Oak Ridge Today

UT, ORNL part of breakthrough that reduces LED sizes

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2-D LED Light Image

This graphical representation shows the layers of the 2-D LED and how it emits light. (Image courtesy University of Washington)

SEATTLE—University of Washington scientists have built the thinnest-known LED that can be used as a source of light energy in electronics, thanks in part to a breakthrough by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

The LED is based off of two-dimensional, flexible semiconductors, making it possible to stack or use in much smaller and more diverse applications than current technology allows.

“We are able to make the thinnest-possible LEDs, only three atoms thick yet mechanically strong,” said Xiaodong Xu, a UW assistant professor in materials science and engineering and in physics. “Such thin and foldable LEDs are critical for future portable and integrated electronic devices.”

Most consumer electronics use three-dimensional LEDs, but they are up to 20 times thicker than the LEDs being developed. [Read more…]

ORISE report shows nuclear engineering graduation rates on the rise in 2013

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Number of graduate degrees expected to remain consistent but undergraduate degrees could see decrease starting in 2015; UT among Top 3 degree-granting programs

The number of college students graduating with majors in nuclear engineering continues to increase, according to a report by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, which surveyed 32 U.S. universities with nuclear engineering programs. The report, titled “Nuclear Engineering Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2013 Data,” includes degrees granted between Sept. 1, 2012, and Aug. 31, 2013.

Graduate, undergraduate nuclear engineering degrees increased from last year [Read more…]

UT part of $140 million White House advanced manufacturing initiative

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Suresh Babu

Suresh Babu

KNOXVILLE—The University of Tennessee in Knoxville will be part of a national effort, announced Tuesday by President Barack Obama, that could lead to more fuel-efficient cars and decreased costs for ships and aircraft.

Suresh Babu, UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Governor’s Chair for Advanced Manufacturing, and a team of faculty will help lead UT’s research effort in the $140 million Detroit-based institute, called the Lightweight and Modern Metals Manufacturing Innovation, or LM3I—one of two institutes announced Tuesday.

The U.S. Department of Defense-funded facility pairs together aluminum, titanium, and high-strength steel manufacturers with universities and laboratories pioneering new technology development and research for consumer products and defense capabilities. [Read more…]

UT hosts top nuclear engineering students, who meet Oak Ridge reps

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KNOXVILLE—Some of the best and brightest undergraduate students from around the United States gathered at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville recently for the chance to meet top experts in the field of nuclear engineering, including representatives from federal sites in Oak Ridge.

“This area really is the birthplace of a lot of activities related to nuclear engineering,” said Wesley Hines, head of UT’s Department of Nuclear Engineering, which sponsors the annual event. “Some of these kids don’t realize all of the nuclear-related opportunities that exist here until they do this program. What we hope to achieve is to let people see all that is possible, all that is already in place when they come here.”

The sessions gave prospective graduate students a chance to mingle with some of the biggest names in nuclear research and energy, including from the Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the UCOR facilities at the East Tennessee Technology Park, and Tennessee Valley Authority, as well as with UT faculty and students.  [Read more…]

Thompson-Boling lights brighter, more efficient; use ORNL foam

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Thompson-Boling LED Lighting

The SuperSport installation at the University of Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena. (Photo credit: LED North America)

KNOXVILLE—With the installation of LED fixtures, the Thompson-Boling Arena at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville is one of the first in the world to feature lights that are smaller, brighter, and up to 85 percent more efficient than conventional arena metal halide lights.

The technology—developed and manufactured by Oak Ridge-based LED North America at the Tech 20/20 incubator facility in Oak Ridge, incorporating an Oak Ridge National Laboratory technology, and installed by Knoxville-based Bandit Lites—is being “premiered” at the state’s research university inside the largest on-campus single-sport arena in the country.

The light-emitting diode fixtures use an ORNL-developed lightweight graphite foam that cools the LED, making them more efficient and reliable. This enables 90 400-watt LED fixtures to bathe the arena’s floor with 200 foot-candles per square foot, compared to the 130 foot-candles produced by the arena’s existing 110 1,100-watt fixtures.

LED North America’s SuperSport luminaires have the potential to revolutionize sports and entertainment venues worldwide. UT officials are looking forward to participating in this effort and to seeing the results—and the savings. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society presents stormwater management lecture Tuesday

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The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will present “The SMART Approach to Stormwater Management” on Tuesday at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge. The lecture starts at 7 p.m.

Daniel Yoder, professor of biosystems engineering and soil science at the University of Tennessee, will present the program. A specialist in soil and water engineering, Yoder earned his undergraduate and doctorate degrees at Purdue University. His responsibilities and expertise include surface hydrology, erosion control, water quality, and hydrologic monitoring. [Read more…]

UT names bioenergy expert as 14th UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair

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Art Ragauskas

Arthur Ragauskas

KNOXVILLE—Arthur Ragauskas, an authority in bioenergy, has been named the 14th University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Governor’s Chair.

He will serve as Governor’s Chair for Biorefining, based in UT’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a complementary appointment in the UT Institute of Agriculture’s Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries.

He will also serve in the Energy and Environmental Sciences Directorate, Biosciences Division, at ORNL and as a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Science Center, or BESC.

Ragauskas begins at UT on June 1. [Read more…]

UT Center for Industrial Services holding nuclear industry supplier courses

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Submitted

The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services will hold information courses for companies interested in evaluating potential business opportunities in the nuclear field and with the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

These classes are specifically developed to address the most critical issues faced by suppliers interested in doing business with the UPF project as well as other regional nuclear energy developments, estimated to generate more than $50 billion in supplier opportunities. The sessions are ideal for chief executive officers and presidents, general managers, business development managers, quality managers, material and equipment companies, and metal fabricators.

An Advanced Business Decision Seminar will kick off the week of classes on Tuesday, Feb. 25 from 9 a.m. to noon at the New Hope Center in Oak Ridge. The remaining courses are: [Read more…]

Roane State’s ‘Death by Chocolate’ with Bill Bass postponed due to weather

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Bill Bass

Bill Bass

Roane State Community College’s Death by Chocolate fundraiser featuring Body Farm founder Bill Bass has been postponed to Feb. 20 due to weather.

The event, which had been scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13, will now be held from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, in the O’Brien Theatre at the Roane County campus in Harriman. The chocolate tasting, featuring dozens of samples from area businesses, begins at 6 p.m. The lecture by Dr. Bass will start at 7 p.m. Proceeds from ticket sales will be used for student scholarships.

Bass founded the University of Tennessee’s Anthropological Research Facility, an outdoor laboratory dedicated to the study of human decomposition. The facility, often referred to as the “Body Farm,” was featured prominently in the novel “The Body Farm” by best-selling author Patricia Cornwell. [Read more…]

Spotlight: Oak Ridge student, UT grad forms game company that hits million downloads

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Aron Beierschmitt

Aron Beierschmitt

A company that develops games for smartphones and was formed by an Oak Ridge student who graduated from the University of Tennessee has released two titles that have hit the million-download mark.

Foundation Mobile was created by Aron Beierschmitt of Oak Ridge, who graduated from UT with a political science degree in 2013.

Beierschmitt created Foundation Mobile in February 2009. He won second place in a business plan competition for undergraduates and $3,000 to boost his company.

The company’s watershed moment came when Beierschmitt created Lumi, which was named the Apple Game of the Week and Editor’s Choice in January 2012. [Read more…]

UT report to governor: Economy to see stronger growth in 2014 and 2015

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Matt Murray

Matt Murray

KNOXVILLE—After five years of sluggish recovery, the U.S. and Tennessee economies are poised for strong growth in 2014 and 2015.

Despite the slow pace of the recovery, many indicators—including an increase in consumer confidence, rallying stock market prices, and rising home prices—point to brighter growth prospects in the quarters ahead, according to the forecast in the 2014 Economic Report to the Governor of the State of Tennessee, released Friday.

The study, prepared by the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, predicts the course of the state and national economies by examining many fiscal factors and trends.

Household net worth grew by almost 10 percent in 2013, surpassing its pre-recession level for the first time. [Read more…]

UT research finds link between alcohol use, not pot, and domestic violence

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KNOXVILLE—Alcohol use is more likely than marijuana use to lead to violence between partners, according to studies done at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Research among college students found that men under the influence of alcohol are more likely to perpetrate physical, psychological, or sexual aggression against their partners than men under the influence of marijuana. Women, on the other hand, were more likely to be physically and psychologically aggressive under the influence of alcohol, but, unlike men, they were also more likely to be psychologically aggressive under the influence of marijuana.

The research has implications for domestic violence intervention and prevention programs. [Read more…]