Archived News Releases for 2006

For more information on ORNL and its research and development activities, please refer to the resources listed below or to one of our Media Contacts. If you have a general media-related question or comment, you can send it to news@ornl.gov.

 
SNS completion highlights year of ORNL achievements
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 28, 2006 — Creation of the first neutrons at the Spallation Neutron Source was one of many high points in a year filled with milestone achievements at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ORNL project aims to lessen impact of natural disasters
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 28, 2006 — Determining with some precision when and where disasters are likely to strike is the focus of an Oak Ridge National Laboratory effort that ultimately could save lives.

Audio Spot: Polymer material may ease hydrogen flow for future service stations
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 27, 2006 — Fiber-reinforced polymer material to construct pipelines that will transport hydrogen to service stations of the future is being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Audio Spot: SeizAlert warns of epileptic seizures
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 22, 2006 — A prototype device to forewarn epileptic seizures is being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

New cleanup project builds upon success gained in field
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 14, 2006 — A new five-year project headed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory is expected to lead to a more in-depth understanding of natural and other approaches to clean up contaminated sites around the nation.

Audio Spot: Small organisms help create stronger magnets
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 14, 2006 — Small organisms collected 10,000 feet below the Earth's surface can produce magnets up to 50 percent more powerful than normal.

ORNL aids diesel parts manufacturers
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 7, 2006 — Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Temperature Materials Laboratory are helping diesel engine and parts manufacturers develop technologies to meet tough new emissions regulations that go into effect in 2007.

ORNL-Mentored Oak Ridge High School team wins Siemens Competition
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 6, 2006 — A team of Oak Ridge High School students has won first place and $100,000 in the national Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology for their research thesis titled "Linking Supercomputing and Systems Biology for Efficient Bioethanol Production."

ORNL's Thundat elected fellow of AAAS
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 6, 2006 — Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher Thomas Thundat has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Audio Spot: Stronger steel alloys developed at ORNL
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 4, 2006 — Development of stronger stainless steel alloys that can be used in equipment for high temperature materials processing has been an ongoing effort at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ORHS students' research in national science contest
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 20, 2006 — A team of Three Oak Ridge High School students entered as finalists in a national science competition are explain their work at a seminar Monday night at Oak Ridge's Pollard Auditorium.

ORNL supercomputer ranked world's 10th fastest
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 15, 2006 — The upgraded Cray XT3 system at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory ranks No. 10 in the world with on the 28th edition of the TOP500 Supercomputers list (http://www.top500.org/lists/2006/11) released Nov. 14.

Audio Spot: First Oak Ridge deer hunt of '06 occurs this weekend
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 8, 2006 — Deer hunters converge on the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation this weekend for the first of three deer hunts between now and the end of the year.

Anderson garners ORNL top honor at annual awards night
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 6, 2006 — Ian Anderson's key role in helping Oak Ridge National Laboratory deliver one of the world's largest science projects on time and on budget has earned him the UT-Battelle Director's Award for Outstanding Individual Accomplishment in Science and Technology.

Three ORNL technologies honored by Southeast tech transfer group
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 26, 2006 — Three technologies developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have earned Excellence in Technology Awards from the Southeast Region of the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer during its annual meeting in Nashville.

UT-Battelle donates $30,000 to Knoxville College
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 26, 2006 — UT-Battelle has presented a $30,000 gift to Knoxville College for the renovation of the math and science building at the historically black educational institution.

Twenty-two projects keep supercomputer super busy
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 25, 2006 — With 54 teraflops of computing power, Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Cray XT3 is helping solve scientific grand challenges, but scheduling the many research projects and keeping the massive machine operating at peak capacity are challenges of their own.

ORNL launches trucks for nationwide DOE field operational test
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 23, 2006 — A nationwide truck test that will include special monitoring equipment on six instrumented tractors and nine instrumented trailers was launched today from the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC) - a joint transportation research facility involving the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee.

Neutrons for Mona Lisa: Louvre researcher speaks at ORNL
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 17, 2006 — OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 12, 2006 -- A researcher from one of the world's most famous museums will speak at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on how the latest advances in science are telling us more about masterpiece works of art.

ORNL United Way campaign sets lab record with $845,000
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 12, 2006 — This year's United Way campaign at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has raised $845,000 for East Tennessee agencies, exceeding the $800,000 goal and once again setting a record for ORNL.

Nano competition debuts at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 11, 2006 — A nanotechnology-oriented forum bringing together academia, industry and budding entrepreneurs, will be held April 2-4, 2007, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ORNL's High Flux Isotope Reactor prepares to make "cold" neutrons
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 5, 2006 — The High Flux Isotope Reactor at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has passed a major milestone in its quest to become one of the world's leading sources of "cold" neutrons for advanced scientific research.

UT-Battelle donates $60,000 to Oak Ridge rowing center
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 28, 2006 — UT-Battelle has donated $60,000 to the Oak Ridge Rowing Association to build new regatta launch docks at the Melton Hill Lake rowing site and help make Oak Ridge the nation's premier location for competitive rowing.

ORNL nanoscience center officially complete
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 25, 2006 — Oak Ridge National Laboratory's new centerpiece for nanoscience research, the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, is now complete—on scope, under budget and a month ahead of schedule.

ORNL helps introduce new superconducting cable
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 19, 2006 — Twenty thousand households in suburban Columbus, Ohio, are about to receive electricity through a high temperature superconducting cable developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Science paper features work of ORNL's Tuskan, DOE-JGI
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 15, 2006 — A Science paper published today highlighting the

Audio Spot: Over 300 college students serve summer internships at ORNL
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 13, 2006 — More than 300 college students from across the nation have participated in science internships during the summer at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ORNL researchers winners of five DOE SciDAC awards
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 7, 2006 — Oak Ridge National Laboratory has the lead on five projects funded through the Department of Energy's Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing program and has supporting roles in seven other projects.

Precision climate modeling forecast by ORNL researchers
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 7, 2006 — Climate modeling of tomorrow will feature precision and scale only imagined just a few years ago, say researchers David Erickson and John Drake of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Computer Science and Mathematics Division.

Innovative projects help ORNL win 3rd straight DOE Pollution Prevention award
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 1, 2006 — Donating an old particle accelerator and converting scrap wallboard into fertilizer has helped Oak Ridge National Laboratory save $5 million and earn a Department of Energy "Best In Class" Pollution Prevention Award for a third consecutive year.

ORNL Jaguar supercomputer surpasses 50 teraflops
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 25, 2006 — An upgrade to the Cray XT3 supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has increased the system's computing power to 54 teraflops, or 54 trillion mathematical calculations per second, making the Cray among the most powerful open scientific systems in the world.

U.S. ITER Project Completes Management Team
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 17, 2006 — A team of scientists and engineers has been chosen to manage the United States' role in a multinational project to harness the power of fusion, the project manager announced Monday.

UT-Battelle uses signing bonus to recruit math and science teachers
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 11, 2006 — UT-Battelle, which manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has launched an innovative new plan to strengthen math and science education in East Tennessee.

ORNL hybrid lighting technology gaining momentum around nation
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 7, 2006 — With five hybrid solar lighting systems already in place and another 20 scheduled to be installed in the next couple of months, the forecast is looking sunny for a technology developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Forsberg, Rao named UT-Battelle corporate fellows
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 2, 2006 — Charles Forsberg and Nageswara Rao are Oak Ridge National Laboratory's newest UT-Battelle corporate fellows, a designation reserved for the highest level of recognition for career achievements in science and technology, performance and leadership.

Small businesses benefit from ORNL mentor/protégé program
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 28, 2006 — A mentor-protégé program at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is providing counseling and training to five minority-owned and women-owned small technical businesses in the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area.

Audio Spot: UT Coach Fulmer praises United Way efforts during ORNL presentation
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 27, 2006 — University of Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer Wednesday helped launch Oak Ridge National Laboratory's annual United Way campaign, praising efforts by the lab and the agency for their many efforts, including aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Audio Spot: Small businesses benefit from ORNL mentor/protégé program
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 27, 2006 — A mentor-protégé program at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is providing counseling and training to five minority-owned and women-owned small technical businesses in the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area.

ORNL's Bardayan among nation's top young scientists
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 26, 2006 — Daniel Bardayan of Oak Ridge National Laboratory has received a Department of Energy Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), presented today in a White House ceremony.

Bone Clone Story Tip Audio
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 21, 2006 — Life for the 2.2 million people worldwide needing bone grafts could get a lot better if a new hybrid material developed by researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee lives up to expectations.

ORNL scientists noted for nanotech
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 19, 2006 — Two Oak Ridge National Laboratory inventions, NanoFermenation and a high-temperature superconducting wire technology, have won their first nanotechnology awards in separate contests.

ORNL wins six R&D 100 Awards, pushing total to lab-leading 128
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 5, 2006 — Researchers and engineers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have won six R&D 100 Awards, presented each year by R&D Magazine in recognition of the year's most significant technological innovations.

Audio Spot: Wider truck tire improves fuel economy
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 30, 2006 — A wider tire for tractor-trailers may someday help control the rising costs of shipping goods across the country by truck, according to tests conducted by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Three ORNL scientists recognized for patent milestone
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 23, 2006 — Three Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have been honored as Battelle Distinguished Inventors for obtaining 14 or more patents during their careers at the laboratory.

ORNL conference touts cleaner coal-burning technology
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 14, 2006 — A clean-coal researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory says technology exists to burn coal in power plants as clean and energy efficient as natural gas.

Construction, energy costs may decrease through new Insul-Stud
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 12, 2006 — A new improved energy efficient steel stud for commercial and residential building construction has been tested at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and soon may be introduced into the market place.

Christensen to lead ORNL's Energy and Engineering Sciences Directorate
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 8, 2006 — Dana C. Christensen has been named Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Engineering Sciences (EES) at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

UT-Battelle supports Civil Rights memorial in Clinton
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 5, 2006 — UT-Battelle is helping a Clinton group establish a museum to memorialize a time when the small East Tennessee town was in the forefront of efforts to end racial segregation in America's schools.

First-of-its-kind technology park created in Oak Ridge
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 30, 2006 — Federal, state and local officials today dedicated a new technology park at Oak Ridge National Laboratory that proponents predict will bring new companies and jobs to East Tennessee.

Audio Spot: UT-Battelle contributes gifts to upgrade schools' science facilities
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 26, 2006 — A recent $10,000 gift to Farragut High School is one of 30 gifts to East Tennessee schools science programs that UT-Battelle has presented during the past several years.

Four ORNL minority scientists receive Science Spectrum honors
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 25, 2006 — Four Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have earned honors from Science Spectrum magazine for being top minorities in their respective fields.

Team UT-Battelle to assist in constructing Habitat home
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 19, 2006 — Members of Team UT-Battelle -- a volunteer organization composed of employees of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory participating in community service projects -- will be helping to build a new Habitat for Humanity home in Oak Ridge this spring and summer.

Audio Spot: ORNL oversees industrial sites' energy assessment program
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 12, 2006 — The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is overseeing a program to assess 200 industrial sites in 39 states with the goal of helping these factories attain greater energy efficiency.

ORNL engineers take page out of nature's playbook
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 10, 2006 — Designing complex systems such as nuclear reactors for space applications is a daunting task, but Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have made it less so by borrowing from nature.

Oak Ridge student receives 2006 UT-Battelle Scholarship
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 10, 2006 — Oak Ridge High School student Jana Elisabeth Black has received the 2006 UT-Battelle Scholarship worth up to $20,000.

Wadsworth to deliver State of the Lab Address at AMSE
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 4, 2006 — Jeff Wadsworth, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will deliver the annual State of the Laboratory talk at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 9, at the American Museum of Science and Energy.

ORNL poised to help nation reach goals outlined in study
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 3, 2006 — Creative thinking and the unique capabilities of Oak Ridge National Laboratory could play a role in realizing some of the goals outlined in the comprehensive "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" report commissioned by The National Academies.

First neutrons produced by DOE's Spallation Neutron Source
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 1, 2006 — One of the largest and most anticipated U.S. science construction projects of the past several decades has passed its most significant performance test. The Department of Energy's Spallation Neutron Source, located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has generated its first neutrons.

Plants' role in global warming re-examined in ORNL Science paper
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 1, 2006 — Estimates of increased plant respiration in response to higher global temperatures may be somewhat overstated as they have not taken into account plants' ability to adjust to changing conditions, according to researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Audio Spot: Floating loop will cool future vehicle engine systems
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 28, 2006 — An under-the-hood internal systems network to keep vehicles of the future running cooler and more energy efficient is being developed by the National Transportation Research Center, which is part of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Audio Spot: Women in Science event planned Monday at ORNL
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 28, 2006 — Celebrating the accomplishments of women in science will be the theme of a program Monday afternoon at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Audio Spot: Positron Emission Tomography center established at ORNL
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 17, 2006 — A center to prepare and measure radioactivity standards used for a new nuclear medicine technology has been dedicated at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ORNL, Protein Discovery researchers collaborate on high-profile paper
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 12, 2006 — A paper that outlines a new method to use a beam of light to trap protein molecules and make them dance in space has earned a place in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

Four nature walks planned this spring
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 4, 2006 — Four public nature walks are planned this spring in four different areas of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park.

ORNL uses nanodots to boost superconductivity
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 3, 2006 — Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have demonstrated a way to sustain high supercurrents in wires in the presence of a large applied magnetic field -- a step which could greatly expand practical applications of superconductors.

Veterans related firms honored at Small Business luncheon
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., March 17, 2006 — Two small businesses owned by U.S. military veterans were recognized for their accomplishments today at the Seventh Annual Small Business Subcontractor Awards program, sponsored by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Carbon fiber cars could put U.S. on highway to efficiency
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., March 6, 2006 — Highways of tomorrow might be filled with lighter, cleaner and more fuel-efficient automobiles made in part from recycled plastics, lignin from wood pulp and cellulose.

ORNL researchers, supercomputer earn big roles in new DOE projects
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., March 3, 2006 — More than 2 million hours of processing time on some of the world's most powerful computers could help Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers make significant strides in astrophysics, fusion and materials science.

Audio Spot: ORNL contributes to developing fuel cell technology
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 27, 2006 — Advancing hydrogen fuel cell technology as an alternative energy source to power automobiles is the goal of researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Audio Spot: Infrared technology finds hidden art work
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 20, 2006 — An infrared imaging technology used to study the composition of materials has been used by a researcher at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory to find a hidden sketch covered over by an 1880s painting of a Civil War general.

Audio Spot: Melanoma detection instrument developed
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 17, 2006 — Preliminary results of an optical sensing technique for early detection of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, are encouraging, according to developer Justin Baba of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

SensorNet prototype system in boot camp at Fort Bragg
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 15, 2006 — Fort Bragg could be the model for the nation when it comes to protecting the public through a network that integrates a 911 dispatch system with sensors, alarms and video surveillance.

ORNL sees bright future for new manufacturing technique
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 14, 2006 — By controlling materials at the nanoscale, Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers believe they can greatly improve manufacturing processes of products ranging from solar cells to computers to flat-panel displays.

Accumulator Ring Commissioning Latest Step for Spallation Neutron Source
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 9, 2006 — The Department of Energy's Spallation Neutron Source, located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has passed another milestone on the way to completion this year--the commissioning of the proton accumulator ring. The accumulator ring is the final step in a proton's journey through the accelerator before it strikes the SNS's mercury target, "spalling" away neutrons to be used for research.

U.S. ITER Project Office, a partnership of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, relocating to ORNL
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 1, 2006 — The U.S. project office for ITER, a major international

Two new division directors named at ORNL
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 30, 2006 — Two new division directors have been named at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Cummings elected American Physical Society fellow
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 30, 2006 — Peter T. Cummings, director of the Nanomaterials Theory Institute of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elected a fellow of the American Physical Society.

Melnichenko elected American Physical Society fellow
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 30, 2006 — Yuri Melnichenko, senior research staff member in the Center for Neutron Scattering at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elected a fellow of the American Physical Society.

Audio Spot: Electrical imaging process may aid study of nanotechnology
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 19, 2006 — Studying very small biological nanomaterials and their properties may become easier as the result of development of an electrically charged imaging technique at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Audio Spot: Wireless technology in extreme conditions
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 19, 2006 — Advancing wireless technology operating under extreme conditions typical of industrial settings is the goal of work taking place at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Researcher Wayne Manges says different industries encounter communications challenges as a result of harsh environments.

Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area turkey hunts set in April
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 14, 2006 — The first two weekends in April will mark the 10th year of wild turkey hunts in selected areas of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park.

ORNL launches new Center for Radiation Detection Materials and Systems
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 9, 2006 — A new Oak Ridge National Laboratory initiative will consolidate and expand the lab's research and development efforts in radiation detection technologies.

Audio Spot: Tennessee Science Bowl for high school-aged students Feb. 25
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 5, 2006 — Registration has opened for high school-aged teams to enter the 2006 Tennessee Science Bowl scheduled Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Blount County Pellissippi State campus.

ORNL physicist Hix cited as top young investigator
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 5, 2006 — William Raphael Hix of the Physics Division of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has won the 2006 Young Investigator Award from Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.