Record-setting Year for Technology Transfer
2024 was a banner year for technology transfer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Read about the ORNL researchers and employees who disclosed 299 inventions, were granted 86 U.S. patents and were recognized with 14 R&D 100 Awards in the 2024 Innovation Report.
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Prolific Inventors Recognized
Seven ORNL researchers have been announced as a Battelle Distinguished Inventor in recognition of being granted 14 or more United States patents. Since Battelle began managing ORNL in 2000, 104 ORNL researchers have reached this milestone. Read more
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Teletrix Transitions to a Commercial License
Telerix, which specializes in radiation training tools, has transitioned to a commercial license for its augmented reality platform that simulates ionizing radiation.
Read more
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New ORNL inventions
Limited Constraint of Base Plates for Additive and Hybrid Manufacturing
202305277 // Manufacturing
This novel approach designs a base plate that accommodates thermal growth, which may significantly decrease residual stresses and part deformations.
Variable Stiffness Compliant Build Plate for Hybrid Manufacturing
202305279 // Manufacturing
Compliance in a part, work holding, or base plate is beneficial for certain processes, but detrimental for machining and material removal. Adding stiffening mechanisms that use phase changes from process heat or variable force mechanisms can provide additional compliance or stiffness as required by the process.
Tritiated Metals as a Heat Source for Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators
202305382 // Security and Defense // Energy and Utilities
When properly insulated, tritiated metal hydrides can deliver consistent thermal energy. This technology could provide a way to produce long duration power in remote and extreme environments and provide the heat needed to sustain critical equipment in remote locations, through long-duration missions, in extremely cold conditions.
Spherical Powder Targets with Integral Cooling and No Self-Shielding for Reactor and Accelerator Radioisotope Production
202305385 // Healthcare and Biology // Security and Defense
Spherical powders applied to nuclear targetry for isotope production will allow for enhanced heat transfer properties, tailored thermal conductivity and minimize time required for target fabrication and post processing.
A Framework for the Identification of Critical Driving Scenarios for Autonomous Heavy-Duty Vehicles
202305439 // Transportation
This novel framework identifies and categorizes critical driving scenarios for autonomous heavy-duty vehicles. This technology addresses the challenge of managing and validating a vast number of possible scenarios that such vehicles could encounter, ultimately enhancing the safety and reliability of autonomous systems in complex environments.
A Novel Membrane Contactor-based Liquid-liquid Extraction Process for Biofuel Separation and Recovery from Fermentation Broth for Sustainable Aviation Fuel
202305475 // Chemicals // Energy and Utilities
2,3-butanediol (BDO) is a chemical compound with many industrial uses, including as a biofuel precursor and an additive to aviation fuel. By using a novel membrane contractor, this technology enables highly efficient 2,3-BDO separation in a single step, continuous process. This new methodology is both energy efficient and scalable.
Cost-effective and Safe Deployment of Propane as a Refrigerant for Heat Pump Water Heaters
202405563 // Energy and Utilities // Manufacturing
Technologies are described that are directed to cost-effective and safe deployment of propane as a refrigerant for heat pump water heaters.
Toroidally Symmetric Lead-Lithium (TSLL) Blanket for Fusion Reactors
202405584 // Energy and Utilities
Fusion reactors need efficient systems to create tritium fuel and handle intense heat and radiation. Traditional liquid metal systems face challenges like high pressure losses and material breakdown in strong magnetic fields. Improved designs are key to making fusion power a reality.
3D Printing Bat Houses with Biomass-derived Polymer Composites
202405660 // Materials // Manufacturing
Combining biomass with polymers to make pellets for 3D printing reduces waste and offers a more environmentally friendly pellet. Certain composites have promising qualities for applications in ecological settings. Researchers printed supplemental roosting structures for endangered tree-roosting bats, which often face a paucity of suitable, naturally occurring roosts. This material should degrade more quickly than other artificial bat roosts, which will be closer to imitating their natural roosts.
Apparatus for the Large Scale Production of Electrochemical Synthetic Graphite
202405662 // Energy and Utilities // Materials
The demand for the chemicals and materials to produce batteries for green energy uses is growing, necessitating the need for high quality graphite to ensure adequate energy storage capacity and battery stability. This new reactor apparatus produces upward of one kilogram of graphite per batch and lays the foundation for continuous production systems.
Customized Ferroelectric Nanolithography through Arbitrary Scan Path
202405684 // Analytical Instrumentation // IT and Communications
The invention introduces a novel, customizable method to create, manipulate, and erase polar topological structures in ferroelectric materials using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Unlike traditional methods, this technique allows for arbitrary scan paths, enabling rapid, automated, and nanoscale-precise control over the generated structures.
Dry Processed Electrodes with Improved Performance
202405686 // Energy and Utilities // Transportation
By increasing the durability and conductivity of electrodes in the dry processing process, this technology promotes eco-friendly, solvent-free electrode production for battery manufacturing and reduces manufacturing costs.
Polyphase Rotary Transformer for Field Excitation of Electric Machines
202405695 // Transportation // Manufacturing
Technologies are described that are directed to polyphase rotary transformer for field excitation of electric machines.
Large Area Position Sensitive Neutron Detectors
202405707 // Detectors and Sensors // Security and Defense
ORNL researchers have developed a large area thermal neutron detector based on 6LiF/ZnS(Ag) scintillator coupled with wavelength shifting fibers. The detector uses resistive charge divider-based position encoding. The team further modified and improved the method by 2D segmentation of the detector using modular multichannel readout electronics. This approach allows for large detector area, improved and variable spatial resolution, and increased count rate.
Electrochemical Cell for Acid Shift in Electrochemical Seawater Decarbonization
202405711 // Energy and Utilities // Chemicals
An electrochemical cell has been specifically designed to maximize CO2 release from the seawater while also not changing the pH of the seawater before returning to the sea. The approach uses a three-chamber electrochemical cell comprised of the anode compartment, center compartment, and cathode compartment, which are separated by cation electrolyte membranes.
In-situ Solid State Electrolyte Formation
202405723 // Energy and Utilities // Manufacturing
The invention relates to the in-situ formation of an ion conducting solid electrolyte between composite electrodes with a reducing alkali metal (M) and organic polymers or solvents. This invention will improve the safe handling and storage of batteries by eliminating the need for a liquid electrolyte or salt in the cell while reducing production costs.
Direct Rotor Current Measurement for Transformer-fed Wound Rotor Machine
202405727 // Transportation // Manufacturing
Technologies directed to a direct rotor current measurement for transformer-fed wound rotor machine are described.
Integration of Inductive Position Sensor in Rotary Transformer
202405729 // Transportation // Energy and Utilities
Technologies directed to integration of an inductive position sensor in a rotary transformer are described.
Package Integration of Rotor Position Sensor in Rotary Transformer
202405731 // Transportation // Energy and Utilities
Technologies are described directed to package Integration of rotor position sensor in rotary transformer.
Diethylenetriamine based Biphasic Absorbent for Post-Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture
202405792 // Energy and Utilities
Among the methods for point source carbon capture, the absorption of CO2 using aqueous amines from the post-combustion gas stream is currently considered the most promising. Nonetheless, the energy demand for solvent regeneration remains a considerable hurdle to implementation. Biphasic solvents, which split into a CO2 rich and lean phase after absorption, offer considerable potential energy savings since only a fraction of the solvent volume needs to be regenerated. Regeneration experiments performed with this new biphasic solvent formula demonstrate potential energy savings of up to 40%, compared to the benchmark monophase absorbent, are attainable.
To learn more about these technologies, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call
865-574-1051.
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