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DOE still has top two supercomputers, including Summit at ORNL

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The Summit supercomputer, a 200-petaflop IBM system that is the world’s most powerful, is pictured above at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (Photo courtesy Katie Bethea/ORNL)

The U.S. Department of Energy still has the two most powerful supercomputers in the world, including Summit at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, according to a semiannual list released Monday.

It’s the fourth time in the past two years that Summit, an IBM-built supercomputer, has been number one on the TOP500 list of of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.

The United States displaced China at the top of the list last year, in June. Two years ago, in November 2017, China had the top two systems in the world.

Summit debuted at number one in June 2018. That was the first time since 2012 that the United States had the most powerful supercomputer in the world. Summit retained the top spot in November 2018 and again in June 2019.

The Sierra supercomputer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, climbed to number two from number three in November 2018. It remained at number two on the June list and again on the list released Monday, meaning it’s been number two on three versions of the list in the past two years.

Summit and Sierra are both IBM-built supercomputers that use Power9 central processing units (CPUs) and NVIDIA Tesla V100 graphics processing units (GPUs).

[Read more…]

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For members: Companies have agreement to make nuclear fuel

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The carbonization and heat treatment furnace used to produce TRISO fuel, a high-assay, low-enriched uranium fuel, at a pilot production facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (Photo courtesy X-energy)

 

A company that has a trial fuel fabrication facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is collaborating with a joint venture led by GE with Hitachi to produce nuclear fuel for the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA.

The company, X-energy of Rockville, Maryland, announced the collaboration with Global Nuclear Fuel on November 6.

The two companies have an agreement to develop high-assay, low-enriched uranium TRISO fuel. The fuel could be used in defense micro-reactors and by NASA for nuclear thermal propulsion, a press release said.

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Oak Ridge receives award for partnership that led to AMSE opening in new space

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The City of Oak Ridge was formally honored with a Community Partnership Award during a Celebration of Service to the Profession as part of ICMA’s Annual Conference on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019. Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, center; Government Affairs and Information Services Director Amy Fitzgerald, second from left; and Administrative Services Director Bruce Applegate, left, accepted the award in Nashville. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The City of Oak Ridge has received an award for the intergovernmental partnership that led to the American Museum of Science and Energy opening in a new centrally located space in Main Street Oak Ridge.

The 2019 Community Partnership Award was presented to the city by the International City/County Management Association, or ICMA.

“The award recognizes innovative programs or processes between and/or among a local government and other governmental entities, private sector businesses, individuals, or nonprofit agencies to improve the quality of life for residents or provide more efficient and effective services,” a press release said.

The City of Oak Ridge was formally honored during a Celebration of Service to the Profession as part of ICMA’s Annual Conference on Wednesday, October 23. Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, Government Affairs and Information Services Director Amy Fitzgerald, and Administrative Services Director Bruce Applegate accepted the award in Nashville.

[Read more…]
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Trump nominates Brouillette to be energy secretary

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Dan Brouillette East Tennessee Aug 2019
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, who has been nominated to serve as energy secretary, traveled to Tennessee in August to tour the BWXT—Nuclear Fuel Services Inc. Facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and meet with University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd. (File photo by U.S. Department of Energy)

President Donald J. Trump formally nominated Dan Brouillette to serve as the next energy secretary on Thursday.

Brouillette, a former Ford executive, is currently deputy secretary in the U.S. Department of Energy. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he would replace Rick Perry, who is resigning as energy secretary.

“I am honored to be nominated by President Trump to serve as the U.S. secretary of energy, and grateful to Secretary Perry for asking me to join him at the Department of Energy over two years ago,” Brouillette said in a DOE press release on Thursday. “If confirmed, I will further Secretary Perry’s legacy of promoting energy independence, innovation, and security for the American people.”

Brouillette has visited DOE sites in Oak Ridge as deputy secretary, while Perry has visited as energy secretary, including to announce Frontier, a new supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in May.

[Read more…]

Preparing for demolition, workers removing asbestos, hazardous waste from Biology Complex

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Workers are preparing the six-story 9207 Facility for demolition at the Biology Complex at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. The building has more than 256,600 square feet. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management)

Workers are making significant progress removing asbestos and other hazardous waste from the Biology Complex at the Y-12 National Security Complex in a deactivation project that’s more than 60 percent complete, the U.S. Department of Energy said this week.

The work prepares the Biology Complex for demolition, possibly next year. The Biology Complex was originally built to recover uranium from process streams. It was later used for DOE’s research on the genetic effects of radiation from the late 1940s. When they operated, the facilities once had more people with doctorates than anywhere in the world, according to DOE.

Asbestos abatement teams from UCOR are working inside the six-story 9207 Facility and the three-story 9210 Facility. The first building is 256,600 square feet, and the second is 64,700 square feet.

“This project paves the way for EM (Environmental Management) to begin demolishing remaining buildings that comprise the Biology Complex next year,” the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management said in an “EM Update” newsletter on Tuesday.

[Read more…]

Crews start demolishing ETTP Centrifuge Complex

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ETTP Centrifuge Complex Aerial View
Demolition work has started on the Centrifuge Complex at the front side of the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge. The work is part of the project to finish cleanup at ETTP by the end of 2020. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management)

The largest and most visible buildings remaining at the East Tennessee Technology Park are being removed.

Demolition is under way on the Centrifuge Complex, according to the “EM Update” newsletter published last week by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management.

The demolition work is part of the project to finish cleanup at ETTP, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge, by the end of 2020. One of the three main sites in Oak Ridge, K-25 was built as part of the Manhattan Project, the top-secret federal program to build atomic weapons during World War II. The site continued to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons and commercial nuclear power plants through the Cold War. Its operations ended in the mid-1980s, and the site is now being converted into a private industrial park.

The Centrifuge Complex has more than 235,000 square feet, and sections of it reach heights of 180 feet. It was built in stages to develop and test centrifuge uranium enrichment technology, the “EM Update” said. The last of these facilities ceased operation in the mid-1980s.

[Read more…]

ORISE to host virtual career fair for STEM internships, fellowships, research opportunities

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The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education will host a virtual career fair on Wednesday, November 13, from noon to 3 p.m. Eastern time.

During this time, college students and recent graduates seeking STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) research, internship, and fellowship opportunities can interact with U.S. Department of Energy scientists, researchers, recruiters, and staff. They can explore virtual booths representing more than 25 programs in energy-related research, policy, and technology from national laboratories, field offices, and research facilities across the nation, a press release said.

“The ORISE Virtual Career Fair experience is a great opportunity for university-level students and post graduates to investigate research opportunities available at facilities across the DOE complex,” said ORISE Workforce Development Associate Director Craig Layman. “There will be representatives from many DOE program offices, including fusion energy, nuclear security, fossil energy, intelligence and counterintelligence, environmental management, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and more.” [Read more…]

Environmental advisory board seeks new members

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Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board members recently toured Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Aquatics Lab, where researchers explained how their sampling and study efforts are helping understand and track biodiversity in the East Fork Poplar Creek. (Photo courtesy SSAB)

Members are being sought for an advisory board that learns about U.S. Department of Energy cleanup projects in Oak Ridge and, when appropriate, provides recommendations.

The citizens advisory board is the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board. It provides recommendations to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM. No technical expertise is required to serve on the board. Terms are for two years, and members may serve up to three terms, for a total of six years on the board.

The board and its Environmental Management and Stewardship Committee meet monthly to hear directly from OREM personnel on cleanup projects and related decisions. Topics include, but are not limited to, the removal of excess facilities, annual budget requests to Congress, groundwater remediation, hazardous waste management, and long-term stewardship.

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ORAU has Veterans Appreciation Day on Nov. 7

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ORAU will have its annual Veterans Appreciation Day on Thursday, November 7.

The guest speaker will be Christopher J. Coyne, chief master sergeant, U.S. Air Force, retired, and founder and president of Modeof8, a press release said.

Veterans Appreciation Day honors all who have served, the press release said.

“Coyne has been a leadership educator, coach, and practitioner for nearly two decades,” the press release said. “His experience crosses organizational cultures, from corporate and military training environments to the university classroom.”

[Read more…]

DOE presents ORISE its 14th Star of Excellence Award

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U.S. Department of Energy Director of Office of Worker Safety and Health Assistance and DOE Office of Health and Safety Bradley Davy (right) presents the 14th Star of Excellence Award to ORISE Environment, Safety, and Health representative Mark Berkheimer. (Submitted photo)

 

For the 14th year in a row, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education has met the exceptional health and safety standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy, which recently presented ORISE with the Star of Excellence Award during DOE’s annual Voluntary Protection Program Participants’ Association national conference.

The Star of Excellence award represents the highest achievement level held by DOE sites nationwide, a press release said. It is presented to contractors who meet exceptional safety and health standards, such as an injury and illness rate of 75 percent better than the national average of comparable U.S. businesses. The award also recognizes ORISE’s role in actively mentoring other companies to help improve their safety performance. [Read more…]

ORAU’s Cindy Snow promoted to director of procurement

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Cindy Snow

 

Cindy Snow has been promoted to director of procurement for Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

As a long-time employee of ORAU, Snow has experience in both contracts administration and the management of purchasing company equipment, materials, supplies, and professional services, a press release said. In her new role, she will direct all ORAU procurement and small business activities and staff, including internal purchases, acquisitions and sub-contracting, and ensure excellent customer service to internal and external clients, the press release said.

“We are proud to see an employee as dedicated to ORAU as Cindy take this next step in the company,” said Andy Page, ORAU president and chief executive officer. “She has held numerous leadership roles, and we know she will only continue to prosper as our director of procurement. We all offer her sincere congratulations and look forward to what she accomplishes in this new role.” [Read more…]

Sen. Alexander calls Perry a ‘very effective’ energy secretary

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, on Friday called Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who is resigning later this year, a “very effective” energy secretary.

“Rick Perry has used his considerable executive and political skills to become a very effective energy secretary, solving some tough problems that saved taxpayers money and created more dollars that allowed record funding for national laboratories and supercomputing,” Alexander said in a brief statement. “He has served the country well.”

[Read more…]

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