News Releases About Science

Oak Ridge National Laboratory wins grants for solar power research
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 11, 2012 — In a push to lower the cost of solar power, the Department of Energy has funded two projects at Oak Ridge National Laboratory focused on improving concentrating solar power collector and receiver performance.

Binder leads ORNL's Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 2, 2012 — Jeffrey Binder has been appointed associate laboratory director for Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ORNL research uncovers path to defect-free thin films
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 20, 2012 — A team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Ho Nyung Lee has discovered a strain relaxation phenomenon in cobaltites that has eluded researchers for decades and may lead to advances in fuel cells, magnetic sensors and a host of energy-related materials.

Wireless car charging system researched at ORNL
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 12, 2012 — Power electronics engineers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working on a new electrical vehicles system that would enable charging to be done through a wireless technology.

ORNL roof and attic design proves efficient in summer and winter
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 10, 2012 — A new kind of roof-and-attic system field-tested at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory keeps homes cool in summer and prevents heat loss in winter, a multi-seasonal efficiency uncommon in roof and attic design.

ORNL's newly licensed neutron detector will advance human disease research
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 6, 2012 — A neutron detector developed for studies focused on life science, drug discovery and materials technology has been licensed by PartTec Ltd. The Indiana-based manufacturer of radiation detection technologies is moving the technology developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory toward the commercial marketplace.

ORNL provides tech support to Mars mission
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 28, 2012 — The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a key contributor to the nuclear generator aboard the Mars rover Curiosity.

ORNL participates in bioterrorism conference
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 28, 2012 — An Oak Ridge National Laboratory official will help moderate an upcoming conference in Washington to discuss strategies to deal with potential biological attacks.

Oak Ridge partnership merges strengths of lab, private sector
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 27, 2012 — An Oak Ridge engineering services firm with an international footprint has teamed with three Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists to form a subsidiary and market an award-winning text analysis system.

ORNL researchers probe invisible vacancies in fuel cell materials
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 22, 2012 — Knowing the position of missing oxygen atoms could be the key to cheaper solid oxide fuel cells with longer lifetimes. New microscopy research from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is enabling scientists to map these vacancies at an atomic scale.

ORNL technology moves scientists closer to extracting uranium from seawater
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 21, 2012 — Fueling nuclear reactors with uranium harvested from the ocean could become more feasible because of a material developed by a team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.