes new personnel announcements made by ORNL, Archer Aviation and Bye Aerospace. ORNL's Ann Weaver has been named Facilities and Operations director. June 28

Sen. Heinrich, Sen. Cassidy, others on carbon capture, storage(C-SPAN) In this video at around the 50-minute mark, retired ORNL scientist Virginia Dale spoke on the Bioenergy and Carbon Capture panel at an event co-hosted by Resources for the Future and the Energy Futures Initiative. June 27

New approach ‘stacks’ genes for faster plant transformation(Global Plant Council) In a discovery aimed at accelerating development of process-advantaged crops for jet biofuels, ORNL scientists developed a capability to insert multiple genes into plants in a single step. June 27

Trane Technologies advances transformational heat pump technologies(Environment + Energy Leader) Trane Technologies is collaborating with ORNL to develop an ultrahigh-temperature industrial heat pump that incorporates AI, low-global-warming-potential refrigerants and waste heat recovery for improved sustainability. June 27

ASHRAE recognizes the exceptional contributions of members at the 2023 annual conference(Refrigeration Industry) ASHRAE recognized ORNL's Kashif Nawaz and Mahabir Bhandari for their contributions to the society and the built environment industry during the 2023 annual conference in Tampa. June 27

The potential of geothermal for clean, dependable power(C3) Geothermal energy production is an abundant power source with literally untapped, enormous potential. The story mentions ORNL's partnership with geothermal energy company Quaise Energy. June 27

GAIN vouchers awarded to accelerate seven advanced nuclear technologies(Electric Energy Online) Through a voucher to support the development of advanced nuclear technologies, ORNL will work with General Atomics to examine the material behavior of irradiated silicon carbide composite samples. Nuclear Newswire also covered the story. June 27

Let’s Talk Exascale: Getting computing luminary Jack Dongarra’s perspective on the Exascale Computing Project(HPCWire) In the latest episode of the Let’s Talk Exascale Podcast, ORNL's Scott Gibson spoke with ORNL R&D staff member and computing pioneer Jack Dongarra about the Exascale Computing Project as ECP comes to an end later this year. June 26

ORNL holding Technology Innovation Showcase in mid-July(Teknovation) The all-day event features seven inventions that are supported by ORNL’s Technology Innovation Program, which provides targeted investments in new lab-developed technologies to enhance their commercial readiness. June 26

Superlubricity coating for nearly friction-free surfaces(Tech Briefs) ORNL scientists have invented a coating that could dramatically reduce friction in common load-bearing systems with moving parts, from vehicle drivetrains to wind and hydroelectric turbines. June 26

A faster, smarter world could rely on UT research into materials that don't yet exist(Knox News) ORNL's Shull Wollan Center will have a space for UT Knoxville's Center for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing. NSF is investing $18 million over six years to fund CAMM. June 26

Ford, GM to receive HPC4EI funding for battery projects(Green Car Congress) Through its High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation program, DOE will provide funding for a project by ORNL and Boeing to simulate impact-resistant composite fuselages for open rotor engines on ORNL's Summit supercomputer. June 26

ORNL seismic research aims to mitigate risks in geothermal, carbon capture(World-Energy) A research project by ORNL's Chengping Chai aims to develop faster and more accurate methods for processing seismic data, thus reducing the risk of geothermal and carbon capture projects. June 25

Microsoft debuts Azure Quantum Elements, Azure Quantum Copilot LLM(HPCwire) Microsoft recently introduced Azure Quantum Elements, a new set of services and tools for quantum chemistry and materials science. ORNL's Quantum Science Center is among the leading organizations working to overcome challenges in quantum computing. June 22

Keeping hackers off the electrical grid(Communications of the ACM) As attacks on grid substations increase — by 70% in 2022 alone, according to ORNL — engineers at the lab are anticipating new attack vectors and taking measures to protect from hackers using them. June 20

Protons, neutrons and VENUS: Spallation Neutron Source to reopen at ORNL soon(WBIR) Examining the smallest parts of the universe often takes the biggest kinds of equipment. At ORNL, a unique piece of equipment the size of a building is helping researchers from across the world analyze the world's smallest details. June 20

Electronically augmented markers help driverless cars see the road(New Atlas) When a road is covered in snow or obscured by fog, the navigation systems of self-driving cars may have trouble seeing where that road is. Specially equipped pavement markers, technology developed by ORNL and Western Michigan University, could help by transmitting radio signals to passing vehicles. WATE also covered this story. June 20

Measuring process efficiency for environmental impact reduction(JEC Composites) Around 34% of greenhouse gas emissions result from manufacturing, and a growing proportion of that is from composite manufacturing. Understanding the impact of manufacturing and using that to inform decisions is disruptive, but increasingly companies are rising to the challenge. This story quotes ORNL scientist Merlin Theodore on the importance of integrating efficient practices across the supply chain. 

HPE to offer cloud computing service for artificial intelligence(Reuters) Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. said that it is rolling out a cloud computing service designed to power artificial intelligence systems similar to ChatGPT. This story mentions ORNL's Frontier supercomputer when describing HPE's approach to linking hundreds or thousands of computers together to function like one giant computer. June 20

EXAALT-ing molecular dynamics to the power of exascale(HPCwire) Molecular dynamics simulations are critical for studying material behavior at the atomic scale. A team of scientists, software developers and hardware integration specialists has developed the Exascale Atomistics for Accuracy, Length and Time application to bring MD into the exascale era. A recent test of EXAALT using ORNL’s Frontier supercomputer returned exceptional results.  June 20

Ocean waves for reliable energy in island communities(Teknovation) Narayan Iyer is the founder and CEO of Laminar Scientific Inc., a company that is a participant in the Techstars Industries of the Future Accelerator. The start-up’s initial product, the MantaWave, is a nearshore wave energy converter that “cups” oncoming waves to power linear generators. Iyer says his company is planning a project with ORNL. June 19

Cummins collaborates on engine-improving steel alloy(Diesel Progress) Cummins Inc. and ORNL have developed a new high-temperature steel alloy that Cummins said will increase the durability and efficiency of its engines. Cooperative development of the new alloy was supported by the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office LightMAT Program. June 19

GE Aerospace runs one of the world’s largest supercomputer simulations(HPCwire) To support the development of a revolutionary new open fan engine architecture, GE Aerospace has run simulations using ORNL's Frontier, the world’s fastest supercomputer, which is capable of crunching data in excess of exascale speed, or more than a quintillion calculations per second. June 19

How our roofs could cool down the world(Washington Post) For millennia builders and architects have painted roofs in light colors to reflect sunlight. Over the past few centuries, however, asphalt and tar have blackened the urban landscape, says NASA. These materials, while durable, waterproof and cheap, inadvertently turn cities into urban heat islands. This story mentions ORNL's Cool Roof Calculator. June 20

ORNL scientists develop superlubricity coating that reduces friction(Materials Performance) Scientists at ORNL have invented a coating that could dramatically reduce friction in common load-bearing systems with moving parts, from vehicle drivetrains to wind and hydroelectric turbines. June 22

Early career engineers to participate in National Academy of Engineering symposium(NAE) Eighty-one highly accomplished early career engineers, including ORNL's Veda Galigekere, have been selected by the National Academy of Engineering to take part in The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering 2023 Symposium.  June 21

Robertsville students' mini-satellite mission success to be reported on Monday(Oak Ridger) An upcoming ORION meeting will report the success of Robertsville Middle School students and their mentors in constructing RamSat, a miniature, cube-shaped research satellite launched into orbit by a NASA rocket. Peter Thornton, director of ORNL's Climate Change Science Institute and RamSat mentor, will speak at the meeting. June 18

WVU wins $3 million DOE grant for hydrogen project to cut food, beverage industry's CO2 footprint(Yahoo! News) West Virginia University, in partnership with ORNL and the Gas Technology Institute, is spearheading a three-year project funded by DOE to develop innovative hydrogen fuel technology to help decarbonize the food and beverage industry. June 18

CFM Rise: Supercomputers boost promise for design and performance(Aviation Week Network) CFM International joint-venture partner GE Aerospace is for the first time detailing the use of supercomputing — including with ORNL's Frontier supercomputer — in the design, development and testing of its next-generation RISE engine. The story was also covered in News Atlas. June 17

Pellissippi State, ORNL partner for new career pathway(Compass) Pellissippi State Community College and ORNL have entered into a partnership that promises to provide a career pathway for students and a trained workforce for an isotope program at the laboratory. June 16

Outgoing Exascale Computing Project Director Doug Kothe takes on new role at Sandia National Labs(Inside HPC) Doug Kothe, previously director of the Exascale Computing Project and ORNL associate laboratory director for the Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate, is transitioning to a new role at Sandia National Laboratories. June 16

Gearhart named director of ORNL's Environment, Safety, Health and Quality Directorate(Compass) ORNL's John Gearhart has been named director of the ESH&Q Directorate. He will lead the safety and operational infrastructure that enables ORNL's science missions while protecting workers, the public and the environment. June 15

New approach ‘stacks’ genes for faster plant transformation(Seed Today) In a discovery aimed at accelerating the development of process-advantaged crops for jet biofuels, scientists at ORNL developed a capability to insert multiple genes into plants in a single step. June 15

SAE’s largest commercial vehicle event to focus on building a sustainable future(SAE International) ORNL's Robert Wagner will be a keynote speaker at SAE International’s COMVECTM 2023, which will bring industry leaders together to share successes, discover the latest research and technology, and tackle the challenges of a safe low-carbon vehicle future. June 15

SkyNano, ORNL receive nearly $8.5 million for two projects to reduce carbon pollution(Teknovation) SkyNano LLC, a member of the inaugural cohort of the Innovation Crossroads program, has just secured a nearly $3.5 million award from DOE, while ORNL was awarded $5 million to lead a team to develop an industrial heat pump system capable of 200 degrees Celsiuis sink temperatures. June 15

Research fellow Jeff Foster investigates ways to create designer materials(STEM Magazine) ORNL chemist Jeff Foster is looking for new ways to control sequencing in polymers that could result in designer materials to benefit a variety of industries, including medicine and energy. June 2023

Summit supercomputer study fathoms troubled waters of ocean turbulence(CleanTechnica) Simulations performed on the Summit supercomputer at ORNL revealed new insights into the role of turbulence in mixing fluids and could open new possibilities for projecting climate change and studying fluid dynamics. June 15

Much of credit ‘to my wife’ for international award(Farragut Press) ORNL chemist Jeff Foster is looking for new ways to control sequencing in polymers that could result in designer materials to benefit a variety of industries, including medicine and energy. June 14

HPC software rock star Sunita Chandrasekaran on exascale programming(insideHPC) In this episode of the @HPCpodcast, Shahin and Doug talk with University of Delaware’s Sunita Chandrasekaran, a rock star in the world of supercomputing software. She joins us to discuss software for exascale-class systems – including her work on application development for the Frontier supercomputer at ORNL. June 14

Summit supercomputer study fathoms troubled waters of ocean turbulence(CleanTechnica) Simulations performed on the Summit supercomputer at ORNL revealed new insights into the role of turbulence in mixing fluids and could open new possibilities for projecting climate change and studying fluid dynamics. June 14

Excited sodium-32 with a spherical wave function(Physics) In an experiment led by ORNL's Timothy Gray, researchers may have found an unstable sodium nucleus that has an excited state with a spherical wave function—an elusive prospect for the study of nuclear shapes. June 13

Sholl named interim executive director of UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute(Oak Ridge Today) David Sholl, director of the Transformational Decarbonization Initiative at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been appointed interim executive director of the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute.​​ June 13

Quantum Science Center hosts 1st in-person all-hands meeting(HPCwire) In late May, the Quantum Science Center convened for its first in-person, all-hands meeting since the center was established in 2020. More than 120 QSC members gathered in Nashville, Tennessee, to discuss the center’s operations, research and overarching scientific aims. June 13

Volkswagen claims new dry battery process will save hundreds of dollars per car(CleanTechnica) Hundreds of companies and laboratories around the world — including ORNL — are searching high and low for the next battery technology that will lead to less expensive electric cars with longer range and faster charging. ORNL's solid-state battery research was also covered in Inceptive Mind. June 13

Thermal energy storage is no longer just hot air(IEEE Spectrum) Cheesecake Energy’s eTanker, slated for a microgrid experiment in England, will use compressed air and thermal storage in place of batteries to provide electricity. The story quotes ORNL's Xiaobing Liu. June 12

ORNL working with three-fourths of the DOE-funded fusion energy grantees(Teknovation) DOE announced last week that it was awarding $46 million to eight companies that are advancing designs and R&D for fusion power plants with the mission to achieve a pilot-scale demonstration of fusion within a decade. June 8

Oak Ridge creates career opportunities for veterans(Livability) Veterans looking for the right place to launch civilian careers are choosing Oak Ridge, where they discover a community that values their military service, is ready to help them find new opportunities for success and has employers like UT-Battelle, recipient of a 2022 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. June 8

ORNL team develops carbon-nanotube-based superlubricity coating(Green Car Congress) Scientists at ORNL have developed a coating composed of carbon nanotubes that imparts superlubricity to sliding parts. It reduces the friction of steel rubbing on steel at least a hundredfold. A paper on the coating is published in the journal Materials Today Nano. This story was also covered in Manufacturing Business Technology. June 8

The grassroots movement that built Puerto Rico’s first community-owned microgrid(Next City) For two weeks after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, Lucy’s Pizza was the only restaurant open in the central mountain town of Adjuntas. The town’s 18,000 residents, like those on the rest of the island, were entirely without electricity. Adjuntas is now the site of microgrid resilience research by scientists at ORNL, in collaboration with University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez and other U.S. universities. June 10

Scientists invent friction-reducing CNT coating for vehicles & turbinesSpecialChem reported that Scientists at ORNL have invented a coating that could reduce friction in common load-bearing systems, from vehicle drive trains to wind and hydroelectric turbines, by at least a hundredfold. June 8

Pellissippi State to ORNL: Officials ink path for students to go to work at labOak Ridger said that a partnership between Pellissippi State Community College and ORNL is expected to bring new career options to students and a stronger workforce to the lab. June 7

ORNL researchers develop new pressing method for improved solid-state electrolytesGreen Car Congress noted that ORNL researchers have developed a new pressing method that produces a more uniform solid electrolyte than traditionally processed material with more voids. The material can be integrated into a battery system for improved stability and rate performance. This story was also covered by Compass and Canary Media. June 7

Knoxville-based startup licenses ORNL chemical processCompass email newsletter reported that Knoxville-based startup Holocene has licensed an ORNL-developed chemical process that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Holocene plans to use the process to eventually build direct air capture facilities. June 6 

DOE national lab to partner with 6 companies via fusion pilot plant programExecutiveBiz  stated that ORNL will partner with six companies working on fusion energy projects as part of the Department of Energy’s $46 million Milestone-Based Fusion Development program. The lab said Thursday its industry partners are among the eight awardees selected for submitting proposals that are relevant to the creation of a fusion pilot plant in five to 10 years. June 6

Silicon chips and saving people's eyesight are ORNL researcher's legacy(Oak Ridger) Research involving artificial intelligence — performed in the late 1990s by Ken Tobin and others at ORNL — is behind technology now being used at a drug store chain's health care clinics to provide sight-saving telemedical diagnoses to hundreds of thousands of diabetic patients. June 5

New insight into spacetime-bending gravitational waves(Digital Journal) Dying stars’ cocoons could be new sources of gravitational waves, based on simulations performed to assess what happens with the debris found around stars as they enter their final years. The simulations were made possible in part by ORNL's Summit supercomputer. June 5

Purdue University hosts third consecutive Quantum Science Center summer school(HPCwire) The Quantum Science Center held its signature workforce development event — a comprehensive summer school for students and early-career scientists designed to facilitate conversations and hands-on activities related to multiple areas of quantum research — at ORNL. June 5Lab-created nuclear reaction helps scientists understand neutron stars(Labroots) said that a recent study published in Physical Review Letters examines how scientists from ORNL have successfully created key nuclear reactions that occur on the surface of a neutron star as it's consuming a nearby star, also known as a companion star. June 5

Pellissippi partnership, new Facilities Operations head(Teknovation) A new partnership between Pellissippi State Community College and ORNL will bring new career options to students and a stronger workforce to the national lab, as well as the naming of Ann Weaver to be director of Facilities and Operations at the lab. WATE also covered ORNL's partnership with Pellissippi State. June 2

Ligand-based separation method for rare earth elements(Chemical Engineering) Rare-earth elements are difficult to separate because of their similar properties, so conventional methods are often costly and generate significant amounts of waste. ORNL has developed a new technique using two ligands with contrasting selectivities that suggests a path to more cost-effective and environmentally responsible separations. June 1

LLNL’s Lori Diachin named director of Exascale Computing Project(insideHPC) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Lori Diachin will take over as director of the Department of Energy’s Exascale Computing Project on June 1, “guiding the successful, multi-institutional high-performance computing effort through its final stages.” Diachin will report to ORNL Interim Director Jeff Smith. This story was also covered in HPCwire. May 31

Researchers achieve record-breaking temperatures in a tokamak(Interesting Engineering) A recent study by ORNL, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Tokamak Energy achieved temperatures of nearly 100 million degrees Celsius — the level required for fusion power plants to generate commercial energy. This story was also covered in MSN and Tech Explorist. May 31

ORNL preparing to build its next supercomputer(Teknovation) ORNL's Frontier is the fastest exascale supercomputer in the world. Now the lab is starting plans to make an even faster one. Additional coverage of the next supercomputer appeared in HPCwire and ExecutiveGov. May 30

Technology that uses the ground to heat homes being developed in East Tennessee(WVLT) Geothermal technology being developed in East Tennessee could lower the cost of heating or cooling buildings and homes. ORNL researcher Xiaobing Liu is part of the national effort to develop the technology, serving as an advisor for some of the Department of Energy-funded design projects. ORNL's geothermal research was also highlighted in Connected World. May 26

Iversen to lead project studying permafrost thaw, climate processes in Alaska(Oak Ridge Today) Colleen Iversen — ecosystem ecologist, group leader and distinguished staff scientist at ORNL —  has been named director of the Department of Energy’s Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments Arctic — a multi-institutional project studying permafrost thaw and other climate-related processes in Alaska. May 29

News & Notes 1 | From Knoxville and Oak Ridge(Teknovation) ORNL's Edmon Begoli will discuss artificial intelligence during a Knoxville Technology Council panel. Separately, Nth Cycle, an alum of the lab's Innovation Crossroads program, was an honoree in the 2023 “SEAL Sustainability Awards” program. May 29

ORNL-led study examines causes behind ordering of cations(Green Car Congress) A study led by ORNL examines the causes behind the ordering, or pattern formation, of ions that carry a positive charge, also called cations, in double perovskite oxides, a type of metal considered promising as a potential source of cleaner, more sustainable energy. May 30

Plastics, recycling and the circular economy(SmartBrief) ORNL researcher Dan Coughlin delves into how the government is working with industry and leveraging technologies like 3D printing to create more sustainable materials for applications such as aviation, wind energy, housing and more. May 30

Bonus: Executive producer Kerri Jansen hands over the mic(Chemical & Engineering News) This podcast references the reporter's previous coverage of the Frontier supercomputer and how chemists are using this new resource. May 30

Neutron star surface explosions explained by element creation in lab(Cosmos) Neutron stars are really fascinating from the points of view of both nuclear physics and astrophysics. A deeper understanding of their dynamics may help reveal the cosmic recipes of elements in everything from people to planets. May 30

LLNL’s Lori Diachin named director of Exascale Computing Project(insideHPC) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Lori Diachin will take over as director of the Department of Energy’s Exascale Computing Project on June 1, “guiding the successful, multi-institutional high-performance computing effort through its final stages.” Diachin will report to ORNL Interim Director Jeff Smith. This story was also covered in HPCwire. May 31

Researchers achieve record-breaking temperatures in a tokamak(Interesting Engineering) A recent study by ORNL, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Tokamak Energy achieved temperatures of nearly 100 million degrees Celsius — the level required for fusion power plants to generate commercial energy. This story was also covered in MSN and Tech Explorist. May 31

Ligand-based separation method for rare earth elements(Chemical Engineering) Rare-earth elements are difficult to separate because of their similar properties, so conventional methods are often costly and generate significant amounts of waste. ORNL has developed a new technique using two ligands with contrasting selectivities that suggests a path to more cost-effective and environmentally responsible separations. June 1

Modernizing a century-old power giant(Quality Digest) The hydropower industry, which today generates 32% of all U.S. renewable energy, was built using traditional manufacturing processes. A new ORNL report assessed how advanced manufacturing and materials, such as 3D printing and novel component coatings, could offer solutions to modernize the existing fleet and design new approaches to hydropower. This story was also covered by Civil Engineering Source. May 24

ORNL’s Juan Restrepo selected as vice chair for new international diversity advocacy group(HPCwire) Juan M. Restrepo, a distinguished researcher and head of the Mathematics in Computation section at ORNL, has been named vice chair of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics’ new Activity Group on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. SIAM is one of the world’s premier societies for mathematics and computational sciences. May 24

U.S. supercomputer tops list of world's fastest(CBS News) the fastest supercomputer in the world can make a quintillion calculations in the time it takes for me to say "one Mississippi." For the second year in a row, the Frontier supercomputer at ORNL took the top spot on the list of the worlds fastest computers. Continuing coverage appeared in HPCwire, The Next Platform and the Compass daily newsletter. May 23

East TN at the heart of the quantum computing revolution (Teknovation)  Now comes word from ORNL that researchers used its Quantum Computing User Program to perform the first independent comparison test of leading quantum computers. The study surveyed 24 quantum processors and ranked results from each against performance numbers touted by such vendors as IBM, Rigetti and Quantinuum, formerly known as Honeywell. May 23

ExaSMR project leads charge in high-resolution nuclear reactor simulations(HPCwire) As renewable sources of energy such as wind and sun power increasingly are being added to the country’s electrical grid, old-fashioned nuclear energy is also being primed for a resurgence. This story quotes ORNL scientist Steven Hamilton. **ExecutiveGov** also covered this story. May 23

Next-gen separator harvests rare stable isotopes from heavier elements(New Atlas) ORNL has developed an electromagnetic isotope separator to harvest stable isotopes across the entire periodic table. This will help make the United States self-sufficient in rare exotic elements. May 22

Frontier remains as sole exaflop machine and retains top spot, improving upon its previous HPL score(TOP500) The 61st edition of the TOP500 reveals that the Frontier system out of ORNL remains the only true exascale machine on the list. Frontier increased its high-performance Linpack score from 1.02 exaflops in November 2022 to an impressive 1.194 exaflops. This story was also covered by HPCwire, insideHPC, The Register and Networkworld.May 22

IARPA kicks off new research program to detect changes in movement patterns(Homeland Security Today) The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, or IARPA, launched the Hidden Activity Signal and Trajectory Anomaly Characterization, or HAYSTAC, research program to develop systems capable of modeling population movement patterns around the globe and providing alerts when concerning anomalies emerge. ORNL is a member of the HAYSTAC evaluation team This story was also covered by ExecutiveBiz and Intelligence Community News.May 19

Eco-friendly, energy-efficient roofs at True Metal Supply(WATE) True Metal Supply is a manufacturer of metal roofing and post-frame building products in Knoxville. This story describes the benefits of metal roofing and notes that ORNL research has determined that metal roofing can save homeowners as much as 40% in energy costs by mitigating urban heat island effects. May 18

Turing Award winner Jack Dongarra reflects on career ahead of ISC(HPCwire) The selection of Jack Dongarra as the recipient of the 2021 Turing Award was a well-deserved recognition of his invaluable contributions to the field of high performance computing. In a recent interview, Dongarra reflected upon his career, what drove him to pursue this particular path and what the future might hold for his work. May 19

Intelligent building blocks for a more reliable electric grid(Tech Briefs) Radha Krishna Moorthy is lead researcher on an ORNL project designed to create a new architecture to modernize the electric grid from the bottom up. The approach combines hardware and software to monitor equipment health, speed up communication and increase security. May 22

Nashville rainstorms are getting wetter. How much? 12% wetter in the past five decades(WPLN Radio) From a basic perspective, more rain can mean more flooding. But the science of how climate change affects flooding is a little more complex. “The direction of the storm, even the velocity plays a significant role in flooding,” said ORNL's Gabriel Perez Mesa. May 16

ORNL’s quantum computing user program paves way for unprecedented quantum processor comparison(HPCwire) Researchers used ORNL’s Quantum Computing User Program to perform the first independent comparison test of leading quantum computers. This story was also covered in ExecutiveBiz. May 17.

When will we get the heat pump thermostats we need?(Energy Central) When consumers are asked what motivated them to buy heat pumps, two of their top answers usually are that they wanted to cut their energy costs and reduce their environmental impacts. This story references ORNL's research into CO2-minimizing thermostats. May 15

Gov. Lee wants Tennessee to lead in new nuclear energy development(Times Free Press) In another attempt to boost nuclear power in Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday he is creating a Nuclear Energy Advisory Council of government and business leaders to help recruit and develop the next generation of nuclear energy. This story references ORNL's ongoing role in the development of nuclear power. May 16

Kelly Chipps named to federal nuclear science advisory committee(insideHPC) Kelly Chipps, a nuclear astrophysicist at ORNL, has been appointed to the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee. The committee provides official advice to DOE and the National Science Foundation about issues relating to the national program for basic nuclear science research. May 16

Novel capacitor to shrink size & reduce cost of electric drives(CleanTechnica) In a lab at DOE's National Transportation Research Center at ORNL, Shajjad Chowdhury is developing a novel capacitor and inverter component that will shrink the size and reduce the cost of electric drive units. He sees this as a potential step to increase electric vehicle adoption in the United States. May 16

Support for nuclear up in the US; DOE awards $22.1 million to nuclear tech(Reuters) Researchers at ORNL have developed an augmented reality tool that creates accurate visual representations of ionizing radiation. The tech has been licensed by Teletrix, a firm that creates advanced simulation tools to train the nation’s radiation control workforce. May 17

Is Betelgeuse getting ready to explode?(Big Think) Betelgeuse, normally the 10th brightest star in the sky, has brightened over the past month to creep up to 7th place on the list of brightest stars. Although Betelgeuse is an intrinsically variable star, we don't yet know: is this just a normal phase in its variability, or is it preparing to go supernova? May 15

Coastal phenomenon could disrupt or enhance offshore wind(EE Power) A vastly complex computer simulation helps researchers develop strategies for dealing with wind events that could damage offshore wind turbines. The simulations were so complicated that they required using ORNL’s Summit supercomputer and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Eagle supercomputer. May 12

The roads to zettascale and quantum computing are long and winding(The Next Platform) In the United States, the first step on the road to exascale HPC systems began with a series of workshops in 2007. It wasn’t until a decade and a half later that the 1,686 petaflop Frontier system at ORNL went online. This year, Argonne National Laboratory is preparing for the switch to be turned on for Aurora, which will be either the second or the third such exascale machine in the United States, depending on the timing of the El Capitan system at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. May 12

Q&A with ORNL’s Travis Humble, an HPCwire Person to Watch in 2023(HPCwire) Travis Humble is the director of the Quantum Science Center at ORNL. QSC is one of six National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. Hopes are high that these centers, through their own research and in collaboration with academia and industry, will accelerate quantum information science and help lay the groundwork for a robust quantum information industry. May 12

Microplastics: The snowflakes of the plastic world(Technology Networks) Microplastics litter every corner of the globe, even the once-pristine landscape of the Antarctic. These tiny particles originate from larger pieces of plastic, degraded and worn down over the years until they measure just millimeters – or even less – in diameter. ORNL scientist Rigoberto Advincula is quoted in this story. May 12

OLCF’s Paul Abston named Data Center Manager of the Year(insideHPC) Paul Abston, leader of the HPC Infrastructure Operations Group of the National Center for Computational Sciences and manager of the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility’s data center, has been named Data Center Manager of the Year for 2023. The award recognizes exceptional leaders in the field nominated by their peersMay 10

Exchange bias in a single-layer film is created using ion implantation(Physics World) Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, the Paul Scherrer Institute and ORNL have used low-energy ion implantation to create an appreciable exchange bias in the antiferromagnetic material iron–rhodium. And, they have done this without the need for a ferromagnetic layer.May 10

Growing 2D TMDs on chips(Semiconductor Engineering) Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ORNL and Ericsson Research found a way to “grow” layers of 2D transition metal dichalcogenide materials directly on top of a fully fabricated silicon chip, a technique they say could enable denser integrations.May 10

After the storm — Rapid location of damaged utility poles(Tech Briefs) A team of researchers at ORNL, headed by David Hughes, is tackling the problem of locating damaged utility poles in far less time than it usually takes with currently available methods. An important guiding principle of their system is to keep its cost to a minimum and to make it easy for nontechnical first responders and utility repairers to use.May 9

Can viruses worsen ecosystem responses against climate change?(Open Access Government) Climate change is continually changing how ecosystems function by altering how organisms operate within microbial food webs. Duke University, the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the Netherlands Institute of Ecology and ORNL are investigating the impacts of global warming on viruses and how they might alter ecosystem defenses and responses to climate change.May 9

Memories may be stored in the membranes of your neurons(Yahoo News) ORNL's John Katsaras was part of a team that determined that your brain is responsible for controlling most of your body’s activities. Its information processing capabilities are what allow you to learn, and it is the central repository of your memoriesMay 9

Memories may be stored in the membranes of your neurons(The Conversation) Your brain is responsible for controlling most of your body’s activities. Its information processing capabilities are what allow you to learn, and it is the central repository of your memories. But how is memory formed, and where is it located in the brain? May 9

ORNL-developed AR tool will help workers “see” radiation(Nuclear Newswire) Researchers at ORNL developed a method of using augmented reality to create accurate visual representations of ionizing radiation, and that technology has just been licensed by Teletrix, a Pittsburgh, Pa.-based firm that develops simulators to train radiological workers and radiological control technicians. World Nuclear News, Teknovation, World Energy and Nuclear Engineering International also covered this story. May 8

Report: Bringing modern manufacturing to hydropower(GlobalSpec) The U.S. hydropower industry, contributing 30% of all renewable energy generation and 6.1% of the national energy portfolio in 2021, evolved by means of traditional manufacturing processes. ORNL researchers maintain that the time is ripe to revamp manufacturing technology for this sector in response to supply chain impediments, surging energy demand and higher material costs. May 8

Deploying electric buses at airports is easy with this tool(CleanTechnica) Stemming from a Department of Energy push for national laboratories to use supercomputers for transportation projects, this effort is the latest to come out of Athena — a public-private partnership between NREL, ORNL and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to support the transformation of related energy systems. With transportation accounting for 27% of U.S. emissions in 2020, transit electrification has great potential to decarbonize energy systems. May 8

Think making it to the charging station is an EV driver’s biggest worry? Think again 

(Forbes) Industry leaders have added a new worry to the list – cybersecurity threats to charging infrastructure. The federal government recognizes the problem and in 2019 awarded contracts to Idaho National Laboratory, ORNL and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to identify, evaluate and mitigate cyber-related consequences for high-powered fast chargers. May 8

Pellissippi State, ORNL partner for new student career path opportunity(Teknovation) A series of new classes at Pellissippi State Community College will offer students a new career path — and a national laboratory a pipeline of workers who have the skills needed for its own rapidly growing programs. The Chemical Radiation Technology pathway will give students a new option that will prepare them to enter the workforce in places like ORNL and the Y-12 National Security Complex.  May 4

How are Wikipedians fighting gender bias online?(Al Jazeera) For years, Wikipedia – the world’s largest online encyclopedia – has ranked among the top visited websites in the world. But more than 80% of Wikipedia’s volunteer editors are male, and the gender imbalance is reflected in its articles, say Wikipedians working to address the site’s gender bias and lack of inclusivity. At about the 9:10 mark in the video, ORNL nuclear chemist Clarice Phelps joins a conversation about the difficulties and rewards of establishing a presence on Wikipedia. May 4

ORNL develops technology to 3D print plane, car parts(WATE TV) Researchers at ORNL have developed the technology to manufacture parts for cars, airplanes and drones through 3D printing. The technology, called additive manufacturing compression molding, prints a short-fiber-filled polymer and continuous fiber onto a mold, which is then compressed. The process results in accurate finished pieces and can be used to make parts like propeller blades and battery boxes. It also could accelerate the decarbonization of vehicles, airplanes and drones. May 6

Lithium-ion batteries(Advancements with Ted Danson) A segment of this video quotes ORNL scientist Gabriel Veith and describes the battery electrolyte technology that ORNL licensed to Safire Technology Group. The collection of five patented technologies is designed to be a drop-in additive for lithium-ion batteries that prevents explosions and fire from impact. The segment begins at 20:22. April 19

Orbital Composites licenses AMCM technology(Composites World) Additive manufacturing compression molding, or AMCM, co-developed with ORNL, combines robotic AM and continuous fiber technologies to revolutionize high-volume composites manufacturing. Design and Development Today and Industrial Equipment News also shared the story. May 1

ORNL seeks participants for annual data challenge(HPCwire) ORNL is now seeking researchers of all career stages to register by June 20 for its annual SMC Data Challenge, part of the Smoky Mountains Computational Sciences and Engineering Conference. May 3

ORNL, NOAA launch supercomputer for climate science research(Quality Digest) In partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ORNL is launching a supercomputer dedicated to climate science research. The new system is the fifth supercomputer to be installed and run by the National Climate-Computing Research Center at ORNL. May 4

Top 10 quantum computing companies globally in 2023(AI) A leader in the development and delivery of quantum computing systems, software and services,    D-Wave’s systems use a process called quantum annealing to search for solutions to a problem. Some of the world’s most sophisticated enterprises employ D-Wave systems, including Lockheed Martin, Google, NASA Ames, Volkswagen, USRA, USC and ORNL.May 3

ORNL celebrates 80 years of research with new display, Pellissippi State partnership (WBIR) ORNL is celebrating its 80th anniversary and opened a new display on Thursday to mark the occasion. The new display features flags from the 74 home countries of laboratory staff. It also includes highlights of key events and people throughout the laboratory's history. Also, ORNL discussed a partnership with Pellissippi State Community College to promote a new curriculum to prepare students for careers as technicians in radiochemistry and technology. WVLT, WATE, Oak Ridger and Teknovation also shared the news. April 27

Exascale Frontier supercomputer hosts trio of new cosmological codes(HPCwire) A trio of new and improved cosmological simulation codes was unveiled in a series of presentations at the annual April Meeting of the American Physical Society in Minneapolis. Chaired by the OLCF’s director of science, Bronson Messer, the session covering these next-generation codes heralds a new era of exascale computational astrophysics that promises to advance our understanding of the universe with models of unprecedented scale and resolution. This story was also covered by insideHPC. April 27

Orbital Composites licenses breakthrough AMCM technology for composites(Voxel Matters) Orbital Composites, a pioneer in Robotic Additive Manufacturing of Continuous-Fiber Composites, has licensed a breakthrough technology co-developed with ORNL. The new technology, called additive manufacturing compression molding, is set to revolutionize the aerospace, mobility and energy industries by offering a new level of speed, efficiency and cost-effectiveness to the composites manufacturing process. April 27

Revolutionizing manufacturing with high-performance computing and supercomputers(engineering.com) ORNL is helping manufacturers by developing innovative approaches to allow researchers to examine microstructures to better design new materials and fabrication methods, and leverage multidisciplinary expertise for the development of new bio-based materials. These efforts are geared toward driving economic competitiveness, energy efficiency and productivity. May 1

Scientists just made a huge breakthrough in lithium-ion battery recycling — and it could transform our power grid forever(The Cool Down) Great minds are increasingly finding ways to repurpose and recycle batteries that are past their prime, as scientists at ORNL recently did when they discovered that batteries of differing ages, sizes and origins could be combined to form a unique kind of energy storage system. The story also appeared in MITechNews.com. April 28

Xiao-Ying Yu takes on three prestigious editorial roles(HPCwire) Xiao-Ying Yu, a distinguished scientist in the Materials Science and Technology Division at ORNL, has recently been chosen to a three-year term on the editorial board of Results in Engineering, an open-access Elsevier journal, and as the guest editor of its special issue “Emerging Women Investigators in Engineering.” For the journal Frontiers in Chemistry, she was named a topic editor for advances in secondary ion mass spectrometry. April 28

Quantum centers, national labs tackle workforce and public-private partnering(HPCwire) Travis Humble of ORNL's Quantum Science Center said, “QSC is dedicated to overcoming key roadblocks in quantum state resilience, controllability and ultimately scalability of quantum technologies. In addition to the scientific goals, ... development of the next generation of QIS workforce by creating a rich environment for professional development and close coordination with industry to transition new QIS applications to the private sector (is integral).” April 28

On Earth Day, scientists tell us what 2050 could be like. Their answers might surprise you.(USA Today) Everyone has a heat pump, expects David Sholl, director of the Transformation Decarbonization Initiative at ORNL. The idea of burning natural gas in a furnace sounds as quaint as having a coal truck come by to fill the cellar. April 21

ORNL research team recognized by National Cancer Institute(Teknovation)  A team of researchers from ORNL has been recognized by the National Cancer Institute for its unique contributions in the fight against cancer. ORNL’s Heidi Hanson and Noah Schaefferkoetter, as well as Shang Gao (formerly of ORNL), were part of the Cancer Surveillance Data Collaborators Group that received the “2022 NCI Director’s Award – Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Cancer Surveillance Data Collaborators, for Data Science-Scientific.” April 23

Finale for two commercialization initiatives is this Thursday(Teknovation) Participants in the Smart Mobility Challenge will be focused on either the Shielding System for Wireless Power Transfer offered by ORNL or the Tamper-Aware Anti-Counterfeiting Solution from Vanderbilt University. April 23

Sudershan Gangrade: Analyzing a flood of data to prepare for climate change(HPCwire) Climate change often comes down to how it affects water, whether it’s for drinking, electricity generation, or how flooding affects people and infrastructure. To better understand these impacts, ORNL water resources engineer Sudershan Gangrade is integrating knowledge ranging from large-scale climate projections to local meteorology and hydrology and using high-performance computing to create a holistic view of the future. April 21

Study led by ORNL seeks to define quantum compression(HPCwire) A study led by ORNL researchers identifies a new potential application in quantum computing that could be part of the next computational revolution. The study surveys techniques for compressing data generated by sensors in edge computing — which processes data at or near sensors — and compares classical techniques with quantum approaches, which are mostly in development. This story was also covered by Inside HPC. April 21

New supercomputer launched by ORNL, NOAA to track climate science research(WATE-TV) ORNL has announced its launching of a new supercomputer with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration in an ongoing partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to track climate modeling. The machine has been assembled after supply chain delays and tested by several experts here in East Tennessee. It is the fifth supercomputer to be installed and run by the National Climate-Computing Research Center at ORNL. April 20

Q&A: What's it like to build a nuclear reactor? This female engineer helped build three(Energy.gov) The nuclear energy industry has historically struggled to build commercial reactors on time and within budget. That’s part of the reason why the United States has only managed to bring two new reactors online since the mid-90s. But with each new reactor built, lessons can be learned and applied to future projects. One engineer at ORNL is bringing a wealth of knowledge in this area to the U.S. Department of Energy. April 20

Oak Ridge lab focuses on "net zero" game changers to slow Earth's warming(Oak Ridger) The huge challenge of shifting away from activities that produce greenhouse gases, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and capturing CO2 emissions from industrial sources, such as fossil fuel power plants, breweries, distilleries and fertilizer manufacturers, to slow climate change, has been “likened to the Manhattan Project,” said David McCollum, senior scientist and climate researcher at ORNL. April 20

UT-ORII: Strengthening area pipeline for STEM talent(Oak Ridger) To strengthen the pipeline of science, technology, engineering and mathematics talent, UT and ORNL launched the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute and hired Joan Bienvenue as its first executive director and vice provost in 2021. April 19

SAE International awards recognize the mobility industry’s highest honors(SAE International) The 2023 recipient of the SAE’s Medal of Honor is ORNL's Robert Wagner, Ph.D., Division Director, Buildings and Transportation Science, Energy Science and Technology Directorate. April 19

Nth Cycle recognized by BloombergNEF as cleantech pioneer(Teknovation) The former ORNL Innovations Crossroads program member is being recognized as one of the '12 Climate Tech Innovators Building a Net Zero World' by BloombergNEF. April 19

Have a research project needing computer time and resources?(Teknovation) Do you have a research project that requires large allocations of computer time and supporting resources at one of the DOE Leadership Computing Facilities located at Oak Ridge and Argonne national laboratories? April 18

A protein domain could lead to new treatments for COVID-19(Azo Life Sciences) ORNL scientists exploring bioenergy plant genetics have made a surprising discovery: a protein domain that could lead to new COVID-19 treatments. April 18

NDT inspection of additively manufactured parts in aerospace(Aerospace Testing International) U.S. researcher Amir Ziabari has devised a novel solution for the inspection of denser alloys like Inconel. Ziabari began developing algorithms for CT scanners as a post-doctoral researcher at Purdue University in Indiana, later continuing as a scientist at ORNL. April 17

Plant, microbe matchmaking for better bioenergy crops(The Global Plant Council) ORNL researchers have identified specific proteins and amino acids that could control bioenergy plants’ ability to identify beneficial microbes that can enhance plant growth and storage of carbon in soils. April 18

3 ways 3D printing could rescue U.S. hydropower(Engineering.com) According to a recent report from ORNL, the time is right for advanced manufacturing and materials to bring the hydropower industry up to speed. April 18

Deep learning–based data analysis software by ORNL promises to accelerate materials research(HPCwire) Researchers at ORNL have developed a machine-learning-inspired software package that provides end-to-end image analysis of electron and scanning probe microscopy images. Datanami also covered this story. April 17

Tax credit tool tracks electric car savings(CleanTechnica) Consumers have a new resource for finding plug-in electric and fuel cell vehicle tax credits. Current owners and those considering an electric vehicle purchase can access a free tool developed by ORNL researchers. Teknovation also shared the news. April 14

The Love Kitchen receives restored roof(WBIR) ORNL teamed up with The Love Kitchen on replacing old ceiling tiles and lighting with brand-new equipment. ORNL volunteers jumped at the chance to help out people who already give so much to the community. April 16

Climate simulation screams on the Frontier exascale supercomputer(Next Platform) This sentence explains why exascale computers like ORNL's Frontier are so important: “We move from crude parametric presentations to an explicit, physics based, description of essential processes.” April 14

Black Girls in STEAM summit happening this weekend(WSMV video) The event at Meharry Medical College included a keynote address by Tennessee State University alumna Clarice Phelps, an ORNL nuclear chemist recognized as the first Black woman to help discover an element on the periodic table. April 14

New foam offers eco-friendly building insulation(Global Spec) Researchers from ORNL have developed an eco-friendly, nontoxic thermoplastic foam for insulating buildings. April 15

SUPER technology manages intelligent building blocks for more reliable grid(Homeland Security News Wire) Researchers at ORNL are helping modernize power management and enhance reliability in an increasingly complex electric grid. April 13

ORNL launches 10-petaflop supercomputer for climate research(Data Center Dynamics) ORNL and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are launching a 10-petaflops supercomputer dedicated to climate science research. April 13

Celeritas code will accelerate high energy physics simulations with supercomputers\(STEM Magazine) Scientists at ORNL are leading a new project to ensure that the fastest supercomputers can keep up with big data from high-energy physics research. April 2023

Energy: 'Enter the Matrix'(PBS Reconnecting Roots) A giant network of power was created to energize our nation — and in the process, completely transformed life in America. From whale oil to nuclear energy, find out just what it takes to give power to the people. ORNL's Tom King and locations around the lab are featured. April 3 

Knoxville institute gets millions to make key component for electric vehicle technology(News Sentinel) DOE announced that it will give the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, of which ORNL is a member, $6 million this year for research and development of advanced composite materials used in clean energy technology. Composites World, WVLT, WATE, Teknovation and the Times Free Press also covered the news. April 11

ORNL’s Xiao Wang named IEEE senior member(Inside HPC) Xiao Wang, a research scientist at ORNL, has been named a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the world’s largest organization for technical professionals. April 12

NOAA, ORNL launch 10-petaflop HPE Cray HPC system for climate research(Inside HPC) ORNL, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is launching a supercomputer dedicated to climate science research. CleanTechnica also shared the news. April 11

How do supercomputers fit with strategies for sustainability?(Information Week) The biggest, fastest supercomputers in the world, such as Frontier and Sierra, are capable of astounding processing speed, yet they must do so within reasonable power consumption limits. April 11

Sector aims to tackle isotope supply problems as excitement grows over targeted therapies(Nucnet) One of the challenges in conducting clinical trials is the limited availability of Ac-225, which is almost all generated from the decay of thorium-229. Ac-225 is currently produced in small quantities by ORNL. April 13

SUPER technology aims to enhance grid reliability(EE Power) Researchers at ORNL are working to modernize the power grid and enhance its reliability, starting from the ground up. April 12

World Quantum Day – A chance to look in on NQIS centers

(HPCwire) The Quantum Science Center led by ORNL is dedicated to overcoming key roadblocks in quantum state resilience, controllability, and ultimately scalability of quantum technologies. April 12

Andrea Delgado unites fundamental, high energy physics with quantum computing(HPCwire) Delgado, a Eugene P. Wigner Fellow at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is using quantum computing to help investigate the fundamental building blocks of the universe and to see whether there are particles yet to be found. April 11

DOE’s INCITE program seeks proposals for 2024 to advance science and engineering at US leadership computing facilities(HPCwire) DOE's Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment program is now accepting proposals for high-impact, computationally intensive research campaigns in a broad array of science, engineering and computer science domains. April 11

Prasanna Balaprakash named director of ORNL’s AI Initiative(HPCwire) In his more than 15-year career, Balaprakash has collaborated with teams across the national labs, industry and academia to tackle a wide range of scientific and engineering challenges including materials research, climate change, fusion science, transportation and supercomputing. April 11

Allosense selected for Techstars Industries of the Future Program(San Antonio Business Journal) Allosense has been accepted into a top-tier accelerator program led by one of the largest pre-seed investors in the world. ORNL is a partner in Techstars Industries of the Future. April 11

UTC hosts 3 high-profile experts when 'Gig City Goes Quantum'(Chattanoogan) An ORNL researcher, the chief scientist with a Denver-based quantum startup and UTC’s own quantum optics expert headline three UTC-hosted presentations offered in conjunction with Gig City Goes Quantum. Inside HPC also previewed the event. April 11

Driving growth, productivity and profitability(SME) MSC MillMax was deployed in collaboration with DOE and ORNL and has seen customers achieve millions of dollars in improved competitiveness. April 11

Drones give bird’s-eye view for collecting environmental and security data(Quality Digest) The Autonomous Systems group at ORNL is in high demand as it incorporates remote sensing into projects needing a bird’s-eye perspective. April 12

Tick season in Tennessee: What to know and how to avoid the bloodsuckers  (WCYB News 5) ORNL states while at least 15 species of ticks occur in the state, only a few are likely to be encountered by people. April 11

Frontier supercomputer powers SCREAM climate model **(**HPCwire) Exciting new climate modeling is being run on ORNL's Frontier by a team led by researchers from Sandia National Laboratories. April 7

EV batteries and the possible risk of arc flash (Electrical Business) According to ORNL, the heat generated by an arc flash can be intense, reaching temperatures as high as 35,000 C, which is hot enough to vaporize metal and cause serious burns. April 7

Michael Parks named director of Computer Science and Mathematics Division at ORNL (Inside HPC) ORNL has named Michael Parks director of the Computer Science and Mathematics Division within the Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate. His hiring became effective March 13. April 7

Magnetic containment could produce continuous fusion(EE Power) A group of scientists from the University of Wisconsin, ORNL and Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics has developed a magnetic confinement concept using advances in 3D printing and the application of high-temperature superconducting magnets. April10

Earth Day talk for Friends of ORNL: Nature-inclusive energy transition(Oak Ridger) David McCollum, who grew up in Knoxville and works at ORNL, will speak to Friends of ORNL at noon Tuesday on “Science and Society: Working Together for a Nature-Inclusive Energy Transition.” April 9

7 gas-saving myths busted (and 7 tips that really work) (CNET) A study on gasoline engines conducted by ORNL determined that "dirty engine air filters do not affect fuel economy in modern vehicles." The story was republished by MSN. April 11

Have trucks really conquered every corner of America?(Washington Post) Rhode Island was the last bastion of majority-car culture, the final holdout against a rising tide of trucks, a category that includes pickups, vans and SUVs. This story uses data from fueleconomy.gov,which is maintained by ORNL. April 7

Why California's floods may be 'only a taste' of what's to come in a warmer world(NPR) Michael Anderson, the state's climatologist, is trying to convince the California Department of Water Resources to fund a flood-modeling project in partnership with UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain and ORNL. April 8

What is exascale computing and what problems can it solve? Big Take Podcast (Bloomberg Big Take Podcast) Last May, ORNL, run by DOE, unveiled Frontier. It’s the world’s fastest supercomputer and is capable of performing a quintillion calculations per second, breaking what’s called the exascale barrier. Listen to the podcast. March 31

Wade named associate lab director for fusion and fission(Oak Ridge Today) Mickey Wade has been named associate laboratory director for the Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate. Teknovation also shared the news. March 30.

Team designs molecule to disrupt SARS-CoV-2 infection(Medical Xpress) A team of scientists led by ORNL has designed a molecule that disrupts the infection mechanism of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and could be used to develop new treatments for COVID-19 and other viral diseases. Teknovation also covered the news. March 28

Advanced manufacturing holds promise to modernize hydropower fleet(Renewable Energy World) Advanced manufacturing and materials, such as 3D printing and novel component coatings, could offer solutions to modernize the existing fleet and design new approaches to hydropower, according to a report published by ORNL. March 31

'Eagle-eyed' mobile system locates downed utility poles(Global Spec) A prototype of a mobile system that detects and geolocates damaged and downed utility poles in the aftermath of a natural disaster — such as a hurricane — has been developed by researchers from ORNL. March 31

The 7 grand challenges(The Weekly Climate/Substack newsletter) ORNL has had a breakthrough for a new insulation material that will cut heating and cooling costs (and thus carbon emissions, hopefully). April 2

ORNL-led scientists design molecule to disrupt SARS-CoV-2(WATE) A molecule designed by a team of scientists led by ORNL could change how COVID infections are treated. The story was republished by MSN. AZO LifeSciences also covered the story. March 28

ORNL showcases drone system to detect and locate damaged utility poles(WBIR) The drone system is meant to provide real-time data about damaged utility poles, giving leaders a chance to better coordinate after emergencies. March 29

Report: Advanced manufacturing has key role in modernizing hydropower industry(Water Power and Dam Construction) ORNL assessed the potential for advanced manufacturing to enhance the industry's existing fleet and design new approaches. Power Engineering International also covered the news. March 29

New DNA editing tool could rapidly accelerate the design of custom microbes(AZO LifeSciences) A DNA editing tool adapted by ORNL scientists makes engineering microbes for everything from bioenergy production to plastics recycling easier and faster. March 29

New eco-friendly home insulation cuts heating and cooling costs(CleanTechnica) Scientists at ORNL say they have developed a competitive, eco-friendly alternative insulation made without harmful blowing agents. March 29

Research team supports isostatic pressing for solid-state battery manufacturing(CleanTechnica) Following months of promising test results, ORNL battery researchers are recommending that the solid-state battery industry focus on a technique known as isostatic pressing as it looks to commercialize next-generation batteries.

Proteins identified that help bioenergy crops matchmake with microbes(Technology Networks) ORNL researchers have identified specific proteins and amino acids that could control bioenergy plants’ ability to identify beneficial microbes that can enhance plant growth and storage of carbon in soils. March 29

New Knoxville-based start-up licenses cybersecurity technology from ORNL(Teknovation) Penguin Mustache was co-founded by former ORNL scientist Jared M. Smith, the technology’s creator, and his business partner, entrepreneur Brandon Bruce, to create an offering named the Evasive.ai platform. March 26

Additive Talks: How does additive manufacturing serve electrification?(3D Adept Media) ORNL's Amy Elliott participated in a conversation about different processes that can be electrified; the different fields of activity where AM can serve electrification and the challenges to adoption of AM for electrification-related applications. March 24

Video: Retrofit cleans up home heating system performance (GlobalSpec) Add-on acidic gas reduction technology developed at ORNL addresses a pollution problem by removing more than 99.9% of acidic gases and other emissions to produce an ultraclean natural gas furnace. March 24

ORNL team recommends focus on isostatic pressing for solid-state battery manufacturing(Green Car Congress) Following months of promising test results, battery researchers at ORNL are recommending that the solid-state battery industry focus on a technique known as isostatic pressing as it looks to commercialize next-generation solid-state batteries. March 24

Reused car batteries rev up electric grid(Tech Briefs) Researchers at ORNL have developed a new technology enabling battery reuse: a type of power electronics equipment that can manage a variety of EV batteries as an energy storage system for an electric utility. March 24

Headlines with Sybil Wilkes, Jay Anthony Brown and nuclear chemist Clarice Phelps(What You Need to Know) ORNL's Clarice Phelps was interviewed for Sybil Wilkes' series "What You Need to Know." Phelps' segment begins at 19 minutes into the show. March 23

AI: Intriguing or extremely threatening?(Oak Ridger) ChatGPT was one of the topics of a recent talk by Gina Tourassi, director of the National Center for Computational Sciences and the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, to the Friends of ORNL. March 22

UK and US national laboratories fuse interests in plasma partnership(Nuclear Newswire) ORNL and the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority have formed a strategic research partnership to investigate how different types of materials behave under the influence of high-energy neutron sources. March 21

WVU to partner with ORNL on decarbonization, energy transition(Mountaineer News) A new agreement between WVU and ORNL will promote opportunities for collaboration on decarbonization efforts that could pave the way for a cleaner energy transition. March 20

Adding up the benefits of geothermal(CleanTechnica) ORNL researchers have developed a free online tool for homeowners, equipment manufacturers and installers to calculate the savings and energy efficiency of ground source heat pump systems. PV Magazine also shared the news. March 20

A liquid biofuels primer: Carbon-cutting hopes vs. real-world impacts(Mongabay) Nonfood cellulosic crops have “more and more potential to do something that’s really sustainable,” says John Field, a member of the Bioresource Science and Engineering Group at ORNL. March 20

DOE funding promotes the production of plant-based fuels and chemicals(AZO CleanTech) DOE has renewed the ORNL-led Center for Bioenergy Innovation as one of four bioenergy research centers across the nation to advance robust, economical production of plant-based fuels and chemicals. Hellbender Press also shared the news. March 20

Ground geothermal systems cut home energy use in half; CT lawmakers want to make them cheaper(CT Insider) Ground geothermal takes advantage of the ambient heat underground in the bedrock to make home heating and cooling much more efficient. “From depths of 20 feet to 400 feet the temperature is constant,” said Xiaobing Liu, senior staff engineer at ORNL. This story was republished by 15 Connecticut media outlets. March 19

This easy fix could eliminate harmful chemical exhaust from home heaters(Freethink) An ORNL-developed add-on to condensing gas furnaces that could fix the problem of acidic gas emissions. March 18

DOE to award $590M to renew four existing Bioenergy Research Centers(Green Car Congress) DOE will award $590 million to renew four Bioenergy Research Centers including ORNL's Center for Bioenergy Innovation. Teknovation and Biodiesel Magazine also reported the news. March 18

What is a digital twin? And how can it make companies — and cities — more efficient?(Wall Street Journal) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is working with ORNL on a project sponsored by DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office to create a digital-twin platform designed specifically for hydropower plants. March 17

Puerto Rico’s first community-led microgrid is ready to launch(Canary Media) ORNL is working on an “orchestrator” tool that’s meant to keep Adjuntas’ microgrid system running smoothly during an extended grid outage. A Spanish-language version of this story is also available. CleanTechnica, WVLT, MSN and the Compass subscriber newsletter also shared the news. March 17

UKAEA partners with ORNL on fusion(Nuclear Engineering International) The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and ORNL have entered a strategic research partnership to better understand the performance and behavior of materials required for use in future commercial fusion power plants. The news was also shared by World Nuclear News and The Engineer. March 16

Sutharshan named ORNL deputy for operations(Inside HPC) Balendra Sutharshan has been named chief operating officer and deputy for operations of ORNL and executive vice president, operations, for UT-Battelle. HPCwire, Teknovation and the Compass subscriber newsletter also reported the news. March 13 

UT-ORII director to speak on STEM to Friends of ORNL March 14(Oak Ridger) How ORNL and UT are aligning their resources to prepare future STEM talent will be explained on March 14 by Joan Bienvenue, executive director of the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute and vice provost at UT. March 12

Next-gen motive power(Railway Age) Burning hydrogen in an internal combustion engine will be similar to burning liquid natural gas. Wabtec is working with ORNL and Argonne on this as part of a DOE grant. March 12

Is 500-kW wireless charging just around the corner? Yes, but there's a catch(Autoevolution) ORNL developed a unique polyphase electromagnetic coil capable of delivering 1.5 MW per square meter. All of this was possible thanks to the latest silicon carbide technology, which made possible a new coil design. March 10

Reused car batteries rev up electric grid(Quality Digest) Researchers at ORNL have developed a new technology enabling battery reuse: a type of power electronics equipment that can manage a variety of EV batteries as an energy storage system for an electric utility. March 9

Daylight saving time 2023: When does the time change?(Live Science) Lights have become increasingly efficient, said Stanton Hadley, a now-retired senior researcher at ORNL, so lighting is responsible for a smaller chunk of total energy consumption than it was a few decades ago. March 8

MMT chats: Key pain points and leverage areas of advanced tooling(Mold Making Technology) ORNL's Ahmed Arabi Hassen was interviewed by Christina Fuges, MoldMaking Technology editorial director, about advanced tooling research and development. March 7

ORNL celebrates impact of women researchers and history-makers during Women's History Month(WBIR) ORNL is celebrating the impact that women researchers made throughout its 80-year history and the women who are leading scientific fields today. They posted a video on social media highlighting women history makers, as part of Women's History Month. March 7

Record power at the Spallation Neutron Source means more neutrons for research(Nuclear Newswire) That higher power means more neutrons for researchers who use the facility for neutron scattering research to reach materials science advances, ORNL announced recently. March 7

Additive talks: How does additive manufacturing serve electrification?(3D Adept Media) ORNL's Amy Elliott is a scientific leader in the field of inkjet-based 3D printing of metals and ceramics, a technology that is expected to enhance and transform advanced manufacturing. March 6

HPCwire people to watch: Travis Humble(HPCwire) Travis Humble, director of the Quantum Science Center and a distinguished scientist at ORNL, discusses quantum computing and digital twins and why he pursued a STEM field. March 6

Two chemists are preparing underserved kids for jobs in STEM: 'Glass ceiling will be broken' (People) ORNL's Clarice Phelps and Candice Halbert talk about feeling "seen and unseen" as Black women in science — and how they're helping girls in the field to never feel unseen. BET and Upworthy also shared the story, and the pair were highlighted in the Tennessee Tribune. March 6

Clarice Phelps: From discovering a new element to making NASA’s nuclear space batteries(Popular Mechanics newsletter) Clarice Phelps, a research technician at ORNL, helped discover tennessine, element No. 117, back in 2009. March 6

How Clarice Phelps is separating plutonium for NASA’s nuclear space batteries(Popular Mechanics) Phelps' work at ORNL has supported NASA, as well as fellow national laboratories like Argonne. All of this follows Phelps’ prior experience in the Navy’s nuclear power program, working on nuclear support for the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. March 6

This supercomputer is helping Cincinnati Children's predict which kids might be at risk for anxiety(WVXU) With the help of a federal supercomputer at ORNL, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is developing models which can tell with 75-80% accuracy which kids will develop anxiety and why. March 6

Composites end markets: Construction (2023)(Composites World) ORNL fabricated carbon fiber-reinforced molds for a project in Brooklyn to speed the construction of the 45-story One South First building. March 6

Taking on renewables’ AC/DC disconnect (Science Friday) Suman Debnath leads a project called the Multiport Autonomous Reconfigurable Solar power plant at ORNL. He and his colleagues have designed a system of advanced power electronics that allow large, utility-scale solar facilities and battery storage projects to feed either AC or DC power, as needed. March 3

Getting to zettascale without needing multiple nuclear power plants(Next Platform) “We just recently passed a very significant milestone last year, which was the first exascale supercomputer,” Lisa Su said, noting that Frontier – built using HPE systems running on AMD chips – is “using a combination of CPUs and GPUs. Lots of technology in there." March 3

Qrypt strengthens data defenses against quantum attacks(Tech HQ) A big part of Qrypt’s success rests with its access to true quantum random number generators, which were developed in partnership with ORNL. March 3

Study to lower gas usage and heat homes(Fox Illinois) Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is working with ORNL to lower how much you spend to heat your house. March 2

Alpha TAU killing tumors with highly targeted alpha radiation(MedGadget) Alpha TAU sources thorium-228 from ORNL, which is a byproduct of actinium-227 production, and extracts radium-224 from the decaying thorium. March 2

People's 2023 Women Changing the World(People) Chemists Clarice Phelps and Candice Halbert of ORNL spend their off-hours bringing science, technology, engineering and math education to underserved Knoxville-area youth through YO-STEM, a nonprofit Halbert founded seven years ago. The story also ran on Yahoo! Entertainment. March 1

This Navy vet helped discover a new, super-heavy element(NPR Short Wave) To close Black History Month, NPR re-aired a Short Wave podcast episode featuring ORNL's Clarice Phelps discussing her role in creating Tennessine, one of the heaviest elements known to humankind. Phelps also appeared on CBS' The Talk, around the 29:30 time mark. March 1

Scientists target ‘biocomputing’ breakthrough with use of human brain cells(Financial Times) One reason for turning to biological computing is that the brain processes and stores information so efficiently. ORNL's Frontier matches a single human brain for processing power — one exaflop, or a billion billion operations per second — but consumes a million times more energy. March 1

Biomembrane research findings could advance understanding of computing and human memory(STEM Magazine) While studying how bio-inspired materials might inform the design of next-generation computers, ORNL scientists achieved a first-of-its-kind result that could have big implications for both edge computing and human health. March issue

National labs gain headway on concentrating solar power(EE Power) ORNL recently started operating its Facility to Alleviate Salt Technology Risks, a high-temperature molten chloride salt test system that will spearhead new concentrating solar power technologies in the department’s Generation 3 program. Feb. 28

Good news for three participants in the Innovation Crossroads program(Teknovation) Lux Semiconductors raised a $2.3 million seed round, while Hempitecture opened the country's first industrial hemp manufacturing plant. Feb. 28

ORNL researchers working to reuse EV car batteries as power source(WATE) A new study from ORNL is working to find applications for aging batteries, specifically the lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, which can be difficult given the different makers, ages and sizes. Feb. 28

Can AI treat mental illness?(New Yorker) ORNL is the largest energy-science lab in the DOE network; during the Second World War, it supplied plutonium to the Manhattan Project. It is now home to Frontier, the most powerful supercomputer in the world, which is often loaned out to A.I. researchers. Feb. 27

Bidirectional energy hub successfully demonstrated in Tennessee(American Society of Civil Engineers) Researchers at ORNL have built and tested an energy hub capable of managing two-way power flow to and from commercial buildings. Feb. 27

Computers are learning how to analyze chemists’ spectra and micrographs(C&E News) Maxim Ziatdinov, a research scientist at ORNL, is developing a program that will work alongside a materials scientist as they run microscopy experiments in real time. Feb. 26

ORNL Spallation Neutron Source achieves 1.55MW record power to enable more discoveries(Green Car Congress) The Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL set a world record when its linear accelerator reached an operating power of 1.55 megawatts, which improves on the facility’s original design capability. Feb. 26

Microstructure, defect engineering improves lithium-ion batteries(Plant Engineering) A North Carolina State University study, performed in collaboration with battery testing researchers at ORNL, shows that extremely short pulses from a high-powered laser can cause tiny defects in lithium-ion battery materials — defects that can enhance battery performance. Feb. 26

Charging EVs as they travel: Wireless inductive, conductive or battery swap?(Auto Evolution) In 2018, researchers at ORNL demonstrated a 120-kilowatt wireless charging system. It was a lab experiment, but it opened the gates to a wireless fast-charging race. Feb. 26

Honoring Black history: Groundbreaking scientist Clarice Phelps and ‘Tennessine’(WATE) Breaking barriers in the field of science – that’s what ORNL scientist Clarice Phelps is doing in her field of research. Feb. 23

Scientists show that rapid release of GHGs because of Arctic thaw is unlikely(Engineering News) ORNL scientists have concluded that soil subsidence in the huge tundra regions of the Arctic is unlikely to trigger large-scale rapid thawing of the region, with a concomitant release of huge quantities of greenhouse-gases into the atmosphere. Environmental News Network also shared the story. Feb. 23

Bog is dead: The waning defense of Minnesota wetlands(Minnesota Reformer) At SPRUCE, semi-domed enclosures wrap around common plant species of the surrounding bog, including trees, moss and grasses. Heaters and fans simulate the effects of climate change under different forecasting models. Feb. 21

Innovators on Innovators: Amy Elliott and Melanie Lang on burgeoning metal 3D printing processes (TCT) On the latest TCT Innovators on Innovators episode, Amy Elliot, a scientist at ORNL, sits down with Formalloy CEO Melanie Lang to discuss the burgeoning additive manufacturing processes of binder jetting and directed energy deposition. Feb. 21

Big battery breakthroughs feature promising technology(Assembly) ORNL engineers have developed a new process to produce better, cheaper cathodes for use in lithium-ion batteries. It enables a way to make more affordable batteries from a faster, less wasteful process that uses less toxic material. Feb. 21

Army strong: Teams join forces to invent weld wire for tank, infrastructure repair(STEM Magazine) DOE and the Department of Defense teamed up to create a series of weld filler materials that could dramatically improve high-strength steel repair in vehicles, bridges and pipelines. Feb. edition

Knoxville start-up growing by mimicking the way a dog shakes after a dip in water(Teknovation) Ayyoub Momen, founder of Ultrasonic Technology Solutions, shared his journey from ORNL researcher to the leader of a Knoxville-based start-up commercializing a technology that he invented during his slightly more than seven years at the lab. Feb. 19

Metal alloy identified as the toughest material on Earth(Technology Networks Analysis and Separations) A team of researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and ORNL has identified the toughest material on Earth – a metal alloy of chromium, cobalt and nickel. Feb. 18

The end game of digitization(Concrete Products) More than $500 million has been invested to create the fastest known supercomputer in the world, named Frontier, which is estimated to handle trillions of parameters. IFA Magazine also published a story about Frontier's AI capabilities. Feb. 17

Cost and availability main barriers to biofuel adoption in maritime(Seatrade Maritime News) ORNL's Michael Kass said that DOE has been evaluating biofuels against four main criteria: potential for greenhouse gas reduction, economic feasibility, technical feasibility and the availability of feedstock resources. Feb. 16

Optimized for exascale supercomputers, the ExaSMR simulation toolkit advances nuclear reactor design(HPCwire) Exascale SMR, which is a high-performance computing software project supported by the DOE Exascale Computing Project, aims to make large-scale nuclear reactor simulations easier to access, cheaper to run and more accurate than the current state of the art. Feb. 15

Reused car batteries rev up electric grid(CleanTechnica) Alternatives to carbon-producing energy sources are becoming ever more imperative as climate change shows its effects on the Earth and in our daily lives. Feb. 14

From lab to market: Bio-based products are gaining momentum(Yale Environment 360) Propelled by government investment and shareholder demand, manufacturers are pushing to get bio-based products into the marketplace. These new materials aim to replace those that contain toxins and are difficult to recycle or reuse. The story mentions ORNL's Center for Bioenergy Innovation. Feb. 14

FC Renew making progress on 'providing an oil change for hydrogen fuel cells'(Teknovation) Philip Stuckey has an easy-to-remember tagline for FC Renew, the start-up he launched in 2021 based on years of interest in hydrogen fuel cell technology. The story mentions ORNL's Innovation Crossroads program. Feb. 14

In her element: Meet Clarice Phelps who helped discover element 117(Black Enterprise) ORNL's Clarice Phelps played a crucial role on a team that left her out of the celebration of a successful discovery. Feb. 13

Satellites may enable better quantum networks, ORNL researchers suggest(HPCwire) A study by ORNL researchers has demonstrated how satellites could enable more efficient, secure quantum networks. Feb. 13

Artificial intelligence, supercomputers at Oak Ridge lab is Tuesday meeting focus(Oak Ridger) Artificial intelligence and supercomputers at ORNL will be the topic of a lecture to Friends of ORNL. The speaker will be Gina Tourassi, director of the National Center for Computational Sciences and the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility. Feb. 11

How the first Black woman to help discover an element ‘claimed a seat at the periodic table’(CNN) As a kid, ORNL's Clarice Phelps often turned to one image for inspiration. While other seventh graders hung ’90s pop band and movie posters on their walls, Phelps put up a poster of Mae Jemison, the first Black female astronaut to launch into space. Feb. 10

Advancing the science of synthesis(Nature Computational Science) Valentino Cooper, a distinguished R&D staff member at ORNL, talks about his research on density functional theory and on designing high-entropy materials and piezoelectrics. Feb. 10

Discoveries related to uranium oxide may support nuclear nonproliferation(Mining.com) ORNL researcher Tyler Spano and her colleagues used analytical methods to observe uranium oxides under different conditions. X-ray diffraction helped them identify the chemical phase of materials. Feb. 10

How can lasers enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries?(AZO Optics) Researchers at North Carolina State University conducted a joint study with battery testing researchers at ORNL. The team demonstrated the potential to improve the performance of Li-ion batteries by using a powerful laser to deliver very short pulses. Feb. 10

Innovation Crossroads one of several exciting opportunities for Holocene Climate Corporation(Teknovation) Anca Timofte and co-founder Tobias Rüesch are pursuing their shared dream of commercializing technology that removes gigatons of carbon dioxide from the air as participants in Cohort 6 of the Innovation Crossroads at ORNL. Feb. 9

New exascale supercomputer can do a quintillion calculations a second(Scientific American) In 2022 the world’s first declared exascale computer, Frontier, came online at ORNL — and it’s 2.5 times faster than the second-fastest-ranked computer in the world. Feb. 9

Researchers report new way to improve lithium battery capacity by 20% with lasers(WRAL Tech Wire) A new North Carolina State University study, performed in collaboration with battery testing researchers at ORNL, shows that extremely short pulses from a high-powered laser can cause tiny defects in lithium-ion battery materials — defects that can enhance battery performance. Feb. 9

National labs, Wabtec partner to develop next-gen locomotive engine(Freight Waves) Rail technology provider Wabtec and scientists with ORNL and Argonne National Laboratory are working together to develop a hybrid locomotive engine that can run on both hydrogen and diesel. Feb. 7

Watch nuclear fusion reactor form plasma: 'You can't take your eyes off it'(Newsweek) Tokamak Energy, a commercial fusion energy company based in the U.K., has recently been given a grant by DOE to test fusion plant materials that will allow reactors to be self-sufficient while operating. The work will be done in partnership with ORNL. Feb. 7

Summer STEM learning opportunities available(Daily Jeffersonian) Students will collaborate with award-winning scientists at ORNL on guided group science, math, and computer science technology research projects, while teachers develop STEM-related curricula with science practitioners. Yahoo! News also shared the story. Feb. 7

Plastic waste-eating bacteria break down ring carbon compounds(GEN) Researchers from Northwestern University and collaborators at the University of Chicago, ORNL and Technical University of Denmark combined multiple forms of omics-based analyses. AZO Life Sciences also reported the news. Feb. 7

DOE lab, U2opia sign cybersecurity tech licensing package deal(ExecutiveBiz) ORNL has granted U2opia Technology exclusive licensing rights to a pair of tools designed to support cybersecurity threat visualization and analysis. The news was also reported by Help Net Security and Homeland Preparedness News. Feb. 6

Agave gene delays poplar dormancy, study finds(Global Plant Council) A team of scientists led by ORNL discovered the gene in agave that governs when the plant goes dormant and used it to create poplar trees that nearly doubled in size, increasing biomass yield for biofuels production and carbon sequestration. Feb. 6

The hidden hydropower potential in man-made waterways(Wall Street Journal) A report released by ORNL looked at water conduits across the nation that could be sources of hydropower, including agricultural canals and ditches, municipal and industrial water-supply pipelines, and wastewater-discharge systems — all places where water flows. Feb. 5

Let’s talk about the upside of quantum computing(Security Boulevard)  ORNL is the home of the newest “world’s fastest supercomputer,” named Frontier (still being tested), as well as Summit, which is used for climate change modeling, extreme weather predictions and genetic research into opioid addiction. Feb. 5

Top biometrics news of the week(Biometrics Update) Researchers from ORNL are observing student volunteers from the College of DuPage in a test of long-range biometrics under the BRIAR program run by the U.S. intelligence organization IARPA. Feb. 4

Cybersecurity firm U2opia licenses ORNL tech for advanced monitoring(Datanami) U2opia Technology, a consortium of technology and administrative executives with extensive experience in both industry and defense, has exclusively licensed two technologies from ORNL that offer a new method for advanced cybersecurity monitoring. Teknovation also shared the news. Feb. 3

Rapid determination of radiation damage in nuclear reactors(Electronics 360) Effective maintenance of nuclear power plants requires monitoring the condition of critical components to ensure that damage from heat and radiation has not caused unsafe cracking or embrittlement, according to ORNL research. Feb. 3

As Southeast states warm, GAO report criticizes TVA preparations for dealing with climate hazards(Arkansas Advocate) TVA has partnered with ORNL and DOE to create an asset-specific risk management system and a “corporate-level initiative” to monitor climate resilience and associated efforts. Feb. 2

Employee-led giving at ORNL provides $937,000 to area nonprofits in 2022(Printed Electronics Now) Employees of ORNL gave nearly $786,000 to local nonprofits through the lab’s employee giving programs in 2022. ORNL’s managing contractor, UT-Battelle, provided an additional $151,000 in corporate contributions. Feb. 2

Cadmium selenium telluride solar cell achieves 20% efficiency via bandgap gradient(PV Magazine) Researchers from the University of Toledo and ORNL have used bandgap gradient for the first time to improve the performance of cadmium selenium telluride solar cells based on a commercial Tin(IV) oxide buffer layer. Feb. 1

Hydrothermal synthesis of cobalt-free lithium-ion battery cathodes(Chemical Engineering) Researchers at ORNL have developed a hydrothermal-synthesis method for high-voltage lithium-ion battery cathodes that avoids several key issues with traditional battery processing. Feb. 1

Cities are being cloned in the virtual world. Here’s what that means for the future(CNN) The city of Chattanooga and its various collaborators, including ORNL and UT Chattanooga, have tackled individual issues and areas by creating digital twin projects. Jan. 31

Podcast: Why chemists are excited by exascale computing(C&E News) At ORNL, a supercomputer named Frontier has broken the exascale computing barrier, meaning it can calculate more than a million trillion floating-point operations per second. Jan. 31

ORNL synthetic biology expert targets plastics(Oak Ridger) Adam Guss, a genetic and metabolic engineer, and his colleagues are creating microbes with a special ability to deal with the problem of mixed plastic waste as part of a two-step chemical and biological process. Jan. 31

How China built the world’s biggest EV charging network and left the US behind(Grid) Shawn Ou, an ORNL researcher, doesn’t think the boom in China has been fast enough. “Although a large number of public charging stations are being built,” he said, “the pace of construction is not keeping up with sales.” EQ International** **also ran the story. Jan. 31

These 32 people just moved to Knoxville. Here's what they love and what they don't(News Sentinel) Select ORNL staff offered their insights on relocating to the Knoxville area in recent years. Jan. 31

National lab develops face and body recognition technology at COD(The Courier) Researchers from ORNL spent the last three weeks on College of DuPage’s campus conducting a face and whole-body recognition study. Jan. 30

Should you warm your car up in the winter before driving?(Insider) In a report from ORNL, researchers compiled idling recommendations from owner's manuals across various makes including Ford, Chevrolet, Honda, BMW, Lincoln and many more. Jan. 29

Is autism genetic?(Psychology Today) Michael Garvin and his colleagues at ORNL have demonstrated a new way to determine a genetic basis for Autism Spectrum Disorder. While it's long been accepted that ASD is heritable, no studies have been able to offer a genetic explanation. Jan. 26

Check out these projects at the National Transportation Research Center(Teknovation) Transportation over land, underwater, in the sky, and out of this world is being enhanced one project at a time at ORNL's National Transportation Research Center in Knoxville. Jan. 25

Company that makes battery safety technology opens new laboratory in Knoxville(WBIR) The location of the new laboratory was chosen to help the company build on its partnership with ORNL. The News Sentinel, WATE, WVLT, Teknovation, Compass and Environmental Leader also covered the news. Jan. 24

ORNL’s Merlin Theodore appointed to National Science Board(Printed Electronics Now) Merlin Theodore, a researcher at ORNL, has received a presidential appointment to the National Science Board. Theodore is one of eight new board members announced by President Joe Biden. Jan. 24

Fluidic chemical systems can mimic the way the brain stores memories(Chemistry World) Biocompatibility is perhaps even more evident in the neuromorphic memory effects described by Patrick Collier of ORNL and colleagues. Jan. 24

ORNL wins three national tech transfer awards(Teknovation) ORNL took home two awards for DOE in the excellence in technology transfer category. The lab was also awarded a state and local economic development award. Jan. 23

ORNL researchers identify mechanism in 3d-printed alloy that could enable better lightweight materials for vehicles(Green Car Congress) ORNL researchers have identified a mechanism in a 3D-printed alloy—termed “load shuffling”—that could enable the design of better-performing lightweight materials for vehicles. Metal AM also shared the story. Jan. 23

SkyNano developing technology for new carbon economy(Teknovation) If you’re looking for a great example of a start-up that has used government grants to advance the company without giving up any equity, look no further than Knoxville-based SkyNano. Jan. 23

Discoveries in phases of uranium oxide advance nuclear nonproliferation(Homeland Security Newswire) The word “exotic” may not spark thoughts of uranium, but ORNL scientist Tyler Spano’s investigations of exotic phases of uranium are bringing new knowledge to the nuclear nonproliferation industry. Jan. 23

Researchers present vision for HPC fusion data gateway(HPCwire) Researchers from General Atomics, ORNL and the University of Virginia outlined their vision for a science gateway to help manage and share fusion data that the authors expect to “substantially balloon in the near future.” Jan. 21

America’s Forests Minnesota — SPRUCE(America's Forests with Chuck Leavell) SPRUCE, an experimental station in remote Minnesota, looks like something out of a science fiction movie. Scientists have built enclosures that allow them to precisely increase the level of carbon dioxide inside each one. Jan. 20

Tokamak Energy to put materials through rigors of fusion conditions(The Engineer) The performance of specialty steel materials in extreme fusion conditions are to be tested by Tokamak Energy at ORNL and funded through the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy program. Power Engineering International, Business and Innovation Magazine also shared the news. Jan. 20

ORNL hires executive search firm to find its next director(Oak Ridger) UT-Battelle has retained executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates to help in the search for a new lab director. The News Sentinel, Oak Ridger, InsideHPC, HPCWire and Oak Ridge Today also reported the search update. Jan 19

White House names Oak Ridge scientist to National Science Board(Teknovation) Merlin Theodore, Advanced Fibers Manufacturing group lead for the Manufacturing Science Division at ORNL, has been appointed by President Joe Biden to the prestigious National Science Board. The Virgin Islands Daily News also reported the news. Jan. 19

DOE researchers design solar project that can power both AC and DC lines(Solar Power World) A team led by ORNL has developed a utility-scale design and control system for a hybrid solar power plant that can operate with both direct and alternating current — providing more flexibility, security and reliability than similar plants operating today. The story was also posted by Electrek, Canada Today and BusinessNews. Jan. 19

Executive search firm to help in hunt for new ORNL director(WBIR) An executive search firm will help in the hunt to find the next person to lead ORNL. Russell Reynolds Associates has been tapped by UT-Battelle to help find someone to replace Thomas Zacharia. The news was also reported by Teknovation and Compass. Jan. 18

Converting Colorado coal plants to nuclear? Fed report shows benefits(Denver Gazette) Hundreds of decommissioned or soon-to-be-shut-down coal-fired power plants — including at least five in Colorado — can be saved by converting them to nuclear power with small modular nuclear reactors, according to a report sponsored by DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy. The study was conducted by the Argonne, Idaho and ORNL. Jan. 18

Agave gene delays poplar dormancy (Compass newsletter) A team of scientists led by ORNL researchers has genetically engineered poplar trees that are larger, leafier and have extended growing seasons. By sequencing the messenger RNA of *Agave americana*, researchers found the REVEILLE1 gene that controls both dormancy and budding. Jan. 18

Punching above your weight (SME) Brian Post has worked at ORNL since 2013. Today he leads the Manufacturing Systems Design Group, where he spends much of his time taking 3D printing and other advanced manufacturing technologies in novel, often surprising directions. Jan. 18

Lincoln University grant funding to propel diversity in climate science(News Tribune) Lincoln's grant will fund a 10-day trip to ORNL, followed by a camping trip in the Smoky Mountains. Five students will go each year for the next four years, with the first visit scheduled for this summer. Read more from DOE about the Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce initiative. Jan. 15

ORNL isotope center estimated to cost $250 million(Oak Ridge Today) A new center to research and produce isotopes at ORNL could cost an estimated $250 million. Oak Ridge made stable isotopes for decades. Those are non-radioactive forms of atoms that can be used in medicine and industry and for research and national security. Jan. 14

Cold, powerful magnet will help control hot plasma in fusion reactor(Oak Ridge Today) A magnet so powerful it could lift an aircraft carrier six feet into the air was designed in a project managed by ORNL. It will be used in an international experimental reactor in southern France to produce energy using fusion. Jan. 13

Biden administration picks eight new National Science Board members(FedScoop) ORNL materials scientist Merlin Theodore is set to join the NSB. The NSB is made up of 25 members, which are appointed by the president, and each member serves a six-year term on the board. Oak Ridge Today also reported the story. Jan. 13

Places for discovery: Institutions with energy’s future on their minds saturate TVA territory(Site Selection Magazine) Just up I-75 sits the ultimate asset: ORNL. Among recent discoveries relevant to the clean energy future of TVA territory are a cleaner, cheaper, more efficient method for making a new class of high-capacity cathode material without cobalt. January issue

Erica Prates: Bridging science across scales with computational biology(STEM Magazine) Erica Prates has found a way to help speed the pursuit of healthier ecosystems by linking the function of the smallest molecules to their effects on large-scale processes, leveraging a combination of science, math and computing. January issue

Researchers develop cobalt-free cathodes using hydrothermal synthesis(Charged Electric Vehicles Magazine) Researchers at ORNL have developed a new method for producing cathodes for lithium-ion batteries by relying on hydrothermal synthesis, which eliminates the need to use cobalt, making the process quicker, less wasteful and less toxic. Jan. 12

Army researchers develop weld wire for tank, pipeline repair(Engineering 360) ORNL and the U.S. Army have jointly developed weld wire filler materials that promise to improve high-strength steel repair in vehicles, bridges and pipelines, subsequently revitalizing aging infrastructures. Jan. 12

The future of energy: QED with Dr. B(WOSU Public Media) Scientists around the world are working to develop innovative energy solutions. Dr. B travels to Oak Ridge National Laboratory to speak with leading experts about advances in nuclear fusion, materials science and biofuels. Jan. 12

Rare earth mining may be key to our renewable energy future. But at what cost?(Science News) One of the biggest issues plaguing the extraction process is its inefficiency, says Santa Jansone-Popova, an organic chemist at ORNL. The scavenging of these metals is slow and imperfect, and companies have to go through a lot of extraction steps to get a sufficiently marketable amount of the elements. Jan. 11

Techstars Cohort Update | Silvis Materials opens lab in Knox County(Teknovation) During the three-month Techstars program, Patty Ferreira connected with Sheng Dai, of ORNL and UT, and Chi-Linh Do-Thanh, Dai's post-doctoral research associate. Those relationships convinced her that being close to ORNL and UTK were important. Jan. 11

The quantum kaleidoscope – 2022 highlights and what to watch in 2023(HPCwire) Topological qubits based on the much-speculated on but yet-to-be-proven Marjorana particle are still missing from near-term qubit lineup. ... At least one of DOE’s six National QIS Research Centers (the Quantum Science Center at ORNL) has a focus on bringing topological quantum computing to life. Jan. 9

40 Under 40: N. Dianne Bull Ezell advances ORNL's nuclear research while mentoring next generation(News Sentinel) As she leads nuclear reactor projects for NASA, DOE and the Department of Defense, N. Dianne Bull Ezell is committed to mentoring and advancing the careers of future scientists around her. Jan. 9

40 Under 40: Kashif Nawaz's research at ORNL battles climate change(News Sentinel) Kashif Nawaz is on the front lines of developing research and technology to battle climate change at ORNL. His work focuses on extracting carbon dioxide through heating and ventilation systems. Jan. 9

How winter weather lowers fuel economy, tips to combat it(Fox 43)  According to researchers at ORNL, colder air means your car takes longer to reach the optimal temperature to operate most efficiently. Jan. 9

Forging new science for the future of 3D-printed metal(Metrology News) Researchers at ORNL have created a one-of-a-kind automated robotic platform that allows them to study the microscopic behavior of additive metal welds in real time as they’re being created. Jan. 9

Jet fuel, waste plastic are topics for Tuesday's FORNL talk(Oak Ridger) Producing sustainable fuels and chemicals from renewable or waste carbon using synthetic biology is the topic of a lecture to be presented by Adam Guss at noon Tuesday at the University of Tennessee Resource Center. Jan. 8

News and Notes | First week highlights from 2023(Teknovation) Jeff Smith, who retired as deputy director for operations at ORNL in November 2021 after 21 years in that role, is now back at the lab, this time as interim lab director. Jan. 8

Phasons boost thermal conductivity of incommensurate crystals(Physics World) Experiments done by Michael Manley and colleagues at ORNL have shown how quasiparticles play an important role in transporting heat through these unusual materials. Jan. 7

It takes 6,000 gallons of water to cool the world’s fastest supercomputer(Bloomberg Businessweek) Scientists in Tennessee in May unveiled a supercomputer that cracked the threshold of a quintillion calculations per second. The system, called Frontier — officially the world’s fastest — requires many gallons of water (for cooling), highly trained staff and massive physical infrastructure to operate. Jan. 5

Busby named ORNL associate lab director for fusion, fission energy and science(Oak Ridge Today) Jeremy Busby has been named associate laboratory director for the Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate at ORNL. His appointment became effective Jan. 1. Jan. 5

Thornton named director of ORNL Climate Change Science Institute(Oak Ridge Today) ORNL appointed Peter Thornton as director of its Climate Change Science Institute, or CCSI, effective November 1. Thornton, who succeeds Stan Wullschleger as CCSI director, has been active in CCSI since its inception and has served as its deputy director since 2017. Jan. 5

ORNL names new fellows, distinguished inventors, associate lab directors(Teknovation) ORNL announced several promotions, appointments and awards toward the end of 2022. Jan. 5

IC COHORT 6 | Vitriform3D Inc. creating product opportunities using recycled materials(Teknovation) The two co-founders of Vitriform3D met while they were working on their doctorates as part of the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Jan. 4

ORNL names new associate director of fusion, fission energy and science(Nuclear Newswire) American Nuclear Society member Jeremy Busby has been named associate laboratory director for the Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate at ORNL, effective Jan. 1. Jan. 4

Xerox Elem Additive installs ElemX 3D printer at ORNL to advance metal additive manufacturing(AIthority) Xerox Elem Additive Solutions announced the installation of a Xerox ElemX 3D metal printer at DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL to advance metal additive manufacturing technologies. Jan. 4

Method for verifying 3D-printed parts aimed at fostering innovation(Design News) A team at ORNL is using X-ray computed tomography to inspect metal parts being fabricated using additive manufacturing to ensure they are being produced according to desired specifications, researchers said. Jan. 4

Langan returning to ORNL as associate lab director(Oak Ridge Today) Paul Langan will return to ORNL in the spring as associate laboratory director for the Biological and Environmental Systems Science Directorate. Jan. 3

ORNL names two top executives over the holidays(Compass newsletter) Jeremy Busby is the new associate laboratory director for the Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate, while Paul Langan will be associate laboratory director for the Biological and Environmental Systems Science Directorate. Jan. 3

To make valuable bioproducts, pick the right solvent pretreatment(Renewable Carbon) Researchers from UT and ORNL used three pretreatment solvents to partially deconstruct and break away plant lignin from other cell wall components so the lignin modules can be extracted. Jan. 3

Thomas Zacharia reflects on 35 years at ORNL, region’s progress and possibilities as an innovation hub(Teknovation) Across the country and, for that matter, the globe, Thomas Zacharia has been an outspoken champion of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge region in a number of very different ways. Jan. 3

DOE Exascale Computing Project to advance metal additive manufacturing(3Dprinting) A team of researchers from ORNL, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NIST and UT have been working on a means to use exascale computing to simulate the development of microstructures as they are 3D printed. Jan. 2