Ateios Systems leverages ORNL tech to strengthen US battery supply chain
Key Points
- In 2021, Ateios Systems licensed technology from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to make battery manufacturing faster and cheaper—an innovation that now underpins the nation’s only domestic battery electrode supply chain, strengthening both economic and national security.
- In recognition of their leadership in domestic battery production and innovation across performance, scalability, and impact, Ateios was named the 2025 Battery Manufacturer of the Year at The Battery Show North America, held in October.
- Ateios Systems is a graduate of Innovation Crossroads, a Lab Embedded Entrepreneurship Program node that connects hard-tech entrepreneurs to ORNL’s unique scientific resources and capabilities, along with experts, mentors and networks in technology-related fields who can assist fellows in developing their startups to successful businesses.
|
|
Industry–national lab partnership advances large-scale metal manufacturing
Lincoln Electric and the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at ORNL partnered to solve scientific challenges and expand market opportunities for robotic large-scale metal additive manufacturing.
This collaboration has yielded a wealth of outcomes, including the development of a multi-agent robotic manufacturing system positioning Lincoln Electric today as a leading global provider of large-scale metal additive manufacturing services. Read more.
|
|
|
Gleason chosen for Tennessee’s AI advisory council
Shaun Gleason has been appointed to Tennessee’s Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. Council members provide a collaborative source of knowledge, expertise and information sharing to advance the state’s use of AI technologies.
Read more.
|
|
|
Innovation Crossroads startup revolutionizes wildfire prevention through grid hardening
Witching Hour, a hard tech startup and member of Cohort 2025 of Innovation Crossroads, is wielding the support of ORNL to develop technology that reduces wildfire risk by retrofitting powerlines with insulation in fire-prone areas.
Read more.
|
|
|
New ORNL Inventions
Hephaestus Shield
202405603 // Energy and Utilities // Security and Defense
Plasma-facing components are subject to severe surface deterioration, degradation, and restructuring that limits performance, reliability, quality and service life in plasma-generating/ exposed systems and affects plasma quality and stability. This technology addresses erosion and damage caused by prolonged plasma exposure using plasma-resistant coatings designed to protect plasma generating electrodes and plasma-facing materials. By mitigating multiple degradation mechanisms that occur under plasma conditions, these coatings help maintain component integrity, reduce contamination, and support stable operation in demanding plasma environments across industrial and research applications.
Renewable Carbon Material Production in Continuous Flow
202405612 // Materials // Chemicals
This technology addresses limitations in producing biobased carbon materials using conventional batch-based, pressurized systems. It introduces a continuous-flow approach for forming uniform, submicron amorphous carbon materials while enabling real-time process observation. By replacing closed, batch reactors with a flow-based method, the technology improves process control, scalability, tunability of properties based and safety. The approach is applicable to organizations seeking consistent carbon material production with enhanced quality oversight and opportunities for material customization during manufacture for specific applications of broad range of starting materials.
Finite Element Analysis Assisted Machine Tool Alignment
202405613 // Manufacturing
Misalignment of CNC machine tool axes leads to dimensional inaccuracies, extended downtime, and costly, labor-intensive correction efforts. This technology addresses the challenge by using advanced computational modeling to guide machine alignment in a more predictable and efficient manner. By translating measured misalignments into actionable adjustment guidance, the approach reduces reliance on trial-and-error methods and operator intuition. The result is faster alignment, improved machine accuracy, and reduced operational disruption for manufacturing environments.
Blade-Type Thermal Energy Storage Module
202505871 // Energy and Utilities // Manufacturing
This technology addresses performance and monitoring limitations in thermal energy storage systems used to manage thermal loads in built environments, data center cooling, and industrial processes. The blade-type storage module is designed to improve heat exchange effectiveness while enabling insight into internal thermal behavior during operation. By combining a compact structural form with integrated heat transfer and diagnostic features, the technology supports more reliable thermal charging and discharging, helping operators better align thermal supply with operational demand and improve system-level efficiency.
Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease
202506018 // Healthcare and Biology
This technology addresses the need for improved antiviral agents by introducing a new class of small-molecule inhibitors that target the SARS-CoV-2 main protease through reversible, non-covalent interactions. Unlike many existing approaches, these inhibitors are designed to reduce unintended interactions with host proteins while maintaining strong activity against a highly conserved viral target. The result is a potential pathway toward antiviral therapeutics with improved specificity, reduced toxicity risk, and applicability across viral variants.
Self-Cleaning Al Electrode for Hardwaters
202506122 // Energy and Utilities // Materials
High-strength hardwaters can severely limit electrocoagulation performance due to rapid mineral scale buildup on electrodes, leading to increased power demand and frequent shutdowns for cleaning. This technology introduces a self-cleaning electrode architecture that enables continuous hardness removal while minimizing operational interruptions. By reducing persistent fouling during treatment, the approach improves process reliability and lowers operational burden in challenging industrial water streams. The result is a more robust electrocoagulation system suitable for applications where conventional electrodes experience rapid performance degradation.
New High Sustainable Non-Heat Treatment (NTH) Cast Aluminum-Silicon Based Alloy
202506131// Materials // Manufacturing
This technology is a newly developed cast aluminum-silicon alloy designed to achieve strong mechanical performance directly in the as-cast condition, eliminating the need for post-casting heat treatment. The alloy addresses manufacturing challenges such as hot tearing, shrinkage porosity, and limited ductility while supporting flexible casting processes. By tolerating higher levels of common alloying impurities, the material offers improved manufacturing robustness and material utilization. The technology is well suited for structural casting applications where dimensional stability, strength, and production efficiency are critical.
Variable Bead Width Additive Manufacturing Using Strip Electrode
202506138 // Manufacturing // Materials
Electroslag additive manufacturing has high deposition rates compared to wire arc additive manufacturing because of increased welding current and width afforded by use of a strip electrode. The strip electrode is usually assembled facing perpendicular to the direction of travel and used in cladding or overlay applications, which limits the weld bead width to the strip electrode dimensions. By taking an approach, geometries may be created through the strip electrode to achieve resolutions comparable to cast parts. These processes individually and in combination with one another create variance in the strip position and the size of the weld bead achieved as a result. This technology may also be applied to traditional strip welding applications that leave gaps and require manual welding. When overlaying a cylindrical part, a step over is required near the end of each rotation to begin the next. This method overlays much of a part but either leaves a small gap that must later be welded by hand or produces a raised spot where the strip has overlapped the weld. By adjusting the strip, gaps such as these may be seamlessly filled without the need for manual welding or grinding.
To learn more about these technologies, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call
865-574-1051.
|
|
|
|
|
