Oak Ridge Today

ORNL: ‘Black Hawk Down’ commander still honors fallen soldiers

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Danny McKnight

Danny McKnight

Danny McKnight’s U.S Army Rangers’ unit was the focus of the movie “Black Hawk Down”—the story of a battle that occurred in Somalia 20 years ago.

McKnight told an audience at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Monday, Veterans Day, that he visits the six graves of men who lost their lives in that battle every five years as he did this past October.

“It reminds me of how special they were and still are to me,” said McKnight, a 28.5-year veteran of the Rangers and author of the book “Streets of Mogidishu—Leadership at Its Best” that recounts the battle of Oct. 3-4, 1993. “I want people to know about it because I want people to understand that’s what we need to do. I never want to forget them. I don’t care if they’ve been gone 50 years. As long as I can walk, talk and breathe every five years, they’ll see me. I know they see me.”

Three hundred people recently attended the unit’s first reunion in 20 years in October when they met in Dallas. [Read more…]

ORNL uses neutron scattering, supercomputing to study biofuel production

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Lignocellulosic Biomass

This graphical representation of lignocellulosic biomass based on supercomputer models illustrates a new Oak Ridge National Laboratory study about the inner workings of plant cell walls during bioenergy production. (Image credit: Thomas Splettstoesser; http://www.scistyle.com)

Researchers studying more effective ways to convert woody plant matter into biofuels at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have identified fundamental forces that change plant structures during pretreatment processes used in the production of bioenergy.

The research team, which published its results in Green Chemistry, set out to decipher the inner workings of plant cell walls during pretreatment, the most expensive stage of biofuel production. Pretreatment subjects plant material to extremely high temperature and pressure to break apart the protective gel of lignin and hemicellulose that surrounds sugary cellulose fibers. [Read more…]

Knoxville Regional LEGO tournament Saturday at Hardin Valley

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Knoxville Regional LEGO Tournament

About 100 students representing 18 Knoxville area teams will compete in a regional LEGO tournament Saturday at Hardin Valley Academy, working with miniature robots that perform required tasks on a table.

Robertsville Middle School is the defending state champion. Under the new format this year, the team needs to qualify in this regional tournament before advancing to the state tournament.

“This year’s theme in ‘Nature’s Fury,’” said John Tilson, a Hardin Valley science teacher and Saturday’s tournament director. “The students have a lot of problems they need to solve. They design and build a predominantly LEGO robot. They perform a certain number of challenges and they get points for each challenge. They have to do certain rescues, and they have to move certain items from place to place.” [Read more…]

ORNL retiree Claud Pugh inducted into NC State Hall of Fame

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Claud Pugh

Claud Pugh

Claud Pugh, a retired program manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was scheduled to be inducted into North Carolina State University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Hall of Fame on Nov. 1.

At ORNL, Pugh served as director of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission program office, was head of the Engineering Technology Division’s pressure vessel technology section, directed the NRC-sponsored heavy-section steel technology program, and held various research and project management positions in programs sponsored by the NRC and DOE. [Read more…]

ORNL wins 14 marketing, communications awards

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The Association of Marketing and Communication announced last week that Oak Ridge National Laboratory won eight platinum and six gold awards in its annual international competition.

The competition recognizes “outstanding creative achievement by marketing and communication professionals” and drew more than 6,500 entries, according to a MarCom release.

“Our designers, writers, and editors take great care in explaining and promoting ORNL’s contributions to scientific discovery, clean energy, and national security,” said David Keim, ORNL’s director of communications. “We hope this recognition draws more attention to the significant science our researchers and partners are conducting at ORNL.” [Read more…]

Neutrons, electrons, and theory reveal secrets of natural gas reserves

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Scanning Electronic Microscope Image of Unconventional Gas Reservoir

A scanning electron microscope image illustrating mineralogy and texture of an unconventional gas reservoir. Note that nanoporosity is not resolvable with this image. SANS and USANS analysis is required to quantify pore size distribution and interconnectivity. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Gas and oil deposits in shale have no place to hide from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory technique that provides an inside look at pores and reveals structural information potentially vital to the nation’s energy needs.

The research by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy laboratory could clear the path to the more efficient extraction of gas and oil from shale, environmentally benign and efficient energy production from coal, and perhaps viable carbon dioxide sequestration technologies, according to Yuri Melnichenko, an instrument scientist at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor. [Read more…]

Nobel Laureate launches Wigner Distinguished Lecture Series at ORNL

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Albert Fert

Albert Fert

Three more Nobel winners, former Intel chairman among nine confirmed speakers

Four Nobel Laureates are among nine lecturers who will be participating in the new Eugene P. Wigner Distinguished Lecture Series in Science, Technology, and Policy at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Albert Fert, recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics, opens the series on Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. in the Iran Thomas Auditorium at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source.

“The Wigner lectures aim to invigorate scientific discovery and technological innovation and to initiate productive scientific policy debate,” said Thom Mason, laboratory director. [Read more…]

ORNL’s Storey named fellow of Society of Automotive Engineers

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John Storey

John Storey

John Storey of Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been elected fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers.

He is recognized for pioneering new techniques in the characterization of exhaust emissions, his work for the diesel fuel sulfur rule, and for his multiple contributions to the development of lean exhaust emissions control.

Storey works in ORNL’s Energy and Transportation Science Division. He lives in Oak Ridge.

Powell leads ORNL’s Environment, Safety and Health Directorate

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John E. Powell

John E. Powell

John E. Powell has been named director of the Environment, Safety and Health Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The appointment is effective immediately.

Powell received his bachelor of science degree in environmental engineering from Purdue University. He has 29 years of experience with a variety of environment, safety, and health, or ES&H, disciplines including working with state and federal regulatory agencies, leading multi-disciplinary teams to develop solutions to complex ES&H challenges, and emergency response planning management. [Read more…]

New director named at Climate Change Science Institute at ORNL

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Jack Fellows

Jack Fellows

Jack D. Fellows, who oversaw a $110 billion federal science portfolio under two U.S. presidents and co-founded the U.S. Global Change Research Program integrating all federal Earth system science research programs, has been appointed director of the Climate Change Science Institute at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Martin Keller and Jeff Nichols, leaders of the Energy and Environmental Sciences Directorate and the Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate respectively, announced Fellows’ appointment.

“Jack Fellows is a welcome addition to our climate change science program,” said ORNL Director Thom Mason. “His extensive experience in directing research and education programs, most recently as vice-president for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, will be particularly valuable as CCSI moves forward in its work of advancing the understanding of the Earth system, describing the consequences of climate change, and evaluating and informing policy on the potential outcomes of responses to climate change.” [Read more…]

ORNL’s Jeskie active on chemical safety panels

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Kim Jeskie

Kim Jeskie

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Kim Jeskie led the 12-member committee that developed new chemical safety guidelines described in the report, “Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in Research Laboratories,” released by the American Chemical Society at its 246th National Meeting and Exposition held in September.

Jeskie was also appointed last spring to serve on the National Research Council Committee on Establishing and Promoting a Culture of Safety in Academic Laboratory Research. That panel is examining chemical research laboratory safety in nonindustrial settings.

She is the 2013 past chair of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety. At ORNL, Jeskie directs the Integrated Operations Support Division, where she is responsible for work planning and hazards analysis systems and tools. She lives in Harriman.

ORNL: Toxic methylmercury-producing microbes more widespread than realized

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Microbes that live in rice paddies, northern peat bogs, and other previously unexpected environments are among the bacteria that can generate highly toxic methylmercury, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center have learned.

This finding, published in Environmental Science and Technology, explains why deadly methylated mercury is produced in areas where the neurotoxin’s presence has puzzled researchers for decades. Methylmercury—the most dangerous form of mercury—damages the brain and immune system and is especially harmful to developing embryos. Certain bacteria transform inorganic mercury into toxic methylmercury. [Read more…]