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High-performance computing helps grid operators manage increasing complexity

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

PNNL, in partnership with industry, has developed a computational tool called HIPPO, which accelerates the increasingly complex calculations grid operators must make in scheduling energy resources to meet the next day's forecasted electricity demand.

When nano meets bio

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

PNNL is one of 12 institutions in nine states taking part in a five-year, $20 million NSF-funded molecular-level research effort exploring the transformation, interactions, and impact of various nanomaterials released into the environment.

PNNL team taps twitter to explore perspectives on COVID-19 response

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Scientists at PNNL have developed a tool called WatchOwl to collect more than 4 million tweets per day related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The scientists use natural language processing and deep learning to analyze tweets and reactions related to interventions like social distancing and movement restrictions.

Exploring oxidative pathways in nuclear fuel

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

An international team used PNNL microscopy to answer questions about how uranium dioxide -- used in nuclear power plants -- might behave in long-term storage.

Taking stock of salmon survival, dams and science

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

PNNL biologists have developed a more efficient way to estimate salmon survival through dams that uses solid science but saves over 42 percent of the cost.

Natural radiation can interfere with quantum computers

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Radiation from natural sources in the environment can limit the performance of superconducting quantum bits, known as qubits. The discovery has implications for quantum computing and for the search for dark matter.

Journal: Nature
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation, US Army Research Office, ARO Multi-University Research Initiative, US Department of Energy's Office of Science, MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Extreme chemistry of nuclear wastes

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

The PNNL-led IDREAM Energy Frontier Research Center is exploring complex chemical phenomena to enable innovations in radioactive waste processing.

A shining example of nature leading the way

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

From oil refining to automobile pollution-control devices to the bulk of pharmaceuticals, platinum-group metals are the go-to choice for facilitating chemical reactions. It's been that way for decades. But a new review article in the August 14, 2020, issue of the journal Science, led by first author Morris Bullock of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, provides a road map toward greater use of Earth-abundant metals, which would reduce cost and environmental impact.

Influx of electric vehicles accelerates need for grid planning

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new PNNL report says the western US bulk power system can reliably support projected growth of up to 24 million electric vehicles through 2028, but challenges will arise as EV adoption grows beyond that threshold. The study is the most comprehensive of its kind, integrating multiple variables not evaluated before, such as growth in commercial delivery fleets and long-haul trucks, as well as large-scale and long-term EV charging scenarios and strategies.

Funder: DOE/Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office

PNNL's vapor detection technology named GeekWire's 'Innovation of the Year'

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Grant and Award Announcement

A PNNL-developed technology that can quickly detect explosive vapors, deadly chemicals and illicit drugs with unparalleled accuracy has been named the 2020 Innovation of the Year by GeekWire, the Seattle-based technology news company.

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