Features

Phong Le is a computational hydrologist at ORNL who is putting his skills in hydrology, numerical modeling, machine learning and high-performance computing to work quantifying water-related risks for humans and the environment. 

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using non-weather data from the nationwide weather radar network to understand how to track non-meteorological events moving through the air for better emergency response. 

ORNL’s annual workshop has become the premier forum for molten salt reactor, or MSR, collaboration and innovation, convening industry, academia and government experts to further advance MSR research and development. This year’s event attracted a record-breaking 365 participants from across the country, highlighting the momentum to bring MSRs online.

A research partnership between two Department of Energy national laboratories has accelerated inspection of additively manufactured nuclear components, and the effort is now expanding to inspect nuclear fuels. 

ORNL marked another year of groundbreaking research and innovation in 2024, as detailed in the year’s top stories. These diverse accomplishments underscore ORNL’s approach of translating fundamental discoveries into scientific solutions that address the world’s most pressing challenges. 

During Hurricanes Helene and Milton, ORNL deployed drone teams and the Mapster platform to gather and share geospatial data, aiding recovery and damage assessments. ORNL's EAGLE-I platform tracked utility outages, helping prioritize recovery efforts. Drone data will train machine learning models for faster damage detection in future disasters. 

Researchers at ORNL are using microwave radar reflection to nondestructively detect and measure the moisture content of materials within walls without removing drywall or cladding. This also expedites the moisture identification process and enables mold growth to be treated in the early stages.

Scientists conducted a groundbreaking study on the genetic data of over half a million U.S. veterans, using tools from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to analyze 2,068 traits from the Million Veteran Program.

ORNL, as a partner in the DOE’s Stor4Build Consortium, is co-leading research with several national laboratories to develop thermal energy storage to complement electrical battery storage and recently hosted a two-day workshop focused on advancing these technologies.