Oak Ridge National Laboratory Archives

Hearne joins ORNL as director of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences

Posted at 2:51 pm February 15, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Sean Hearne (Photo by Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has named Sean Hearne director of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences.

The center is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility that brings world-leading resources and capabilities to the nanoscience research community, a press release said. National and international researchers benefit from CNMS expertise in nanomaterials synthesis and nanofabrication to develop new materials, as well as from state-of-the-art imaging, characterization, and microscopy equipment used to explore material properties at the nanoscale, the press release said.

“I am very pleased and excited to add Sean to our team and look forward to continuing excellence in nanomaterial research and development under his leadership at CNMS,” said David Dean, associate laboratory director for Physical Sciences.

Hearne comes to Oak Ridge from Sandia National Laboratories, where he served as senior manager of the Ion Beam Facility and co-director of the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a DOE Office of Science User Facility jointly operated by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratory. [Read more…]

Virtual career fair for ORNL on Feb. 20

Posted at 2:34 pm February 15, 2019
By Amy Schwinge Leave a Comment

Submitted

Discover the variety of internships and research participation programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory by participating in the Laboratory Internship Virtual Event, or LIVE, career fair on Wednesday, February 20, from noon to 3 p.m.

During the LIVE virtual career fair, participants will connect with ORNL recruiters and staff, talk to ORNL’s staff scientists about their research and how they are solving some of the world’s most compelling challenges, and learn more about the different directorates that make up ORNL, the largest U.S. Department of Energy open science laboratory, a press release said.

Register now or learn more about this LIVE virtual career fair: https://orau.6connex.com/event/LIVE/ORNL19Q1/login. [Read more…]

(For members) Three national labs building exascale computers

Posted at 6:39 pm February 4, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Three national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, are building new computer systems that could be many times more powerful than today’s top supercomputers.

The new machines are exascale systems. None have been delivered yet, but the planning for them started more than a year ago and the new high-performance systems could be delivered to the three laboratories in the next several years. Planning for the exascale computers was under way even before the world’s most powerful supercomputer, a petaflop system called Summit at ORNL, was unveiled in June 2018.

Exascale computers could be 50 to 100 more powerful than today’s petaflop computers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Besides ORNL, they could be located at Argonne National Laboratory southwest of Chicago and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory east of San Francisco. The first system is expected at Argonne, followed by a second system at ORNL.

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UCOR closed Tuesday due to weather

Posted at 4:01 pm January 28, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

UCOR, the federal government’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, will be closed Tuesday because of the weather.

“Only essential personnel should report,” UCOR said in a post published on Twitter.

The closure applies to UCOR employees at the East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex, and “offsite locations,” UCOR said. [Read more…]

Crews start project to reduce maintenance, operations costs at Molten Salt Reactor

Posted at 8:38 pm January 22, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Molten Salt Reactor Experiment building at Oak Ridge National Laboratory housed the reactor and offices for operating personnel. The facility was constructed in the 1950s for a nuclear aircraft project and was later expanded significantly and retrofitted to accommodate the MSRE. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy/Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Cleanup crews started a $4.7 million project this month to reduce maintenance and operations costs at the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment, which was shut down 50 years ago at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The project is expected to save nearly $25 million in costs, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management said in an “EM Update” published Tuesday.

The cost-reduction project will relocate employees stationed at the decades-old facility. Personnel currently housed in the building will move to other site locations to help with other projects, the “EM Update” said.

The project is expected to enhance the facility’s electrical distribution, sump pump, fire suppression, and monitoring systems.

“Although it was shut down 50 years ago, certain systems within the reactor building have continued to operate to keep the facility safe and stable until it can be demolished,” said the “EM Update,” with the Oak Ridge story contributed by Mike Butler. [Read more…]

Monday: AC Operations Committee to discuss proposed DOE landfill

Posted at 12:55 pm January 14, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Operations Committee will discuss the proposed U.S. Department of Energy landfill in a meeting this evening (Monday, January 14).

The meeting will start at 6 p.m. at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

The proposed landfill is known as the Environmental Management Disposal Facility, or EMDF. It would be in Bear Creek Valley west of the Y-12 National Security Complex. [Read more…]

ORNL adding three-story office, laboratory building

Posted at 4:23 pm January 10, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is adding a three-story office and laboratory building on its central campus.

It would be the first time a building of this size has been added at ORNL since the Chemical and Materials Science building (Building 4100) was completed in 2011, spokesperson Morgan McCorkle said in a response to questions Thursday.

She said the new building will be located in the central part of the main ORNL campus between buildings 3500 and 3525.

“The facility will offer state-of-the-art laboratory space and offices to support a range of research activities, including growing missions in computing and materials science and development,” McCorkle said. “The space can be adapted to serve the needs of changing scientific programs and priorities.” [Read more…]

Suresh Babu to lead UT-ORNL Bredesen Center

Posted at 4:49 pm December 30, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Suresh Babu

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville have selected Suresh Babu as the next director of their jointly operated Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education.

Babu will retain his position as UT-ORNL governor’s chair for advanced manufacturing when he assumes his new role on January 3, a press release said. He will be replacing Lee Riedinger, who is retiring at the end of January.

“Dr. Babu has worked extensively with both UT and ORNL through his governor’s chair position, and we’re excited about him taking on this new role,” UT Knoxville Interim Chancellor Wayne T. Davis said in the press release. “He is a nationally recognized expert in the development of advanced materials and advanced manufacturing and has helped us emerge as a leader in those critical research areas.” [Read more…]

DOE not affected by shutdown

Posted at 12:10 pm December 22, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Joe L. Evins Federal Building is pictured above in Oak Ridge on Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Federal Building is pictured above in Oak Ridge on Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The U.S. Department of Energy is not affected by the partial government shutdown that started at midnight, and DOE employees and contractors, including in Oak Ridge, are expected to continue their normal work schedules.

”The partial government shutdown does not impact Department of Energy facilities,” federal officials said in a statement. “DOE’s fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill was approved by Congress and signed by the president in September. DOE employees and contractors are expected to continue to report to work according to their usual work schedule.”

Among the DOE sites and operations in Oak Ridge are East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Office, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Office of Scientific and Technical Information, and Y-12 National Security Complex. Y-12 is overseen by the National Nuclear Security Administration, a DOE agency. [Read more…]

Neutron production at ORNL’s SNS reaches design power level

Posted at 2:05 pm December 3, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has reached its operational power design level by running a neutron production cycle at 1.4 megawatts, the lab said Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

The Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has broken a new record by ending its first neutron production cycle in fiscal year 2019 at its design power level of 1.4 megawatts.

Higher power provides more neutrons for researchers who use the facility to study a wide range of materials, an ORNL press release said. The achievement marks a new operational milestone for neutron scattering in the United States and opens the door to studying significantly smaller materials with greater complexity, the press release said.

“The operation of SNS at 1.4 megawatts this cycle has been an outstanding achievement,” said Paul Langan, associate laboratory director for neutron sciences. “It reflects on the maturity of our facility and the high level of technical excellence of our engineering, operational, and scientific staff.”

The power increase was enabled by the combination of extensive improvements to the linear accelerator, including the recent replacement of the radio frequency quadrupole—the first accelerating structure of the accelerator’s frontend assembly, as well as improvements to the liquid mercury target. [Read more…]

UT-Battelle will provide ORNL security starting in December

Posted at 10:49 am November 30, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Photo by ORNL

Starting in December, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex will both manage their own security forces to protect their sites.

Y-12 has been managing its own protective force for about six years, ever since a former contractor, B&W Y-12, terminated a contract with WSI Oak Ridge after a security breach at the 811-acre plant. The current Y-12 contractor, Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, confirmed this month that it has been responsible for security and security police officers since it began managing and operating the plant in July 2014.

On Friday, UT-Battelle, which manages and operates ORNL for the U.S. Department of Energy, said it is assuming responsibility for providing protective force services at the laboratory starting December 30. That’s when a new security contractor will take over at some federal sites in Oak Ridge.

ORNL Media Relations Manager Morgan McCorkle said about 90 employees who have been providing security services at ORNL under a contract with National Strategic Protective Services LLC will transition from NSPS to UT-Battelle. [Read more…]

Reactor shutdown affects experiments, isotope production at HFIR

Posted at 9:34 am November 29, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The High Flux Isotope Reactor vessel at Oak Ridge National Laboratory resides in a pool of water illuminated by the blue glow of the Cherenkov radiation effect. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

Experiments and isotope production have been affected, but employees are still able to carry out their normal duties at the High Flux Isotope Reactor as the U.S. Department of Energy investigates a slightly elevated radiation level in HFIR’s primary cooling system.

The High Flux Isotope Reactor, which is used for research and isotope production, is at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In a response to questions on Wednesday, ORNL Communications Director David Keim said the slightly elevated reading in the primary cooling system was well below alarm levels.

“The HFIR operators promptly responded to the reading and placed the reactor in a safe condition,” Keim said. [Read more…]