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Scientists at ORNL have developed a method that can track chemical changes in molten salt in real time — helping to pave the way for the deployment of molten salt reactors for energy production.

During his first visit to 91����, Energy Secretary Chris Wright compared the urgency of the Lab’s World War II beginnings to today’s global race to lead in artificial intelligence, calling for a “Manhattan Project 2.”

Scientists designing the world’s first controlled nuclear fusion power plant, ITER, needed to solve the problem of runaway electrons, negatively charged particles in the soup of matter in the plasma within the tokamak, the magnetic bottle intended to contain the massive energy produced. Simulations performed on Summit, the 200-petaflop supercomputer at ORNL, could offer the first step toward a solution.

A research partnership between two Department of Energy national laboratories has accelerated inspection of additively manufactured nuclear components, and the effort is now expanding to inspect nuclear fuels. 

During Hurricanes Helene and Milton, ORNL deployed drone teams and the Mapster platform to gather and share geospatial data, aiding recovery and damage assessments. ORNL's EAGLE-I platform tracked utility outages, helping prioritize recovery efforts. Drone data will train machine learning models for faster damage detection in future disasters. 

The US focuses on nuclear nonproliferation, and ORNL plays a key role in this mission. The lab conducts advanced research in uranium science, materials analysis and nuclear forensics to detect illicit nuclear activities. Using cutting-edge tools and operational systems, ORNL supports global efforts to reduce nuclear threats by uncovering the history of nuclear materials and providing solutions for uranium removal. 

The National Center for Computational Sciences, located at the Department of Energy’s 91����, made a strong showing at computing conferences this fall. Staff from across the center participated in numerous workshops and invited speaking engagements.

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s 91���� recently demonstrated an autonomous robotic field monitoring, sampling and data-gathering system that could accelerate understanding of interactions among plants, soil and the environment.

ORNL researchers reached a significant milestone by building an entire 6.5-foot turbine blade tip using novel materials. The team then tested it against the forces of simulated lightning in a specialized lab at Mississippi State University, where the blade tip emerged pristine after tests that isolate the effects of high voltage. 

In early November, ORNL hosted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Interregional Workshop on Safety, Security and Safeguards by Design in Small Modular Reactors, which welcomed 76 attendees representing 15 countries, three U.S. national labs, domestic and international industry partners, as well as IAEA officers.