Robert Wagner, associate laboratory director for ORNL's Energy Science and Technology Directorate, has been selected to receive the George Westinghouse Gold Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, or ASME. The award recognizes his work to advance state-of-the-art clean power generation systems through research on combustion, fuel technologies and controls.
Scientists have uncovered the properties of a rare earth element that was first discovered 80 years ago at the very same laboratory, opening a new pathway for the exploration of elements critical in modern technology, from medicine to space travel.
Researchers at ORNL are developing battery technologies to fight climate change in two ways, by expanding the use of renewable energy and capturing airborne carbon dioxide.
ORNL researchers have produced the most comprehensive power outage dataset ever compiled for the United States. This dataset, showing electricity outages from 2014-22 in the 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, details outages at 15-minute intervals for up to 92% of customers for the eight-year period.
Scientists at ORNL completed a study of how well vegetation survived extreme heat events in both urban and rural communities across the country in recent years. The analysis informs pathways for climate mitigation, including ways to reduce the effect of urban heat islands.
Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed lubricant additives that protect both water turbine equipment and the surrounding environment.
ORNL has named W. David Pointer, director of the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division in ORNL’s Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate. As director, Pointer will lead a world-class team of ORNL research professionals focused on addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by current and future nuclear energy systems.
ORNL's Scott Curran, group leader for Fuel Science and Engine Technologies Research, has been named a fellow of SAE International and ASME.
Rigoberto “Gobet” Advincula, a scientist with joint appointments at ORNL and the University of Tennessee, has been named a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Forrest Hoffman, a distinguished scientist at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been named a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the world’s largest organization for technical professionals.