Feature Articles

From the world of research papers and cubicles, Kevin Roccapriore has made a leap into the entrepreneurial arena with Innovation Crossroads, a Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program node at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory that provides support for startups like Roccapriore’s AtomQ. 

In a bold step toward transforming how nuclear infrastructure is built, the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, or MDF, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in partnership with Kairos Power and Barnard Construction, has successfully developed and validated large-scale, 3D-printed polymer composite forms for casting complex, high-precision concrete structures that would be technically challenging and costly to produce using conventional methods. 

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have successfully 3D printed steel capsules that withstood rigorous testing inside a nuclear reactor — a first-of-its-kind achievement. Using advanced manufacturing techniques and AI-driven design, the team produced capsules that maintained integrity under irradiation. This breakthrough shortens the timeline for developing and qualifying new materials for nuclear energy, accelerating innovation and strengthening energy security.

A team of researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has published a new study in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal Chemical Science that shows how using the “standard” 2 (or more) femtosecond time step — the time interval at which computer simulations are analyzed — can lead to errors in molecular dynamics simulations involving water.

Strengthening the competitiveness of the American transportation industry relies on developing domestically produced electric vehicle batteries that enable rapid charging and long-range performance. By integrating a new type of current collector, which is a key battery component, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated how to manufacture a battery with both superior energy density and a lasting ability to handle extreme fast charging. This enables restoring at least 80% of battery energy in 10 minutes.

Stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum, carbon fiber is a staple in aerospace and high-performance vehicles — and now, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have found a way to make it even stronger. Using the Frontier supercomputer, they simulated 5 million atoms to study a novel process for making carbon fiber composites stronger and more cost efficient by incorporating a reinforced layer of polyacrylonitrile nanofibers, or PAN fibers. The research could lead to new ultra-durable materials for airplanes, electric vehicles, and a wide range of manufacturing applications that require stronger, more lightweight materials.

As the focus on energy resiliency and competitiveness increases, the development of advanced materials for next-generation, commercial fusion reactors is gaining attention. A recent paper examines a promising candidate for these reactors: ultra-high-temperature ceramics, or UHTCs.

Recent advancements at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory show that 3D-printed metal molds offer a faster, more cost-effective and flexible approach to producing large composite components for mass-produced vehicles than traditional tooling methods.

 

The research, conducted at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, or MDF, at ORNL, confirms that large-scale additive manufacturing is well-suited for creating complex metal molds, with efficiencies that could accelerate the adoption of lightweight composite materials in the automotive sector.

 

Scientists at ORNL have developed a first-ever method of detecting ribonucleic acid, or RNA, inside plant cells using a technique that results in a visible fluorescent signal. The technology can help researchers detect and track changes in RNA and gene expression in real time, providing a powerful tool for the development of hardier bioenergy and food crops and for detection of unwanted plant modifications, pathogens and pests.  

A research team from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with North Carolina State University, has developed a simulation capable of predicting how tens of thousands of electrons move in materials in real time, or natural time rather than compute time.