Filter News
Area of Research
News Topics
- (-) Advanced Reactors (13)
- (-) National Security (3)
- 3-D Printing/Advanced Manufacturing (31)
- Artificial Intelligence (13)
- Big Data (16)
- Bioenergy (15)
- Biology (17)
- Biomedical (11)
- Biotechnology (3)
- Buildings (19)
- Chemical Sciences (9)
- Clean Water (13)
- Climate Change (22)
- Composites (9)
- Computer Science (39)
- Coronavirus (11)
- Critical Materials (12)
- Cybersecurity (3)
- Decarbonization (8)
- Energy Storage (31)
- Environment (43)
- Exascale Computing (1)
- Frontier (1)
- Fusion (9)
- Grid (20)
- High-Performance Computing (11)
- Hydropower (6)
- Irradiation (2)
- Isotopes (5)
- ITER (3)
- Machine Learning (10)
- Materials (35)
- Materials Science (33)
- Mathematics (1)
- Mercury (3)
- Microscopy (11)
- Molten Salt (5)
- Nanotechnology (12)
- Net Zero (1)
- Neutron Science (27)
- Nuclear Energy (19)
- Partnerships (1)
- Physics (4)
- Polymers (9)
- Quantum Computing (4)
- Quantum Science (10)
- Security (1)
- Simulation (7)
- Space Exploration (10)
- Statistics (1)
- Summit (6)
- Sustainable Energy (44)
- Transportation (35)
Media Contacts
![Argon pellet injection text](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-11/13966_Ar_20degree_enhanced_0.jpg?h=8450e950&itok=tmff0GX_)
As scientists study approaches to best sustain a fusion reactor, a team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory investigated injecting shattered argon pellets into a super-hot plasma, when needed, to protect the reactor’s interior wall from high-energy runaway electrons.
![Fusion—Heating the core](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-10/Laser_alignment_inside_Proto-MPEX_ORNL.jpg?h=bc1495f5&itok=9Pf5qxXy)
In a recent study, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory performed experiments in a prototype fusion reactor materials testing facility to develop a method that uses microwaves to raise the plasma’s temperature closer to the extreme values
![Tungsten tiles for fusion](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-07/EBM-tungsten_tiles_ORNL.png?h=0c890573&itok=XgIsl0tA)
Using additive manufacturing, scientists experimenting with tungsten at Oak Ridge National Laboratory hope to unlock new potential of the high-performance heat-transferring material used to protect components from the plasma inside a fusion reactor. Fusion requires hydrogen isotopes to reach millions of degrees.
![Nuclear—Tiny testing fuels](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-05/MiniFuel_2019-P03618_0.jpg?h=49ab6177&itok=VVYMAZ3E)
For the first time, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has completed testing of nuclear fuels using MiniFuel, an irradiation vehicle that allows for rapid experimentation.
![Small modular reactor computer simulation](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-04/Nuclear_simulation_scale-up.jpg?h=5992a83f&itok=A0oscIPL)
In a step toward advancing small modular nuclear reactor designs, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have run reactor simulations on ORNL supercomputer Summit with greater-than-expected computational efficiency.