Filter News
Area of Research
- (-) Materials (11)
- (-) Neutron Science (4)
- Advanced Manufacturing (1)
- Biology and Environment (19)
- Clean Energy (54)
- Climate and Environmental Systems (3)
- Computational Engineering (2)
- Computer Science (7)
- Electricity and Smart Grid (1)
- Fusion and Fission (1)
- Fusion Energy (7)
- Materials for Computing (1)
- Mathematics (1)
- National Security (4)
- Nuclear Science and Technology (11)
- Nuclear Systems Modeling, Simulation and Validation (2)
- Quantum information Science (1)
- Sensors and Controls (1)
- Supercomputing (7)
- Transportation Systems (2)
News Topics
- (-) Advanced Reactors (1)
- (-) Artificial Intelligence (1)
- (-) Clean Water (1)
- (-) Environment (1)
- (-) Nuclear Energy (4)
- (-) Transportation (7)
- 3-D Printing/Advanced Manufacturing (6)
- Bioenergy (2)
- Biomedical (4)
- Buildings (1)
- Chemical Sciences (5)
- Composites (4)
- Computer Science (1)
- Coronavirus (1)
- Critical Materials (5)
- Decarbonization (1)
- Energy Storage (9)
- Fusion (2)
- Isotopes (2)
- Materials (14)
- Materials Science (20)
- Microscopy (6)
- Molten Salt (1)
- Nanotechnology (9)
- Neutron Science (23)
- Physics (2)
- Polymers (6)
- Quantum Computing (1)
- Quantum Science (2)
- Space Exploration (2)
- Sustainable Energy (3)
Media Contacts
![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](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2024-01/sharma1_1.jpg?h=f7dae89e&itok=JiSsMewF)
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.
![Researchers have shown how an all-solid lithium-based electrolyte material can be used to develop fast charging, long-range batteries for electric vehicles that are also safer than conventional designs. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2023-10/Lui_solid_state_0.png?h=27870e4a&itok=hd5IA-bH)
Currently, the biggest hurdle for electric vehicles, or EVs, is the development of advanced battery technology to extend driving range, safety and reliability.
![ORNL researchers have developed a new pressing method, shown as blue circle on right, that produces a more uniform solid electrolyte than the traditionally processed material with more voids, shown as gray circle on left. The material can be integrated into a battery system, center, for improved stability and rate performance. Credit: Andy Sproles/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2023-06/Electrolyte.StoryTip_0.png?h=b6717701&itok=PIYcf5iS)
ORNL scientists found that a small tweak created big performance improvements in a type of solid-state battery, a technology considered vital to broader electric vehicle adoption.
![The AI-driven HyperCT platform has three primary points of articulation that can rotate a sample in almost any direction, eliminating the need for human intervention and significantly reducing lengthy experiment times. Credit: Genevieve Martin, ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-07/acquisition_0.jpg?h=c6980913&itok=9M0eCGXt)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are developing a first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence device for neutron scattering called Hyperspectral Computed Tomography, or HyperCT.
![Batteries - The 3D connection](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2020-05/Batteries_3D%20story%20tip_2.jpg?h=aeb34e32&itok=puhZ_584)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed a thin film, highly conductive solid-state electrolyte made of a polymer and ceramic-based composite for lithium metal batteries.
![Nuclear — Seeing inside particles](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2020-04/Kernels-nuclear%20materials-2_0.jpg?h=ae51ec69&itok=_AWiopZz)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers working on neutron imaging capabilities for nuclear materials have developed a process for seeing the inside of uranium particles – without cutting them open.
![Salting the gears](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-09/Salting-the-gears_1_0.png?h=b00637a2&itok=gsk3DeGh)
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory proved that a certain class of ionic liquids, when mixed with commercially available oils, can make gears run more efficiently with less noise and better durability.
![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.
![Desalination process](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-07/hydrophopicDesal04_0.jpg?h=5473d993&itok=bUBkpGOa)
A new method developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory improves the energy efficiency of a desalination process known as solar-thermal evaporation.
![Batteries—Polymers that bind](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-06/Batteries-Polymers_that_bind_0.png?h=dec22bcf&itok=oJ7mroY1)
A team of researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated that designed synthetic polymers can serve as a high-performance binding material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.