Oak Ridge National Laboratory

From developing advanced materials to enhancing simulation tools that assess risk, reliability and resilience, ORNL researchers are transforming the way #NuclearReactors are designed, manufactured, and maintained — making them safer, stronger, more secure and more affordable for the future of American #energy.

A powerful new collaboration will focus on areas vital to national defense ⤵️ ORNL and Purdue University have signed an MOU to expand joint research in #NationalSecurity technologies. The partnership will focus on areas vital to national defense, including cyber-physical security of critical infrastructure, advanced #AI, and #quantum computing while also exploring secure domestic manufacturing for defense equipment and components. Full story in the comments.

ORNL researchers have developed the first practical underwater X-ray imaging system. The new imaging platform, which has been field tested in ocean environments, could eventually be enhanced for inspecting ships and weld joints on bridge supports, pipelines and oil rigs.

Veterans of the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Program are bringing their expertise to the Department of Energy’s High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, applying the same precision and discipline that powers the Navy’s fleets to America’s science, energy and security missions. These operators, trained in the Navy’s rigorous technical pipeline, find a natural next step at HFIR, a premier DOE Office of Science user facility. Read the full story in the comments 👇

Reliable power is essential to national security, economic strength, and quality of life. A grid modeling tool developed at ORNL enhances the ability to forecast and prevent grid failures — ensuring a resilient, adaptive, and efficient U.S. energy infrastructure that supports modern demands and evolving technologies. Read more: https://bit.ly/429JeV9 #GridReliability #EnergyResearch #BigScience

A study led by ORNL answers a decades-old question in nuclear science: Do tiny pores in graphite affect nuclear reactor performance? Graphite’s ability to withstand high temperatures makes it an ideal material for sustaining nuclear reactions in nuclear reactors. Understanding its composition is essential for simulating how reactors maintain steady, controlled nuclear reactions. ORNL’s research confirms that the tiny cracks and voids in graphite do not disturb the atomic vibrations that determine its interactions with neutrons, offering reactor developers greater confidence that graphite will perform its moderation duties as expected: https://bit.ly/4hwlmRQ

🌟 Three outstanding researchers have been named ORNL Corporate Fellows — the highest honor bestowed on our research staff — in recognition of their exceptional scientific achievements, leadership, and mentorship. Congratulations to Michael McGuire, Forrest Hoffman, and Vlastimil Kunc for this well-deserved recognition. Their expertise spans materials and quantum science, earth system modeling, and advanced manufacturing: areas that are essential to understanding our world, strengthening U.S. innovation, and advancing scientific discovery. #ResearchExcellence #BigScience

Aerospace researchers used the Frontier exascale supercomputer to simulate fluid flow in extraordinary detail, revealing the physics of turbulence in ways that advance both science and engineering. The achievement — the largest-ever computational fluid dynamics simulation — demonstrates how #exascale computing can accelerate innovation across fields such as #aerospace design, where improved modeling helps predict how new aircraft will perform under real-world conditions. Read more: https://bit.ly/43LIExt

Dentists often use X-rays in their work, but dentist Fernando Luis Esteban Florez needed more powerful equipment to develop his idea for an antibacterial dental adhesive that could save patients $5 billion a year. Tools at Oak Ridge National Laboratory helped him create his resin: https://lnkd.in/eCYYkYF3

🚀 Breaking barriers in #ParticlePhysics! An ORNL-developed software tool unleashes GPU-power on particle simulations, accelerating answers about nature and the universe by harnessing the fastest #supercomputers.