Kathy McCarthy to join ORNL as US ITER Project Office Director
Kathy McCarthy has been named director of the US ITER Project Office at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, effective March 2020.
Fusion
Department of Energy announces private-public awards to advance fusion energy technology
The U.S. Department of Energy announced funding for 12 projects with private industry to enable collaboration with DOE national laboratories on overcoming challenges in fusion energy development.
Fusion—Heating the core
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
Fusion—Tungsten rising
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—Foaming at the heat
Scientists have tested a novel heat-shielding graphite foam, originally created at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, at Germany’s Wendelstein 7-X stellarator with promising results for use in plasma-facing components of fusion reactors.
Whistler waves appear to scatter runaway electrons in fusion plasmas
When whistler waves are present in a fusion plasma, runaway electrons pay attention. A research team led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the first to directly observe the elusive waves inside a highly energized magnetic field as electrons zoom ar...
Kurt Terrani selected for a Breakthrough Award
Popular Mechanics recently announced the 2017 Breakthrough Awards, naming NSED's Kurt Terrani as one of the winners. This year's nominations highlight early career scientists that have made dramatic impacts through science, technology, and engineering. For more information about
Automated measurement system enhances quality, reduces handling in Pu-238 production
Under a collaborative partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Energy, a new automated measurement system developed at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory will ensure quality production of plutonium-238 while reducing handling by workers.&...
Why Science?
"I chose a career in science for my innate curiosity for something much bigger than myself."
Materials research brings fusion power closer to reality
The search for materials that can withstand the extreme environment inside advanced fusion research facilities and fusion power reactors is becoming more intense. A focal point for this search is ORNL’s Material Plasma Exposure Experiment. At the heart of the experiment is a device that ena...
Controlling ITER with fuelers, ticklers, and terminators
When it’s up and running, the ITER fusion reactor will be very big and very hot, with more than 800 cubic meters of hydrogen plasma reaching 170 million degrees centigrade. The systems that fuel and control it, on the other hand, will be small and very cold. Pellets of frozen gas will be shot int...