Research Capabilities
Electricity Transmission & Distribution
ORNL's Electric Transmission and Distribution (ETD) Program directs the Lab's work for DOE's Office of Electric Transmission and Distribution (OETD). Following the Northeastern Power Outage of August 14, 2003, the issues addressed by this DOE office have received considerable attention, and their importance has been underscored. The OETD R&D portfolio includes:
- High-temperature superconductivity systems
- Transmission reliability
- Power electronics, sensors and controls for high-voltage applications
- Electricity storage
- Equipment integration into transmission and distribution grid.
ORNL has several research facilities, including national user facilities, that perform research related to electric transmission and distribution issues.
National Transmission Technology Research Center (NTTRC)
The NTTRC is a unique facility for testing and evaluating critical transmission systems and technologies. It is a collaborative effort among government and industry partners and includes the following features:
- Outdoor Powerline Conductor Accelerated Testing (PCAT)
- Indoor PCAT Facility
- Powerline Conductor Operational Testing (PCOT) Facility
Superconductivity Research Facilities
Research on high-temperature superconductivity for electric systems is a major programmatic thrust at ORNL. A number of facilities and various types of equipment enable this research.
Please Contact John Stovall for your questions or comments.
