ORNL News | Friends of Oak Ridge National Laboratory

2022-10-14 Deep learning makes X-ray CT inspection of 3D-printed parts faster, more accurate	A new deep-learning framework developed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is speeding up the process of inspecting additively manufactured metal parts using X-ray computed tomography, or CT, while increasing the accuracy of the results. The reduced costs for time, labor, maintenance and energy are expected to accelerate expansion of additive manufacturing, or 3D printing. “The scan speed reduces costs significantly,” said ORNL lead researcher Amir Ziabari. “And the quality is higher, so the post-processing analysis becomes much simpler.”
2022-10-12 Existing water infrastructure may hold key to generating more hydropower	Millions of miles of pipelines and conduits across the United States make up an intricate network of waterways used for municipal, agricultural and industrial purposes. In a new report, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have found potential opportunities in all 50 states to efficiently utilize existing infrastructure to harvest this otherwise wasted energy.
2022-10-06 Tomás Rush: Decoding the secret language of plants and fungi	Tomás Rush began studying the mysteries of fungi in fifth grade and spent his college intern days tromping through forests, swamps and agricultural lands searching for signs of fungal plant pathogens causing disease on host plants. Today, as a plant pathologist and mycologist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, he’s using his knowledge to better understand the symbiosis between plants and fungi with the goal of creating hardier bioenergy and food crops.
2022-10-05 Earth System Grid Federation launches effort to upgrade climate projection data system	The Earth System Grid Federation, a multi-agency initiative that gathers and distributes data for top-tier projections of the Earth’s climate, is preparing a series of upgrades that will make using the data easier and faster while improving how the information is curated.
2022-10-03 Ultrasound for battery health	Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using ultrasounds — usually associated with medical imaging — to check the health of an operating battery. The technique uses sensors as small as a thumbnail, which could be attached to a lithium-ion battery inside a car. Companies can use this technology to immediately learn which batteries are healthy enough to be resold. “We are combining expertise at ORNL’s Battery Manufacturing Facility with ultrasound measurement expertise to identify good batteries that can be reused, reducing waste,” said ORNL’s Hongbin Sun.