With a total of 54 awards, PNNL has been honored by the FLC more than any other federal laboratory since the recognition program began in 1984.
The Acoustic Inspection Device offers a noninvasive approach that allows rapid and reliable assessment of the contents of sealed, liquid- filled containers. The instrument can determine the characteristics of the liquid as well as detect foreign objects, contraband or explosives hidden inside the containers. In January 2002, PNNL signed a licensing agreement with Mehl, Griffin and Bartek, of Arlington, Va., to manufacture and sell the device to the U.S. Customs Service. A similar version of the device is being used along borders in Eastern Europe to detect smuggled goods.
The engine exhaust aftertreatment system, developed by PNNL and industry partners, combines an electrically charged gas with a specialized catalyst to substantially reduce harmful vehicle exhaust emissions from diesel and gasoline engines. These reductions are critical to meeting government-mandated vehicle emissions and fuel economy requirements that will take effect toward the end of the decade. PNNL successfully transferred the technology to three organizations Delphi Corp., Caterpillar Inc. and the Low Emissions Partnership of USCAR, a government-industry program that involves Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler and General Motors Corp.
EMAdvantage© enables decision makers within an emergency operations center to make informed decisions and share information in real time with the larger emergency management community, including incident command centers, shelters, schools, hospitals, joint information centers and others involved in emergency planning and response activities. Recently, EMAdvantage© was customized to address situations specific to the oil industry, translated into Spanish and installed at the Minatitlan Refinery in Mexico where it is helping officials plan for and respond to a range of emergency events.