Quantum precision reached in modeling molten salt behavior
Scientists designing the world’s first controlled nuclear fusion power plant, ITER, needed to solve the problem of runaway electrons, negatively charged particles in the soup of matter in the plasma within the tokamak, the magnetic bottle intended to contain the massive energy produced. Simulations performed on Summit, the 200-petaflop supercomputer at ORNL, could offer the first step toward a solution.
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using non-weather data from the nationwide weather radar network to understand how to track non-meteorological events moving through the air for better emergency response.
ORNL’s annual workshop has become the premier forum for molten salt reactor, or MSR, collaboration and innovation, convening industry, academia and government experts to further advance MSR research and development. This year’s event attracted a record-breaking 365 participants from across the country, highlighting the momentum to bring MSRs online.
National lab collaboration enables faster, safer inspection of nuclear reactor components, materials
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.
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.
A team of researchers at ORNL are using virtual reality to understand normal and abnormal human behavior in a given location – specifically, a nuclear reactor. As people move around their lives, they tend to do similar activities in the same
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.
Researchers are using machine learning to provide a more complete picture of building geometries that include building height to within three meters of accuracy. This model not only provides building height for any building in the world, but it will also feed into LandScan and other large government datasets for planning and response.
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.
Joel Brogan, who leads the Multimodal Sensor Analytics group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elevated to senior membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.