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ORNL researcher Brian Williams prepares for a demonstration of a quantum key distribution system. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

An experiment by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory demonstrated advanced quantum-based cybersecurity can be realized in a deployed fiber link. 

The operating phases of an eVTOL need varying amounts of power; some require the battery to discharge high amounts of current rapidly, reducing the distance the vehicle can travel before its battery must be recharged. Credit: Andy Sproles/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Researchers at ORNL are taking cleaner transportation to the skies by creating and evaluating new batteries for airborne electric vehicles that take off and land vertically. 

ORNL researchers achieved the highest wireless power transfer level for a light-duty passenger vehicle when the team demonstrated a 100-kW wireless power transfer to an EV using ORNL’s patented polyphase electromagnetic coupling coil. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

A team of researchers at ORNL demonstrated that a light-duty passenger electric vehicle can be wirelessly charged at 100-kW with 96% efficiency using polyphase electromagnetic coupling coils with rotating magnetic fields.

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Two different teams that included Oak Ridge National Laboratory employees were honored Feb. 20 with Secretary’s Honor Achievement Awards from the Department of Energy. This is DOE's highest form of employee recognition. 

Prasad Kandula builds a medium-voltage solid state circuit breaker as part of ORNL’s project to develop medium-voltage power electronics in GRID-C. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Scientists at ORNL are looking for a happy medium to enable the grid of the future, filling a gap between high and low voltages for power electronics technology that underpins the modern U.S. electric grid.

ORNL’s Tomás Rush examines a culture as part of his research into the plant-fungus relationship that can help or hinder ecosystem health. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

New computational framework speeds discovery of fungal metabolites, key to plant health and used in drug therapies and for other uses. 
 

Researchers at Corning have found that understanding the stability of the rings of atoms in glass materials can help predict the performance of glass products.

Corning uses neutron scattering to study the stability of different types of glass. Recently, researchers for the company have found that understanding the stability of the rings of atoms in glass materials can help predict the performance of glass products.

Caption: Jaswinder Sharma makes battery coin cells with a lightweight current collector made of thin layers of aligned carbon fibers in a polymer with carbon nanotubes. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Electric vehicles can drive longer distances if their lithium-ion batteries deliver more energy in a lighter package. A prime weight-loss candidate is the current collector, a component that often adds 10% to the weight of a battery cell without contributing energy.

2023 Top Science Achievements at SNS & HFIR

The 2023 top science achievements from HFIR and SNS feature a broad range of materials research published in high impact journals such as Nature and Advanced Materials.

The Department of Energy’s latest Fuel Economy Guide includes 2024 model vehicle fuel efficiency data compiled by ORNL researchers, as well as a tool for mapping the most economical driving route. Credit: ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have identified the most energy-efficient 2024 model year vehicles available in the United States, including electric and hybrids, in the latest edition of the Department of Energy’s Fuel Economy Guide.