Feature Stories

While heliostats are used in the day, a scientist may have found a way to use them at night. 

In the spring of 2020, a team of engineers at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) embarked on a groundbreaking project to design a microreactor test facility that could transform the world’s energy future.

From the world of research papers and cubicles, Kevin Roccapriore has made a leap into the entrepreneurial arena with Innovation Crossroads, a Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program node at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory that provides support for startups like Roccapriore’s AtomQ. 

In a bold step toward transforming how nuclear infrastructure is built, the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, or MDF, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in partnership with Kairos Power and Barnard Construction, has successfully developed and validated large-scale, 3D-printed polymer composite forms for casting complex, high-precision concrete structures that would be technically challenging and costly to produce using conventional methods. 

Consider the utility services that people use every day: light switches, water faucets and gas burners. The simple act of delivering electricity, water or gas to a home or business requires a cascade of invisible digital and physical processes, all functioning in tandem.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have successfully 3D printed steel capsules that withstood rigorous testing inside a nuclear reactor — a first-of-its-kind achievement. Using advanced manufacturing techniques and AI-driven design, the team produced capsules that maintained integrity under irradiation. This breakthrough shortens the timeline for developing and qualifying new materials for nuclear energy, accelerating innovation and strengthening energy security.

As manufacturers and utilities recognize their automated systems are vulnerable to hackers, the Idaho National Laboratory’s cyber escape rooms have become a go-to training resource for cybersecurity organizations around the world.

Permanent bunkers and high-security facilities are standard tools for protecting the nation’s most sensitive assets. But in many environments, these options are not available where secure storage is needed most. To meet that challenge, a team at Sandia National Laboratories has developed a mobile, high-security vault that can be rapidly deployed to safeguard critical materials in remote or temporary locations.

A team of researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has published a new study in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal Chemical Science that shows how using the “standard” 2 (or more) femtosecond time step — the time interval at which computer simulations are analyzed — can lead to errors in molecular dynamics simulations involving water.

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is the hub of collaboration among Western states to advance nuclear energy. This effort, anchored in legislative frameworks, strategic investments, collaborations and partnerships, is positioning the region as a leader in nuclear innovation.