INL celebrates Legacy Project at College of Eastern Idaho
College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) President Lori Barber looked out Aug. 28 to a crowd of state legislators, the mayors of Ammon and Idaho Falls, senior Idaho National Laboratory officials and others protected from the midday sun by a large awning. It was a fitting audience for what Barber called “a once-in-a-lifetime announcement.” They were […]
Idaho researchers make fuel cell/electrolysis cell more efficient and stable
At a nondescript laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Wei Tang, Wenjuan Bian and Dong Ding make highly sophisticated advanced energy materials literally from scratch. The researchers and their colleagues at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) are manufacturing an electrochemical energy conversion device called a protonic ceramic fuel cell/protonic ceramic electrolysis cell (PCFC/PCEC). These devices could […]
The heartbeat of progress: Teamwork fuels first-of-a-kind reactor design test
When asked to describe her job within the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE), Kristy Spencer smiled. “Whenever the project needs anything, I’m there and ready to help because I’m kind of obsessed with it,” she said. Spencer is a nuclear spent fuel analyst at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). She isn’t the MCRE lead, but […]
U.S. Army taps INL’s nuclear expertise, capabilities to strengthen radiological response and readiness
It’s Tuesday morning in early June and the Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) control room is crawling with visitors. Men in fatigues thumb through logbooks, monitor radiation levels, and consult data and images on laptop computers. These visitors are members of the U.S. Army’s Nuclear Disablement Team (NDT), participating in a […]
HydroBoost: Increasing hydropower revenue with realistic forecasting
In many electricity markets, hydropower operators earn a significant portion of their revenue from the day-ahead market. In this market, utilities buy electricity based on expected demand for the next day, while power producers offer to sell electricity at prices based on forecasted production and demand. This process ensures that enough electricity is available to […]
TAIGR: Testing the limits of AI on the power grid
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming widely adopted across multiple industries, including the critical field of grid operations. The integration of AI into grid systems promises enhanced efficiency and reliability, but it also brings a host of new challenges. To address these challenges, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has launched the Testing for AI Grid Resilience […]
MARVEL milestone: Microreactor project completes coolant system testing
In the spring of 2020, a team of engineers at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) embarked on a groundbreaking project to design a microreactor test facility that could transform the world’s energy future. At the center of it all was Carlo Parisi, who vividly recalls conceiving a critical mechanism for the cooling system of the […]
INL researchers develop new technology to study catalysts
From laundry detergents and self-cleaning ovens to the manufacturing of fuels, plastics and medications, catalysts play a vital role in everyday products and industry. These substances, which make chemical reactions faster and more efficient without changing or being consumed, enable many modern-day chemical processes. Despite their importance, researchers lack effective methods to study catalysts that […]
Consequence-driven Cyber-informed engineering: The rise of a national security pillar
Consider the utility services that people use every day: light switches, water faucets and gas burners. The simple act of delivering electricity, water or gas to a home or business requires a cascade of invisible digital and physical processes, all functioning in tandem. Today, utilities must contend with a range of challenges: surges in demand, […]
Cyber escape rooms: Inside INL’s pioneering training to protect industrial control systems
As manufacturers and utilities recognize their automated systems are vulnerable to hackers, the Idaho National Laboratory’s cyber escape rooms have become a go-to training resource for cybersecurity organizations around the world. INL has taken a leading role training people to detect and respond to malicious cyberattacks against industrial control systems (ICS). These systems ensure that […]