Three technologies developed by researchers in Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Energy Science and Technology directorate have been recognized by the Federal Laboratory Consortium with Excellence in Technology Transfer Awards.
The annual FLC Awards honor significant accomplishments in transferring federal laboratory technologies to the marketplace. The FLC national meeting and awards reception will be held April 6 in Cleveland, Ohio. Since the consortium’s founding in 1986, ORNL has won a total of 73 awards.
“At ORNL, every stage of the research process is a priority, including the commercialization of our technology. It is an honor to be recognized for our efforts in this area as we ensure our scientific breakthroughs have a positive impact on the nation,” said ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia.
3D-Printed SiC Technology Brings Zero-Carbon Energy Production to U.S.
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, or USNC, licensed an ORNL-developed method to 3D print components for nuclear reactors using silicon carbide, or SiC. The technology uses a sophisticated additive manufacturing technique to print refractory materials, which are highly resistant to extreme heat and degradation, into components with complex shapes needed for advanced nuclear reactor designs.
USNC will incorporate this method to boost their mission to develop and deploy nuclear-based, zero carbon energy-generating equipment that is safe, commercially competitive and simple to use.
The company also plans to expand its operations into East Tennessee to take advantage of proximity to ORNL’s expertise while scaling up production of specialty components for nuclear and industrial applications. USNC’s new Pilot Fuel Manufacturing facility will be located at the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge. USNC has deployed SiC 3D-printing technology in its Advanced Ceramics Manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Inventors of this technology include USNC's Kurt Terrani, Brian Jolly and Michael Trammel. ORNL’s Eugene Cochran, Dan Vacar and Marc Filigenzi collaborated on the effort to patent, license and commercialize the technology. USNC CEO Francesco Venneri also contributed to the team’s work.
The initial research was supported by DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy and made possible by the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL. The MDF is supported by the Advanced Manufacturing Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Licensing Artificial Intelligence Software for Real-Time Monitoring of Additive Manufacturing
Peregrine, ORNL’s artificial intelligence, or AI, software for powder-bed 3D printers, assesses the quality of parts produced in real time. The software supports an advanced manufacturing digital platform in development at ORNL that analyzes data throughout the manufacturing process. Peregrine monitoring helps ensure that 3D-printed parts are ready to install in essential applications.
The software has the potential to transform the American manufacturing industry by making additive manufacturing, or AM, more accessible. More efficient, less costly 3D printing would reduce labor costs, improve design capabilities, and produce innovative materials.
The software and its underlying AI technology are available to industry via a unique licensing campaign and agreements that allow companies to quickly adapt Peregrine with ongoing support. ORNL leveraged the high level of engagement with industry at the lab’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, or MDF, which provided the foundation for Peregrine’s development and enables prospective licensees to see the software in action.
Peregrine licensees currently include Blue Origin, a commercial aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company; Cummins Inc., which manufactures engines, filtration and power generation products; GE Additive, the dedicated AM division of General Electric; the aerospace and defense company Raytheon Technologies; and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, a nuclear power technology company.
Peregrine was invented by ORNL’s Luke Scime and Vincent Paquit. ORNL’s efforts for copyrighting, patenting and commercializing Peregrine were led by Eugene Cochran and Dan Vacar.
The capabilities of the MDF, which is funded by the Advanced Manufacturing Office at DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, were used to develop Peregrine.
ORNL Partners with Ateios Systems through License for Paper-Thin, Customizable Batteries
Ateios Systems, a startup focused on innovative batteries, has licensed an ORNL technology for solvent-free battery component production using radiation curing. The new method shortens processing from minutes to seconds, significantly lowers capital and operating costs, and reduces emissions.
Ateios Systems’ near-term focus is leveraging the technology to manufacture ultra-thin batteries for wearable devices and the Internet of Things, or physical objects embedded with sensors or processing systems. The company has developed a unique manufacturing process and advanced materials to produce a product called Enercalm, surface-mountable batteries designed for high-power wireless communication devices. ORNL’s solvent-free process is compatible with the company’s manufacturing process, enabling quick scale-up by decreasing production time, significantly lowering energy requirements and equipment costs, and limiting the amount of space needed.
The adaptable technology holds promise to enable the widespread use of lightweight, flexible batteries for products like continuous glucose monitors, sleep trackers and other devices that allow people to monitor conditions and make proactive decisions. In the long term, Ateios Systems seeks to expand into electric vehicles and power grid applications.
ORNL’s Jennifer Caldwell and Susan Ochs led the commercialization efforts. ORNL’s Zhijia Du, Christopher Janke, Jianlin Li and David Wood are co-inventors on the technology. The team also includes Ateios Systems’ Carlos Munoz and Rajan Kumar.
The project was sponsored by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
