Factsheets

Integrated Energy

As the United States moves steadily toward a carbon-free energy future, nuclear power will be an essential part of the journey. INL’s cutting-edge research is making nuclear energy more affordable, versatile and sustainable.

We’re working to give Americans effective tools to fight climate change while keeping our citizens safe.

Browse the fact sheets below to learn more about our research capabilities, collaborations and more.

Energy and Environment Science & Technology

INL’s Energy and Environment (EES&T) is responding with innovations in transportation systems, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and environmental sustainability.

General Information

Advanced Manufacturing

Advanced Catalysis Research

Catalysis research at INL focuses on top energy-consuming chemicals, next-generation catalysts and process technologies

Advanced Manufacturing

INL’s Advanced Manufacturing strategic drivers include lowering energy consumption, securing supplies of critical energy materials and reducing waste.

Aluminum Electroplating Using Bromide Salts

INL researchers have developed electroplating processes involving bromide salts that result in thick, uniform and smooth metallic aluminum coatings.

Chemical Sciences Research Capabilities

A diverse array of capabilities and expertise relevant to petroleum science.

Electric Field Assisted Sintering Techniques

EFAS supports the decarbonization of metals, ceramics and composite material manufacturing through process electrification.

Electrochemical Activation of Small Alkanes

Electrochemical processing of ethane, uses up to 65 percent less energy and captures hydrogen instead of burning it off.

E-RECOV

The Electrochemical Recycling Electronic Constituents of Value (E-RECOV) method uses an electrochemical cell to efficiently recover the bulk of metals from discarded electronics.

Temporal Analysis of Products

The Temporal Analysis of Products (TAP) reactor system designs advanced catalytic materials that use far less energy and minimize waste production.

Water Security Test Bed

The WSTB can be used for research related to detecting and decontaminating chemical, biological or radiological agents following a man-made or natural disaster.

Water Technology Innovation Program

The Water Technology Innovation Program establishes leadership in water technology innovation and demonstration. The program aims to reduce today’s water treatment energy costs.

Advanced Transportation

Active Measurement Cancellation

Active Measurement Cancellation (AMC) is a real-time method for directly measuring impedance without the use of an imbedded system shunt.

Advanced Transportation

INL’s Advanced Vehicle program provides unbiased, real-world testing for advanced vehicles such as plug-in electric cars.

Battery Health Sentry

The Battery Health Sentry offers a new metric that prevents catastrophic failure by detecting internal shorts and assessing battery safety.

Caldera: Electric Vehicle Charging Simulation Platform

Caldera is an ideal platform for developing and testing smart charging strategies, which can lessen grid stress from widespread and high-power EV charging.

Impedance Measurement Box

IMB acquires multipoint impedance spectra in as little as 10 seconds, providing detail of a battery’s condition and state of health.

INL’s Battery Test Center

INL battery research is the most comprehensive in the nation, combining real world applications and laboratory test data into reliable information.

Nondestructive Battery Evaluation Laboratory (NOBEL)

INL’s Nondestructive Battery Evaluation Laboratory (NOBEL), allowing researchers to study in detail how batteries perform in aggressive environments.

Bioenergy

Advanced Torrefaction System

INL’s ATS allows researchers and industry to torrefy wood chips, agriculture residues and municipal solid waste for lab- and pilot-scale testing.

Bioenergy Feedstock Characterization Laboratory

The laboratory features advanced capabilities for sample preparation, characterization, analyzing storage performance and predicting conversion performance.

Bioenergy Feedstock Library

The Bioenergy Feedstock Library is an extensive collection of data on biomass feedstock characteristics compiled in an easy-to-access central repository.

Chemical Preprocessing

The use of chemical preprocessing using thermal, chemical or biological treatments can produce value-added bioenergy feedstocks.

Flowability of Biomass

Flowability of biomass is vital to the efficiency of bioenergy systems. INL offers research capabilities that improve flowability through rigorous testing and modeling.

High-Moisture Pelleting Process

Advanced pelleting processes at INL can reduce transportation costs and improve flowability, processing performance and conversion performance for biorefineries.

Mechanical Fractionation

Fractionation capabilities and research at INL support innovative biomass feedstock processes, reducing costs and improving supply chain logistics.

Process Development Unit

The PDU allows industry partners to test a variety of size reduction, milling, drying, pelletizing, cubing, torrefaction, and mechanical and chemical separation options.

Waste to Bioproducts via DAIRIEES

DAIRIEES is an evaluation platform that facilitates more informed decisions concerning the environmental benefits and economic costs of an integrated manure-algae system.

Clean Energy Integration

A Novel Wind Atlas Modeling Method

Idaho National Laboratory researchers are working with the simulation company WindSim to develop a new wind atlas method using specialized software.

Blue Lake Rancheria Microgrid

The laboratory features advanced capabilities for sample preparation, characterization, analyzing storage performance and predicting conversion performance.

DETAIL

INL’s test lab includes heat and electricity producers, thermal and electrical storage, and multiple heat and electricity customers via a thermal and electrical network.

Dynamic Line Rating Overview

Wind energy researchers at Idaho National Laboratory believe moving more electricity through existing transmission and distribution lines is both possible and practical.

Flow Battery Energy Storage System

Two flow battery units allow researchers to study the batteries’ ability to stabilize renewable energy within microgrids and interact with larger-scale grids.

General Line Ampacity State Solver (GLASS)

INL researchers are developing a Java-based software package called General Line Ampacity State Solver (GLASS), which calculates real-time ampacity and thermal conductor limits.

Global Real-Time Super Lab

INL led the creation of an eight-laboratory GRSL that will study how electricity can be rerouted across vast distances to address disruptions.

Integrated Energy Systems Overview

The Dynamic Energy Transport and Integration Laboratory (DETAIL) will link a grid simulator with a simulated nuclear plant.

Integrating Hydropower and Energy Storage

INL is leading a research effort evaluating the ability of run-of-river hydropower to provide grid balancing through integration with an energy storage system.

Microgrids and Backup Power Systems

INL’s energy system testing integrates simulation, storage systems, a renewable energy microgrid, load control capabilities and full-scale testing.

Power and Energy Real-Time Laboratory

INL’s PERL is equipped with tools to test, validate and develop solutions for recent challenges facing the modern power grid.

RADIANCE Project

INL Power and Energy Systems researchers helped build a system to maintain and restore power after a catastrophic event or a cyberattack.

Refining Hydroelectric Power for Grid Resilience

Idaho National Laboratory researchers developed a hybrid system that harnesses the power of water and energy storage.

Safe Integration of New Grid Technologies

A simulated control room allows engineers to evaluate how operators interact with technology to make the grid safer and more efficient.

EPEC Lab

INL’s Electrochemical Processing and Electrocatalysis (EPEC) Lab helps researchers discover better ways to convert inexpensive materials to higher value chemicals, fuels and hydrogen.

Thermal Energy Delivery System

INL’s Thermal Energy Delivery System demonstrates flexible heat transfer for power generation, energy storage and other industrial uses.

Transmission Line Modeling Tool Suite

INL’s Transmission Line Modeling Tool Suite uses advanced systems that work together to increase power line efficiency.

Collaborations

Integrated Energy Collaborations

Biomass Feedstock National User Facility

Biomass Feedstock National User Facility (BFNUF)researchers focus on innovative research and development associated with key technical barriers facing the U.S. bioenergy industry.

How INL Unites with Utah

Idaho National Laboratory partnerships within the state of Utah illustrate a growing relationship that makes sense both geographically and academically.

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