While Joy Morin was an undergraduate intern at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), she discovered her interest in developing nuclear fuels and technology.
Everyday life depends on a robust infrastructure network that provides access to running water, communications technology and electricity, among other basic necessities. The experts who keep our national infrastructure secure and resilient also need a strong network to share their knowledge and train the next generation of professionals capable of solving complex infrastructure challenges.
Data centers are one of the fastest growing areas of America鈥檚 technology sector. These massive warehouses of servers make some of today鈥檚 most important technical achievements possible, such as the expanding use of artificial intelligence applications and cryptocurrency mining.
Hydropower is a reliable source of energy. However, the inconsistent nature of water flows and electricity demand often challenges hydropower operators and reduces revenue.
A cutting-edge project to test 鈥渇usion blanket鈥 technologies is taking shape, with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) leading the charge to create a critical component of a fusion reactor. This work is part of the Department of Energy鈥檚 (DOE) $107 million funding award to six research centers called Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) collaboratives.
After five years of trying to find the right ingredients, scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) believe they have created the perfect recipe to fuel the world鈥檚 first critical fast-spectrum molten salt reactor. The Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) at INL will test a new type of nuclear reactor that uses a mixture of [鈥
Seventy-five years ago, the sweeping landscape of the Idaho desert over the Snake River Aquifer was a land of sagebrush, brown grass and lava rock. Today, the desert site facilities of Idaho National Laboratory are still home to sagebrush, brown grass and lava rock but also to of some of the world鈥檚 most cutting-edge nuclear fuel research and reactor prototype development.
Accurately forecasting how much power individual stations will demand from the electric grid is a major challenge facing the rapid expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging in the United States. While other electricity consumers, such as apartment buildings or factories, are known quantities that grid operators can plan for, the grid-load characteristics of EV charging [鈥
When reviewing electric vehicles (EVs), automobile journalists usually cite a long list of superlatives 鈥 they鈥檙e quick, quiet, reliable and economical, and their ranges keep increasing while charge times keep getting faster. But oftentimes, there鈥檚 a caveat: The charging networks in some U.S. cities and highway corridors aren鈥檛 always reliable, journalists report. Even when drivers [鈥
Since its days as the National Reactor Testing Station, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has focused on proving that what people think can鈥檛 be done is in fact possible. In the past decade, the lab has repeatedly demonstrated to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the nuclear industry that it can complete large, complicated nuclear projects on time and under budget.
As companies worldwide switch from analog to automated digital industrial control systems, malicious cyber actors are finding new opportunities for extortion and mayhem. It鈥檚 happening in a range of industrial settings, from power stations to manufacturing plants, and it鈥檚 a growing problem in the aviation industry.
There鈥檚 a reason that electric vehicles (EV) in salvage yards are kept by themselves and spaced far apart. Their lithium-ion batteries can hold a lot of energy, and if one catches fire, it鈥檚 sometimes hard for firefighters to extinguish the blaze.
Collaboration between Idaho National Laboratory and universities are more than practical arrangements; they鈥檙e the backbone of innovation. As Alexander Graham Bell wisely observed, 鈥淕reat discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds.鈥
As nations explore ways to reduce carbon emissions, nuclear energy is increasingly recognized as a safe, reliable option for coping with the increase in electricity use.
It鈥檚 a long way from the Donbas region of Ukraine to Idaho, but Ukrainian officials recently made the trip to learn about collecting evidence after a nuclear attack.