About LANL
About Our Capabilities, Facilities, and Staff
"Los Alamos National Laboratory plays an indispensable role in building America as a science and technology powerhouse, and our staff are an incredible resource to the nation and the world." Michael Anastasio, Dir.
Solving Complex R&D Problems with Special Blend of Staff, Capabilities and Facilities
Now in its seventh decade, LANL remains among a very few laboratories that can bring great breadth of fundamental and discovery science, technology, and engineering rapidly together to create tangible solutions for national security needs.
Our staff, working with partners throughout science and industry, must be able to deliver today's solutions while maintaining the depth of capabilities to deliver the next generation of discoveries.
Los Alamos has demonstrated a cycle of innovation where we have developed world-leading capabilities and facilities in response to urgent, unique missions. We also spin out new discoveries that lead to emerging missions.
Being able to integrate and apply our capabilities rapidly to new challenges will be a key advantage in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Our Science, Technology and Engineering Priorities
Science that Matters
- Information science and technology enabling integrative and predictive science
- Experimental science focused on materials for the future
- Fundamental forensic science for nuclear, biological, and chemical threats
How We Work
- Collaborate, partner and team to make decisive contributions to our sponsors
- Outstanding operational excellence for safety, security, and efficient pursuit of ST&E for our missions
Transform Our Scientific Campus
- Campus for 2020 (consistent with complex transformation)
- Modern science facilities: LANSCE refurbishment, CMR replacement, Science Complex
- Signature facilities for experimental science (MaRIE) and computational science (Roadrunner)
More About This Science
Integrating an Electrochemical Process with Existing Technology
Green Freedom: Out of Thin Air
New technology converts pollution into renewable fuel
Quick read
Green Freedom uses carbon-neutral electrochemical separation to remove carbon dioxide from air or water and convert it into a synthetic fuel.
Does the concept of removing pollution from air or water and turning it into a clean fuel for cars and planes, thereby reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, sound like science fiction? Not anymore.
Green Freedom, developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, is a new synthetic fuel concept using electrochemical separation to remove CO2 from the air and convert it into sulfur-free liquid fuels and useful organic chemicals.
By integrating an electrochemical process with existing technology, researchers have developed a new, practical approach to producing fuels and organic chemicals that permits continued use of existing industrial and transportation infrastructure. Fuel production is driven by carbon-neutral power.
"Our concept enhances U.S. energy and material security by reducing dependence on imported oil. Initial system and economic analyses indicate that the prices of Green Freedom commodities would be either comparable to the current market or competitive with those of other carbon-neutral, alternative technologies currently being considered," said F. Jeffrey Martin of the Laboratory's Decision Applications Division, principal investigator on the project. Martin collaborated on the project with William L. Kubic, Jr., of Process Modeling and Analysis at LANL.
In addition to the new electrochemical separation process, the Green Freedom system can use existing cooling towers, such as those of nuclear power plants, with carbon-capture equipment that eliminates the need for additional structures to process large volumes of air. The primary environmental impact of the production facility is limited to the footprint of the plant. It uses nonhazardous materials for its feed and operation and has a small waste stream volume. In addition, unlike large-scale biofuel concepts, the Green Freedom system does not add pressure to agricultural capacity or use large tracts of land or farming resources for production.
Read more in this white paper: Green Freedom, A Concept for Producing Carbon-Neutral Synthetic Fuels and Chemicals.
Robinson and Fresquez monitor air, soil, animals, plants
Data looks very favorable as the Lab continues working to mitigate its impact on the environment
Fresquez and his team are sampling lakes and rivers to determine the source and migration of potential contaminants.
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