Pairing artificial intelligence with award-winning battery health measurement technology
Measuring battery health and safety continuously is an important challenge as more electric vehicles, grid-scale energy storage devices and other clean energy technologies enter the market. Industry needs better ways to diagnose the batteries that power these devices to ensure their safety, performance and reliability from inception to recycling. For example, lithium-ion batteries, despite their […]
If you build a test facility, developers will come
In the classic baseball film “Field of Dreams,” Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) builds a baseball field in the middle of an Iowa cornfield, adhering to ghostly whispers that if he builds it “he” will come. Borrowing from the same script, the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) is now designing and constructing two fields, in the […]
Non-powered dams offer opportunity for clean energy
Ninety-seven percent of U.S. dams don’t make electricity. A new tool could help tap that resource. The era of building big dams may be over in the United States, but hydroelectricity still has a significant and untapped role to play in the nation’s energy future. Only 3% of the nation’s approximately 80,000 dams are equipped […]
Common Data Link: Engaging with military leaders around the world
Against the backdrop of a windy Australian morning, the camera of a remotely piloted aircraft system zooms in on a military scene, complete with toy soldiers, helicopters and tanks. That same vehicle spent most of the previous week flying over the Queensland countryside, collecting data to support the Common Data Link initiative. Common Data Link, […]
Celebrating 20 Years of Preparing U.S., Partners for Radiological Response
Programmatic growth can sometimes involve seeking new customers, but this has not been the case for Idaho National Laboratory’s Nuclear/Radiological Search and Response Training (N/RSRT) program, which turns 20 this year. Starting with a few training events in March 2003, the program has grown organically to the point where it now conducts year-round training for […]
Key nuclear modeling and simulation software releases new version
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Idaho National Laboratory has released the latest version of RELAP5-3D, a versatile modeling and simulation tool that predicts complex phenomena happening inside a nuclear reactor. This update is the first RELAP5-3D code release in five years. This latest version of RELAP5-3D is part of INL’s integrated computational strategy for accelerating clean […]
Novel framework improves resilience to extreme weather
America’s infrastructure is getting older and more complex. Electricity production and distribution in the U.S. currently depends on more than 10,000 power plants, 642,000 miles of high voltage lines, 56,000 substations and 6.3 million miles of local distribution lines. Much of that infrastructure is over 30 years old. Meanwhile, extreme weather events such as hurricanes, […]
Battelle Energy Alliance charitable grant applications open through Nov. 9
Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA), the company that manages and operates Idaho National Laboratory, offers an annual funding opportunity for local and regional nonprofit organizations. The grants are open to charities across the region focused on supporting rural and underserved communities. “BEA is deeply invested in our community,” said Misty Benjamin, INL Community Relations and Philanthropic […]
Agarwal named 2023 Asian American Most Promising Engineer of the Year
Idaho National Laboratory Distinguished Staff Scientist Vivek Agarwal has been named a 2023 Most Promising Asian American Engineer of the Year (AAEOY). Agarwal is the seventh INL employee honored with the award, which has recognized outstanding Asian American engineers and scientists nationwide since 2002. The recognition is presented annually as part of National Engineers Week. […]
Idaho National Laboratory to host Spanish language recruiting event Oct. 14
Career-focused event will also include Poder of Idaho, College of Idaho and Idaho Central Credit Union Idaho National Laboratory will host a bilingual recruiting event, INL Sin Límites, at the College of Idaho’s Kathryn Albertson International Center Building #6 in Caldwell on Saturday, Oct. 14, from noon to 3 p.m. The event will be hosted […]
International experts review Idaho’s Neutron Radiography Reactor
In early June a group of experts from around the world gathered at Idaho National Laboratory to complete an Integrated Research Reactor Utilization Review on the Neutron Radiography Reactor (NRAD). This review of one of INL’s lesser-known reactors helps researchers and management support strategic planning for NRAD. Neutron radiography is a technique used to study […]
Shining stars: INL’s Research SLAM winners
Have you ever tried to explain intricate scientific research in a concise, three-minute presentation, making it accessible to a general audience? It might sound easy, but it’s a real challenge for most scientists and engineers. How would an epitaxy physicist or systems integration engineer answer a local news reporter’s question: “What do you do at […]
Future of mining is microreactors: Idaho National Laboratory sees big benefits
Powering a remote zinc mine located roughly 600 miles northwest of Anchorage, Alaska, is a Herculean task. Governments and industry have taken a particular interest in remote arctic mining locations, not only because of the region’s vast mineral resources, but also because of shipping routes that are opening through the ice due to climate change. […]
Four from Idaho National Laboratory named Diversity MBA ‘Top 100 Under 50 Emerging Leaders’
Four Idaho National Laboratory leaders have been named to Diversity MBA’s Top 100 Under 50 Emerging Leaders list for their outstanding achievements in leadership, education and in the community. Diversity MBA, a national leadership organization integrating diversity and inclusion with talent management, recognized this year’s winners for their impacts on leadership in their companies and […]
Idaho National Laboratory’s Family Nuclear Science Night invites students to explore STEM
Note: Registration for INL’s 2023 Family Nuclear Science Night is now closed. You may fill out the waitlist form to be considered. IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Idaho National Laboratory invites local students and their families to attend Family Nuclear Science Night, a STEM event that introduces visitors to nuclear science, engineering and more. The event will […]
TETI 2.0: Understanding nuclear fuel behavior at the atomic level
Transporting heat is an essential part of our daily life – from boiling a pot of water to creating complex carbon-free energy technologies that power our cellphones, laptops and home appliances. Nuclear energy, an example of heat transfer, has a proven track record spanning over 70 years. It currently provides approximately 20% of the total […]
Idaho National Laboratory engages with Arctic communities at global assembly
Idaho National Laboratory’s Frontiers Initiative will take center stage when climate scientists and policymakers from around the world convene at the 2023 Arctic Circle Assembly in October in Iceland. University partners and defense experts with INL-led Emerging Energy Markets Analysis (EMA) initiative will participate in panel discussions. They’ll highlight their work on the INL Frontiers […]
Researchers irradiate chloride-based molten salt in first-of-a-kind experiment
For decades, light-water nuclear power plants have provided safe, reliable carbon-free energy in the United States and around the world. But in the early days of nuclear energy research, light-water reactors were just one of several promising reactor types. Nuclear energy pioneers also designed and tested high-temperature reactor technologies that use gas, liquid metal and […]
Big brake for small business: Sintering tech could make rotors 90% cheaper and faster
The race car driver careens around the track, narrowly missing the walls along the side. They make the turn expertly and quickly and slide across the finish line, wheels squealing as they hit the brakes. Excited spectators in the audience probably don’t realize that those brakes are able to operate seamlessly around tight turns and […]
Idaho technologies clinch five R&D 100 Awards
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Five Idaho National Laboratory technologies earned five 2023 R&D 100 Awards – marking another triumphant year for the laboratory. The competition, now in its 61st year, celebrates technology innovations from across the public and private sectors. Winning an award is a prestigious distinction for inventors. Laboratories and companies from 12 countries […]