PNNL has developed a new tool to forecast for future energy needs that is up to 50 percent more accurate than several commonly used industry tools, showing potential to save millions in wasted electricity. The advancement was selected a 'best paper' at the IEEE Power & Energy general meeting.
Using a climate model that can tag sources of soot and track where it lands, researchers have determined which areas around the Tibetan Plateau contribute the most soot -- and where. The model can also suggest the most effective way to reduce soot on the plateau, easing the amount of warming the region undergoes. The study, which appeared in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics in June, might help policy makers target pollution reduction efforts.
Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world’s population, but the paddies it’s grown in contributes up to 17 percent of global methane emissions -- about 100 million tons a year. Now, with the addition of a single gene, rice can be cultivated to emit virtually no methane, more starch for a richer food source and biomass for energy production, as announced in the July 30 edition of Nature and online.
How clouds form and how they help set the temperature of the earth are two of the big remaining questions in climate research. Now, a study of clouds over the world's remotest ocean shows that ocean life is responsible for up to half the cloud droplets that pop in and out of existence during summer.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is named a lead laboratory for new DOE Pilot designed to give small clean energy firms more technology assistance from DOE labs.
Smart grid technologies and approaches can improve energy efficiency and possibly reduce power costs, according to the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project’s final report.
When aluminum atoms bunch up, porous materials called zeolites lose their ability to convert oil to gasoline. An international team of scientists created the first 3-D atomic map of a zeolite in order to find out how to improve catalysts used to produce fuel, biofuel and other chemicals.
PNNL's long-time fundamental science research leader named to new partnership development post.
PNNL’s new joining process enables the production of all-aluminum auto parts without rivets and fasteners that increase cost and weight.
Three scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been selected to receive Early Career Research Program research grants. The trio were among just 44 recipients nationwide to receive the annual research awards. Under the program, David Heldebrant, Dongsheng Li and Brent VanDevender will each receive five-year research grants that fund work designed to reduce carbon emissions, create new materials for energy storage and measure the mass of some of the smallest components of the universe.
The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon, are joining forces to answer some of the world’s most complex biomedical questions.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Jud Virden will testify on energy storage research before a subcommittee of the U.S House of Representatives.
A group of almost 30 scientists and engineers from six research institutions reported the direct detection of cyclotron radiation from individual electrons April 20 in Physical Review Letters. They used a specially developed spectroscopic method that allowed them to measure the energy of electrons, one single electron at a time. The method provides a new way to potentially measure the mass of the neutrino, a subatomic particle that weighs at most two-billionths of a proton.
More American homes could be powered by the earth’s natural underground heat with a nontoxic fluid that could cut in half the amount of water needed for a new power generation method called enhanced geothermal systems.
Using a powerful microscope to watch multiple cycles of charging and discharging under real battery conditions, researchers have gained insight into the chemistry that clogs rechargeable lithium batteries in work appearing in the March issue of the journal Nano Letters.
A suite of analytical innovations used to detect and measure very low levels of compounds and elements has topped $10 million in licensing income for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and its operator Battelle. It’s the first time that income tied to a specific technology developed at PNNL has reached this level, and most of the money has been directly reinvested in the laboratory.
For the first time, the American Chemical Society honors a team with its Catalysis Lectureship for the Advancement of Catalytic Science.
The Earth is now entering a period of changing climate that will likely be faster than what’s occurred naturally over the last thousand years, according to a new paper in Nature Climate Change, committing people to live through and adapt to a warming world.
Natural gas powered solid oxide fuel cells, located at the point of use to produce electricity for facilities the size of big box stores, could provide economic and environmental benefits, with additional research, according to new study.
As the Arctic warms, tons of carbon locked away in Arctic tundra will be transformed into the powerful greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane, but scientists know little about how that transition takes place. In a study appearing in today's issue of Nature, scientists looking at microbes in different types of Arctic soil have a new picture of life in permafrost that reveals entirely new species and hints that subzero microbes might be active.
The new zinc-polyiodide redox flow battery uses an electrolyte that has more than two times the energy density of the next-best flow battery used to store renewable energy and support the power grid. It’s high energy density, and resulting lower cost, make it ideal for large cities where space is at a premium.
A new electrolyte allows rechargeable batteries to operate well without growing dendrites, tiny pin-like fibers that short-circuit rechargeable batteries.
Developing renewable fuel from wet algae and enabling analysis of complex liquids are two of the latest innovations Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has successfully driven to the market with the help of commercial partners.
A new acoustic fish-tracking tag is so tiny it can be injected with a syringe. It’s small size enables researchers to more precisely and safely record how fish swim through dams and use that information to make dams more fish-friendly.
Coating the mouth with BPA-containing food, like soup, does not lead to higher than expected levels of BPA in blood, a new study in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology shows. The study authors conclude that oral exposure does not create a risk for high exposures of BPA, also known as bisphenol A.
Nature packs away carbon in chalk, shells and rocks made by marine organisms that crystallize calcium carbonate. Now, research suggests that the soft, organic scaffolds in which such crystals form guide crystallization by soaking up the calcium like an “ion sponge,” according to new work in Nature Materials. Understanding the process better may help researchers develop advanced materials for energy and environmental uses, such as for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The now one-year-old climate research site has filled with instruments that will lead to cutting-edge research data. ENA’s baseline suite of instruments monitors the interaction of clouds, aerosols, and precipitation in this region.
Heat pump water heaters are an energy-efficient alternative to conventional electric resistance water heaters. Now research shows heat pump water heaters can also reduce an entire home’s energy use – if they’re connected to the appropriate ducting.
Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, Washington State University and Savannah River National Laboratory are among the principal investigators seeking innovative solutions to environmental and energy production challenges in subsurface science. They are also among the scientists who submitted applications to the Special Science Call for Proposals to use EMSL's Radiochemical Annex. Learn more about three research projects using the Annex's resources. The article includes examples of collaborative research at EMSL with two major universities and a national laboratory – Washington University in St. Louis, Washington State University and Savannah River National Laboratory.
Scientists from the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will present a variety of research at the 2014 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, which runs Monday, Dec. 15 through Friday, Dec. 19 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. Noteworthy PNNL research presentations are highlighted.
A new study will help researchers create longer-lasting, higher-capacity lithium rechargeable batteries, which are commonly used in consumer electronics. In a study published in the journal ACS Nano, researchers showed how a coating that makes high capacity silicon electrodes more durable could lead to a replacement for lower-capacity graphite electrodes.
A synthetic fish is helping existing hydroelectric dams and new, smaller hydro facilities become more fish-friendly. The latest version of the Sensor Fish – a small tubular device filled with sensors that analyze the physical stresses fish experience – measures more forces, costs about 80 percent less and can be used in more hydro structures than its predecessor, according to a paper published in the journal Review of Scientific Instruments.
People with muscular dystrophy could one day assess the effectiveness of their medication with the help of a smartphone-linked device, a new study in mice suggests. The study used a new method to process ultrasound imaging information that could lead to hand-held instruments that provide fast, convenient medical information.
A new analysis of global energy use, economics and the climate shows that expanding the current bounty of inexpensive natural gas alone would not slow the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, according to a study appearing today in Nature.
Two large buoys that are decked out with advanced scientific instruments will help more accurately predict offshore wind’s power-producing potential.
More efficient fuel cells might gain wider use in vehicles or as quiet, pollution-free, neighborhood electricity generating stations. A serendipitous finding has resulted in a semiconducting material that could enable fuel cells to operate at temperatures two-thirds lower than current technology, scientists reported August 18 in Nature Communications.
Researchers used a powerful microscope that allows them to see the birth of calcium carbonate crystals in real time, giving them a peek at how different calcium carbonate crystals form, they report in September 5's issue of Science.
Trying to understand the chemistry that turns plant material into the same energy-rich gasoline and diesel we put in our vehicles, researchers have discovered that water in the conversion process helps form an impurity which, in turn, slows down key chemical reactions.
A new liquid metal alloy enables sodium-beta batteries to operate at lower temperatures, which could help the batteries store more renewable energy and strengthen the power grid.
A new material called CC3 effectively traps xenon, krypton, and radon, gases used for lighting or medical industries and, in the case of radon, can be hazardous to people. Research in Nature Materials shows how CC3 does this, which might lead to cheaper, less energy intensive extraction methods.
Technologies that rival electronic screens, enable new molecular analysis and reduce dependence on fossil fuels received recognition for their innovation today. R&D Magazine honored three advancements developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with its annual R&D 100 awards.
Battery technology developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will be installed in two new energy storage projects funded by Washington state that will improve the power grid and help the region use more renewable energy.
A sponge-like silicon material could help lithium-ion batteries run longer on a single charge by giving the batteries' electrodes the space they need to expand without breaking.
The Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis is poised to take on new scientific challenges exploring chemical reactions at the core of technologies such as solar energy and fuel cells.
Commercial buildings could cut their heating and cooling electricity use by an average of 57 percent with advanced energy-efficiency controls, according to a year-long trial of the controls at malls, grocery stores and other buildings across the country.
Wondering what the impact on killer whales might be from a turbine installed under the sea? Check out Tethys, a robust online resource available for free to anyone interested in ocean energy and offshore wind resources. Tethys focuses on the environmental effects of energy projects that are proposed, underway or completed in the ocean and above it.
Four southeast Washington leaders in advancing science education have formed the Mid-Columbia STEM Education Collaboratory.
Killer whales and other marine mammals likely hear sonar signals more than we’ve known. That’s because commercially available sonar systems, which are designed to create signals beyond the range of hearing of such animals, also emit signals known to be within their hearing range, scientists have discovered.
A common plant puts out a welcome mat to bacteria seeking to invade, and scientists have discovered the mat’s molecular mix. The team showed that the humble and oft-studied plant Arabidopsis puts out a molecular signal that invites an attack from a pathogen. The study reveals new targets during the battle between microbe and host.
A fuel cell catalyst that converts hydrogen into electricity must tear open a hydrogen molecule. Now researchers have captured a view of such a catalyst holding onto the two halves of its hydrogen feast, provides insight into how to make the catalyst work better.
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