MATERIALS -- SNS's bright beginnings . . .
Months into its commissioning since the first neutrons were made in late April 2006, the Spallation Neutron Source is distinguishing itself as a robust neutron source. The SNS has set records for the highest-energy proton linear accelerator in the world, for the highest number of protons in an accumulator ring and for the highest brightness, or protons per pulse onto the mercury target. Three instruments--the backscattering spectrometer and the liquids and magnetism reflectometers--are already receiving neutrons. In some configurations, the reflectometers are receiving neutron beams intense enough to saturate the detectors, even operating at 2 percent of the SNS's eventual 1.4 megawatts of power. All in all, these early accomplishments mark a promising beginning to decades of neutron science. [Contact: Bill Cabage, (865) 574-4399; cabagewh@ornl.gov]
MATERIALS -- Coatings R Us . . .
Characterization work by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has confirmed what Alpharetta, Ga., startup company C3 International founder Mark Deininger suspected. His company’s nano-film coating is like none other and could have dozens of industrial applications. Through a High Temperature Materials Laboratory user project, a team of researchers performed numerous tests on the C3 materials and found that the proprietary coatings substantially increase wear resistance of most components they have tested. In the field, the oxide films have proven themselves as they have extended the life of steel industry rollers, die casting molds at a wheel plant and even blades to cut 11 billion ketchup packets each year. The trick is applying rare-earth and other metal oxide films at low temperature (450 degrees Celsius) in a variety of combinations at the nano-scale. The films bond to most non-organic surfaces, including carbides, steel, glass, ceramics, cermets and many metal alloys. Funding for this research has been provided by DOE’s Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies. [Contact: Ron Walli, (865) 576-0226; wallira@ornl.gov]
CLIMATE -- Trees vs. temperature . . .
Just as water helps moderate temperatures of nearby land, large tracts of forests can also help lessen the extremes of land in the area, according to research published in the Jan. 20 issue Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmosphere. "In the case of large lakes, the water can store a lot of heat without much increase in temperature and release of lot of heat without much decrease in temperature," said lead author Lianhong Gu of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Environmental Sciences Division. Forests play similar roles because the "specific heat capacity" of biomass is several times higher than that of soil and air. Specific heat capacity measures the amount of heat stored or released by a unit of mass for one degree change in temperature. Gu and researchers at the University of Missouri and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducted this study in Missouri using a mixture of observational and modeling approaches. Gu believes the finding has important implications for predicting climate change, at least at local and regional scales. [Contact: Ron Walli, (865) 576-0226; wallira@ornl.gov]
ENERGY -- Electricity from the sun . . .
ORNL engineers are working to convert their sunlight-based hybrid lighting technology into a multifunctional system that also produces electricity. Using advanced optics and concentrating photovoltaic materials, researchers are developing a system using the infrared portion of sunlight to generate electricity. The system is also “intelligent” in its ability to automatically switch the light from illuminating the inside of buildings to generating electricity based on the building’s energy needs. The research is funded through DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Solar Technologies Program. [Contact: Fred Strohl, (865) 574-4165; strohlhf@ornl.gov]
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