Feature Articles

In the wet, muddy places where America’s rivers and lands meet the sea, scientists from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are unearthing clues to better understand how these vital landscapes are evolving under climate change.

Guang Yang and Andrew Westover, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, have been selected to join the first cohort of DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, Inspiring Generations of New Innovators to Impact Technologies in Energy 2024, or IGNIITE 2024, program. IGNIITE supports early career scientists and engineers in their work to convert innovative ideas into impactful energy technologies.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed the first additive manufacturing slicing computer application to simultaneously speed and simplify digital conversion of accurate, large-format three-dimensional parts in a factory production setting. The technology, known as Slicer 2, can help widen the use of 3D printing for larger objects made from metallic and composite materials. Objects the size of a house and beyond are possible, such as land and aquatic vehicles and aerospace applications that include parts for reusable space vehicles.

The safety and efficiency of a large, complex nuclear reactor can be enhanced by hardware as simple as a tiny sensor that monitors a cooling system. That’s why researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working to make those basic sensors more accurate by pairing them with electronics that can withstand the intense radiation inside a reactor. The ORNL research team recently met with unexpectedly high success using a gallium nitride semiconductor for sensor electronics.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have successfully demonstrated the first 270-kW wireless power transfer to a light-duty electric vehicle. The demonstration used a Porsche Taycan and was conducted in collaboration with Volkswagen Group of America using the ORNL-developed polyphase wireless charging system.

ORNL and BNL hosted the15th International Particle Accelerator Conference in Nashville, Tenn. IPAC's roots trace to Kyoto, Japan, in 2010 when the broader community chose to unite researchers, industry and academia for a global exchange of ideas rather than remaining divided by region (Europe, Asia, and the Americas).

Phani Ratna Vanamali Marthi, an R&D associate in the Power Systems Resilience group at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elevated to the grade of senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed free data sets to estimate how much energy any building in the contiguous U.S. will use in 2100. These data sets provide planners a way to anticipate future energy needs as the climate changes.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Maine have designed and 3D-printed a single-piece, recyclable natural-material floor panel tested to be strong enough to replace construction materials like steel. The project is part of the Sustainable Materials & Manufacturing Alliance for Renewable Technologies, or SM2ART, program. The SM2ART team previously constructed BioHome3D, the nation’s first additively manufactured home made entirely from biologically based materials.

Building innovations from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory will be on display in Washington, D.C. on the National Mall June 7 to June 9, 2024, during the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s, or HUD’s,  Innovation Housing Showcase.