News

In this artist’s conception of the process, an automated deposition system places a new material onto a base material (purple beam, right) as the last sample that was made is analyzed and sent to the AI (green beams, brain, left). The AI tells the pulsed laser deposition machine what to do next (data cable, bottom).
Researchers harness AI for autonomous discovery and optimization of materials
Students gather at a poster session
Students acquire skills at Quantum Science Center
Rectangular box being lifted by a red pully system up the left side of the building
Researchers make ‘green’ floor to replace steel

Filter News

Area of Research

News Type

Date

News Topics

Media Contacts

Connect with ORNL

An electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, can be triggered by a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere or by an electromagnetic generator in a vehicle or aircraft. Here’s the chain of reactions it could cause to harm electrical equipment on the ground. Credit: Andy Sproles/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Study probes risks to power plants from electromagnetic pulse

Researchers at ORNL have been leading a project to understand how a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, could threaten power plants.

ORNL researchers have developed a way to manage car batteries of different types and sizes as energy storage for the power grid. Credit: Andy Sproles/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Reused car batteries rev up electric grid

When aging vehicle batteries lack the juice to power your car anymore, they may still hold energy. Yet it’s tough to find new uses for lithium-ion batteries with different makers, ages and sizes. A solution is urgently needed because battery recycling options are scarce.

A pure lipid membrane formed using lipid-coated water droplets exhibits long-term potentiation, or LTP, associated with learning and memory, emulating hippocampal LTP observed in the brains of mammals and birds. Credit: Jill Hemman/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Biomembrane research findings could advance understanding of computing and human memory

While studying how bio-inspired materials might inform the design of next-generation computers, scientists at ORNL achieved a first-of-its-kind result that could have big implications for both edge computing and human health.

ORNL’s RapidCure improves lithium-ion electrode production by producing electrodes faster, reducing the energy necessary for manufacturing and eliminating the need for a solvent recycling unit. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Seven ORNL technologies win R&D 100 research awards

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and their technologies have received seven 2022 R&D 100 Awards, plus special recognition for a battery-related green technology product.

A smart approach to microscopy and imaging developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory could drive discoveries in materials for future technologies. Credit: Adam Malin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Self-driving microscopes discover shortcuts to new materials

Researchers at ORNL are teaching microscopes to drive discoveries with an intuitive algorithm, developed at the lab’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, that could guide breakthroughs in new materials for energy technologies, sensing and computing.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers used an invertible neural network, a type of artificial intelligence that mimics the human brain, to select the most suitable materials for desired properties, such as flexibility or heat resistance, with high chemical accuracy. The study could lead to more customizable materials design for industry.

ORNL neural network study harnesses made-to-order design to pair properties to materials

A study led by researchers at ORNL could help make materials design as customizable as point-and-click.

Earth Day

ORNL brings big science to address the climate challenge

Tackling the climate crisis and achieving an equitable clean energy future are among the biggest challenges of our time. 

An artist's rendering of the Ultium Cells battery cell production facility to be built in Spring Hill, Tennessee, which will employ 1,300 people. Recognizing the unique expertise of their organizations, ORNL, TVA, and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development have been working together for several years to bring startups developing battery technologies for EVs and established automotive firms to Tennessee. Credit: Ultium Cells

Economic development honor among ORNL’s 5 federal laboratory awards

ORNL, TVA and TNECD were recognized by the Federal Laboratory Consortium for their impactful partnership that resulted in a record $2.3 billion investment by Ultium Cells, a General Motors and LG Energy Solution joint venture, to build a battery cell manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

A new tool that simulates the energy profile of every building in America will give homeowners, utilities and companies a quick way to determine energy use and cost-effective retrofits that can reduce energy and carbon emissions.

ORNL’s simulation tool creates digital twin of buildings from coast to coast

A new tool that simulates the energy profile of every building in America will give homeowners, utilities and companies a quick way to determine energy use and cost-effective retrofits that can reduce energy and carbon emissions.

Gina Accawi, ORNL’s group leader for digital manufacturing and analyses framework, is making sure advanced manufacturing software and systems keep pace in a secure cyberspace and 5G world. Credit: ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy

Gina Accawi: Designing software architecture for advanced manufacturing cybersecurity

As a computer engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Gina Accawi has long been the quiet and steady force behind some of the Department of Energy’s most widely used online tools and applications.