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Technical illustration of an EV battery collector with vehicle placement shown in background.

Strengthening the competitiveness of the U.S. transportation industry depends on developing domestic EV batteries that combine rapid charging with long-range performance — two goals that often conflict. Researchers at ORNL have addressed this challenge by redesigning a key battery component, enabling fast, 10-minute charging while improving energy density and reducing reliance on copper.

Two cylinders on each side of the photo are pointing to bright glowing orb in the center.

Scientists at ORNL have developed a method that can track chemical changes in molten salt in real time — helping to pave the way for the deployment of molten salt reactors for energy production.

Autonomous Configurable Component Evaluation Power Test platform, called ACCEPT, enabling automated characterization of semiconductor devices.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new automated testing capability for semiconductor devices, which is newly available to researchers and industry partners in the Grid Research Integration and Deployment Center.

Photo is a high aerial view of lake superior through the clouds

Researchers at Stanford University, the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, or ECMWF, and ORNL used the lab’s Summit supercomputer to better understand atmospheric gravity waves, which influence significant weather patterns that are difficult to forecast. 

Pictured is the process of converting greenhouse gases to syngas, shown with a city scape with CO2 and CH4 turning to a mountain landscape with CO and H2

A chemical reaction can convert two polluting greenhouse gases into valuable building blocks for cleaner fuels and feedstocks, but the high temperature required for the reaction also deactivates the catalyst. A team led by ORNL has found a way to thwart deactivation. The strategy may apply broadly to other catalysts.

An observation tower overlooks a Panama rainforest

Plants the world over are absorbing about 31% more carbon dioxide than previously thought. The research, detailed in the journal Nature, is expected to improve Earth system simulations that scientists use to predict the future climate, and spotlights the importance of natural carbon sequestration for greenhouse gas mitigation. 

This illustration demonstrates how atomic configurations with an equiatomic concentration of niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta) and vanadium (V) can become disordered. The AI model helps researchers identify potential atomic configurations that can be used as shielding for housing fusion applications in a nuclear reactor. Credit: Massimiliano Lupo Pasini/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

A study led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory details how artificial intelligence researchers created an AI model to help identify new alloys used as shielding for housing fusion applications components in a nuclear reactor. The findings mark a major step towards improving nuclear fusion facilities.

Through a new technical collaboration program, companies will be able to propose research projects that utilize the labs and expertise in ORNL’s Grid Research Integration and Deployment Center. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

A new technical collaboration program at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory will help businesses develop and launch electric grid innovations. Sponsored by the Transformer Resilience and Advanced Components program in DOE’s Office of Electricity, the initiative will provide companies with access to national laboratory resources, enabling them to capture market opportunities. 

forest under study in Panama

Scientists using high-resolution aerial scans and computational modeling concluded that wildfires, storms and selective logging have become key drivers behind rainforest carbon emissions, outpacing clear-cutting practices.

Researchers from ORNL and Western Michigan University prepare for a Chattanooga-based demonstration of a self-driving car using chip-enabled raised pavement markers for navigation.

ORNL has partnered with Western Michigan University to advance intelligent road infrastructure through the development of new chip-enabled raised pavement markers. These innovative markers transmit lane-keeping information to passing vehicles, enhancing safety and enabling smarter driving in all weather conditions.