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A research partnership between two Department of Energy national laboratories has accelerated inspection of additively manufactured nuclear components, and the effort is now expanding to inspect nuclear fuels. 

Man is flying drone in hurricane aftermath, holding the controller

During Hurricanes Helene and Milton, ORNL deployed drone teams and the Mapster platform to gather and share geospatial data, aiding recovery and damage assessments. ORNL's EAGLE-I platform tracked utility outages, helping prioritize recovery efforts. Drone data will train machine learning models for faster damage detection in future disasters. 

Summit Supercomputer

Scientists conducted a groundbreaking study on the genetic data of over half a million U.S. veterans, using tools from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to analyze 2,068 traits from the Million Veteran Program.

Picture shows magnetic domains in uranium with a blue and orange organic shapes, similar to lava flowing through water, but in graphic form

The US focuses on nuclear nonproliferation, and ORNL plays a key role in this mission. The lab conducts advanced research in uranium science, materials analysis and nuclear forensics to detect illicit nuclear activities. Using cutting-edge tools and operational systems, ORNL supports global efforts to reduce nuclear threats by uncovering the history of nuclear materials and providing solutions for uranium removal. 

Researcher Maximiliano Ferrari is kneeling down next to an emulator in the networked microgrids laboratory at the Grid Research Integration and Deployment Center

Maximiliano Ferrari, a researcher in the Grid Systems Architecture group at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elevated to prestigious senior membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 

ORNL computing staff members Hector Suarez (middle) and William Castillo (right) talk HPC at the Tapia Conference career fair in San Diego, California. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept of Energy

The National Center for Computational Sciences, located at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, made a strong showing at computing conferences this fall. Staff from across the center participated in numerous workshops and invited speaking engagements.

Pictured is the ORNL concrete sign in front of the ORNL campus

ORNL’s National Security Sciences Directorate partnered with the University of Tennessee’s Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs to develop a graduate certificate in nuclear security that launched in the fall of 2024. 

Big group photo standing outside of a brick building with text underneath describing the IAEA workshop on safety, security and safeguards

In early November, ORNL hosted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Interregional Workshop on Safety, Security and Safeguards by Design in Small Modular Reactors, which welcomed 76 attendees representing 15 countries, three U.S. national labs, domestic and international industry partners, as well as IAEA officers. 

A small sample from the Frontier simulations reveals the evolution of the expanding universe in a region containing a massive cluster of galaxies from billions of years ago to present day (left).

In early November, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory used the fastest supercomputer on the planet to run the largest astrophysical simulation of the universe ever conducted. The achievement was made using the Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

7 people from ORBIT research team accept their award from Tom Tabor (middle)

ORNL has been recognized in the 21st edition of the HPCwire Readers’ and Editors’ Choice Awards, presented at the 2024 International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis in Atlanta, Georgia.