ORNL wins 20 R&D 100 Awards

The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has set a new lab record with 20 R&D 100 Awards in this year's global competition, announced by R&D World magazine. ORNL led 17 of the winning innovations and co-developed three more, highlighting its leadership in advancing science and technology to create breakthroughs that strengthen U.S. security, energy resilience, and competitiveness across multiple industries. The awards span a wide array of fields, from advanced materials and additive manufacturing to energy storage, computing, and emerging technologies, reflecting ORNL's relentless drive to push the boundaries of research and translate discoveries into real-world impact.

Since 1963, R&D Magazine's R&D 100 Awards have spotlighted the most innovative technologies and materials from around the world. Now in its 63rd year, the competition continues to celebrate breakthroughs - including 29 finalist technologies from ORNL.

"ORNL researchers had a record-breaking year, contributing to 20 R&D 100 Awards," said ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer. "These honors recognize technological advances across computing, physical sciences, energy and biology - and highlight how ORNL is strengthening the nation's scientific leadership, security and economy through innovation."

ORNL's R&D 100 Award winning technologies and their developers are:

Underwater X-ray Imaging System

ORNL developed the first portable, practical underwater X-ray system that immediately reveals clear digital images of the interior of suspicious objects or underwater infrastructure. The lightweight, diver-operated system does not pose radiation exposure risks to the diver or the environment. The platform incorporates ORNL-developed processing techniques to improve image clarity, offsetting the effects of liquid on the X-ray intensity. The system, which has been demonstrated in open ocean environment, is being commercialized by industry partner The Sexton Corporation.

Universal GridEdge Analyzer (UGA)

The Universal GridEdge Analyzer, developed in partnership between the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is a novel platform for wide-area sensing of electric grid behavior in real time. Differing from previous technologies, it is the first compact, cost-effective, single-phase device designed for sensing high-resolution waveforms of voltage and current over a wide area and at the edge of the electric grid. Easily integrated at wall outlets, on feeder lines, or within power electronics, it offers the fastest capture rate of waveforms in the distribution grid, paired with real-time streaming of the data using secure communication and encryption. This allows operators, researchers and control systems to detect and predict problematic grid behavior before blackouts, fires or damage to equipment, and to analyze disturbances with precision across wide areas. The GridEdge Analyzer is equipped with a control platform for fleet-wide configuration and alerting to support applications ranging from data centers to distributed energy generation.

Rotary Transformer for Brushless and Permanent Magnet-Free Electric Motors

A team of engineers at the National Transportation Research Center at ORNL worked in close collaboration with BorgWarner, Inc. to develop a unique wireless excitation system for electric motors that powers the rotor without using rare earth magnets or the traditional brushes and sliprings that wear out over time. More than 98% of rare earth magnet materials come from a single foreign source, creating risks for U.S. energy independence and national security. By eliminating both rare earth magnets and high-maintenance components, the team's design makes motors more reliable and reduces U.S. dependence on outside supply chains while reducing the cost.

The new rotary transformer-based wireless excitation system provides a reliable, magnet-free option for high-performance motors that can spin faster than 20,000 revolutions per minute. Testing showed that it runs at 92-95% efficiency even under high heat and speed, while improving efficiency by up to 15%. It also increases power density of the motor by up to 25% compared with brushed designs. The team demonstrated the system on a BorgWarner-built 200-kilowatt motor under various operating conditions. In parallel, a spin test fixture was developed to validate the system operation over 53,000 cycles that is equivalent of 10 years of nonstop vehicle use. With 11 patent applications protecting different parts of the design, the this effort highlights the value of industry-laboratory partnerships in advancing innovative technologies toward commercialization.

Low Mass and High Efficiency (LMHE) Medium-Duty Truck Engine

General Motors has developed a low-mass and high-efficiency medium-duty V8 truck engine designed to meet growing demand for vehicles that are more fuel-efficient. The lightweight engine offers a 15% reduction in weight compared with baseline models while improving fuel efficiency by more than 10%.

The advanced engine design incorporates innovative combustion technologies, high-performance materials, and state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques to achieve high durability under elevated temperatures and pressures. ORNL supported engine development through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with GM. ORNL provided critical contributions by integrating three major engine components produced using high-performance aluminum alloys: ACMZ and DuAlumin3D. These alloys, developed by ORNL and recipients of R&D 100 Awards in 2017 and 2022, respectively, are known for their exceptional strength and heat resistance.

The LMHE prototypes, which used ACMZ heads, ACMZ blocks and DuAlumin3D pistons, passed rigorous dynamometer tests, demonstrating the engine's durability and reliability.

These advancements position the LMHE as a leader in efficiency and durability for medium- and heavy-duty applications in the growing North American market.

Organizations that contributed to the award include: General Motors, ORNL, Ohio State University, Michigan Technological University and ECK Industries, Inc, Southwest Research Institute, Northfield Manufacturing, Inc, Wolverine Bronze Company, International Casting Company and CWC Textron Company.

Flexible Embedded Phase Change Material Thermal Energy Storage Heat Pump Water Heater

Traditional water heaters in buildings use a significant amount of electricity during peak demand periods and this increases the strain on the power grid. Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed an advanced water heating solution by integrating embedded phase change material thermal energy storage to significantly enhance hot water delivery performance and enable grid-friendly load shifting.

The flexible heat pump water heater is designed with a stratified tank filled with buoyant non-toxic and durable phase change material capsules. These innovative capsules incorporate seamlessly within commercial and residential water heating systems and are engineered with conductive shells and density control to self-distribute within water layers. This ensures a 30% improvement in the estimated amount of hot water a storage water heater can deliver in the first hour of use without additional power usage. The design allows the system to charge during off-peak demand hours and discharge during peaks and minimizes reliance on electric heating while maintaining hot water availability.

High Energy Density Lithium-Ion Batteries with Extreme Fast Charging Capability Based on Metalized Polymer Current Collectors

ORNL researchers developed a novel type of current collector - a key electric vehicle battery component - that uses fewer near-critical materials while maintaining extreme fast charging capabilities over time. Industry partner Soteria Battery Innovation Group provided a polymer material sandwiched between very thin layers of copper or aluminum, which ORNL researchers used to develop coatings that enable extremely fast charging. This innovation can reduce current collector costs by 85% and pack in 27% more energy for longer trips. A battery made with this type of current collector also maintains significant energy density after a thousand cycles despite the wear caused by repeated extreme fast charging, which restores at least 80%of battery energy within 10 minutes.

HyPoCap: Oxygen-Rich, Hyperporous Carbon for Revolutionary Energy Storage

As the demand for more efficient energy storage grows, current carbon-based supercapacitors face limitations in energy density despite their high-power output and rapid charge-discharge capabilities. Conventional activated carbons reach their maximum energy density at a surface area of approximately 2,000 square meters per gram and less than 10% oxygen content, which limits their performance. Addressing this bottleneck is essential for advancing electric vehicles, grid stability and next-generation electronics toward faster, more resilient energy solutions.

ORNL researchers have developed HyPoCap, an oxygen-rich, hyperporous carbon material with surface areas exceeding 4,000 square meters per gram and up to 15% oxygen content. Produced using a novel low-temperature sodium amide activation of hypercrosslinked polymers, HyPoCap achieves a record capacitance of 610 Farads per gram - triple that of leading commercial carbons - while remaining cost-competitive. The precisely tuned pore structure enhances ion transport and charge retention, enabling significantly higher energy density without sacrificing power delivery or cycle life. HyPoCap's scalable, energy-efficient synthesis positions it to transform the performance of supercapacitors in electric vehicles, renewable integration and critical backup power systems.

Nano eXxtreme Temperature (NeXT) Steel: Balancing Thermal Properties, Oxidation Resistance and Extreme High Temperature Strength for Advanced Energy & Manufacturing Applications

Nano eXtreme Temperature steel, or NeXT steel, is a new medium-carbon martensitic steel developed by ORNL in collaboration with Cummins Inc. This innovative material is designed to meet the demands of extreme environments in the energy and manufacturing sectors, including applications such as pistons in advanced heavy-duty engines as well as dies and inserts used in high-pressure die casting and metalworking.

NeXT steel addresses traditional limitations of metallurgical materials by offering a combination of high strength, fatigue resistance, improved thermal conductivity and environmental durability. Compared to existing H-series tool steels, NeXT steel demonstrates a 25% to 50% improvement in fatigue performance and elevated temperature softening resistance up to 600 degrees Celsius. These enhanced properties make it ideal for applications that demand durability and efficiency while operating under harsh conditions.

The material's potential has been verified through rigorous testing. NeXT steel pistons demonstrated exceptional durability by completing Cummins' 500-hour peak power overfuel test, which maintains the engine at full output while adding excess fuel to intensify combustion temperatures and cylinder pressures. It is also undergoing evaluation for use in fabrication and repair of higher-temperature manufacturing dies and other challenging applications. These advancements could lead to improved manufacturing productivity and efficiency across industrial sectors.

By combining affordability with exceptional mechanical and thermal properties, NeXT steel opens new possibilities for advancing energy and manufacturing applications in extreme environments.

Next-Gen High-Performance Polyiso Foam Insulation

Insulation reduces a building's heating and cooling loads to maintain desired indoor conditions by resisting heat flow through the walls, roofs, floors, or door frames. Oak Ridge National Laboratory's new formulation of foam insulation achieved an initial R-value, which is the industry standard for rating insulation, of 8.3 per inch. This rating outperforms all polyisocyanurate, or PIR-based insulation on the market by 30%.

ORNL researchers used AI in combination with the simulation tool ThermoPi to computationally design the next-generation PIR insulation with elongated or anisotropic cells that are aligned in one direction. This design increases thermal resistance in the direction it matters most and is engineered to limit all modes of heat transfer. The innovation enables a thickness that is 22% less than what is required for currently available PIR foams to meet building code-mandated R-values.

Recyclable Polyester Thermosets and Reinforced Composites

State-of-the-art thermoset polymers used in fiber-reinforced composite manufacturing lack recyclability and have limited shelf lives. This invention addresses these challenges while offering an in-built solution for potential repair and reuse of the composite parts at the end of their lives. Specifically, this team demonstrated the fabrication of tough copolyester vitrimer composites reinforced with fibers. These composites show remarkable toughness and induced malleability at temperatures well below the conventional vitrification temperature.

A novel spectroscopic approach was introduced to characterize the vitrification temperature of the thermoset composites. Combining this insight into fiber-matrix interfacial bond exchange with expertise in scalable manufacturing processes, such as vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding, the team delivered creep-resistant structural composites that can be repaired, reformed for extended life, or remolded to create a different part without compromising performance. The newly developed composite systems use off-the-shelf materials and feature dynamic covalent bond exchange chemistries that are cost-competitive with current state-of-the-art technologies.

Thermal Energy Storage Systems Including Anisotropic Thermal Conductive Carbon Fibers for Enhancing Thermal Efficiency of Phase Change Materials

Phase change materials absorb or release large amounts of thermal energy when they change from one phase to another (for example, from solid to liquid). Low thermal conductivities of phase change materials limit energy storage and reduce efficiency in thermal energy storage systems. A large temperature difference between the heat-carrier fluid and the phase change material is required to enable phase change at the desired speed, and a long time is needed for the phase change to be completed.

ORNL's research team demonstrated that 5% anisotropic carbon fibers by weight, inserted in phase change materials, shortened the melting time at the 20 % solid content by weight from over 8,000 seconds down to 1,260 seconds. New heat-transfer mechanisms contribute to the outstanding performance, with long anisotropic thermally conductive fibers acting as efficient heat flux distributing tunnels and large surface areas serving as nucleation sites and phase change fronts.

BIPHASICS: Point-Source CO2 Capture with Biphasic Solvents

The BIPHASICS process introduces a groundbreaking solution for CO2 capture by integrating a cutting-edge diethylenetriamine-, or DETA, based biphasic solvent with advanced engineering innovations that were enabled through additive manufacturing. When compared with the conventional monoethanolamine solution, the DETA formulation significantly improves process efficiency by reducing the energy intensity of solvent regeneration. Specifically, the DETA solvent's energy consumption is up to 46% less per mole of CO2 recovered while also needing to regenerate just 50% of the solvent volume. These gains address a key limitation of conventional carbon capture technologies by making the process more energy efficient and cost-effective.

In addition to the novel solvent, BIPHASICS uses additive manufacturing to create a unique packed bed design with integrated heat-exchange capabilities. This design minimizes heat loss, optimizes thermal management and reduces both equipment size and capital costs, which ultimately reduces the cost of CO2 capture from point sources by 30% when compared with traditional systems.

Beyond CO2 capture, the additive manufacturing component of the BIPHASICS technology shows promise for broader industrial applications, such as distillation columns in chemical processing and heat and mass transfer systems in petroleum refining.

Electrochemical Graphitization in Molten Salts (E-GRIMS): A Game Changer for Graphite Production

Demand and cost are growing for graphite, a critical material for energy storage devices and nuclear industries. Electrochemical graphitization in molten salts, or E-GRIMS, is a cost-effective electrochemical process that can produce graphite from a variety of amorphous carbon sources. The process requires much less time and lower temperatures (800 degrees Celsius.) than the current commercial graphitization process, which takes weeks at extremely high temperatures (greater than 3000 degrees Celsius.). A revolutionary electrochemical process, E-GRIMS enables a low-energy, cost-effective and scalable approach to graphite production.

E-GRIMS achieves graphitization via cathodic polarization in a molten-salt medium, fundamentally changing how amorphous carbon is converted into crystalline graphite. ORNL's research team graphitized different amorphous carbon precursors into high quality battery grade graphite. This technology operates at just about 800°C, reducing energy consumption by over 90%. These dramatic energy savings translate into a lower carbon footprint and a significantly more economical manufacturing process. E-GRIMS completes graphitization in just two hours, enabling rapid, high-throughput manufacturing while reducing operational costs. E-GRIMS slashes graphite synthesis costs in half, making high-purity synthetic graphite more affordable and accessible for battery manufacturers, energy storage companies and high-performance materials industries, supporting the development of a reliable domestic graphite supply chain and securing national energy security.

Future Foundries: A Foundational Research Platform for the Integration of Emerging Systems

Future Foundries is revolutionizing manufacturing by bringing together traditionally isolated processes into one unified platform. This interleaving of processes achieves significant time savings, reducing production cycles by up to 68% - a critical advancement for large metallic parts that typically suffer from long lead times and high energy use.

This platform enables seamless material flow from wire feedstock to finished product, incorporating advanced technologies such as wire-arc additive manufacturing, five-axis machining, 3D scanning for inspection and induction heating for heat treatment. The platform can process up to four different components simultaneously, demonstrating its adeptness at high-mix, low-volume manufacturing operations. The platform's diverse capabilities target specific industry pain points, such as lengthy lead times, high customization needs and the environmental impact of conventional manufacturing. The seamless integration of processes on a single platform minimizes the need for operator intervention and reduces errors, making advanced manufacturing more accessible and less intimidating. By maintaining a consistent setup and reducing touchpoints, Future Foundries effectively simplifies complex manufacturing tasks.

Future Foundries' modular design, coupled with a digital interface, enables dynamic adaptation to changing manufacturing needs and easy integration with existing equipment. Each module is a self-contained unit that houses a single manufacturing process, equipped with its own utilities and networking. This unprecedented flexibility minimizes entry barriers for small- and medium-sized manufacturing operations. By streamlining production processes and expanding access to advanced manufacturing technologies, Future Foundries has established itself as a leader in efficient manufacturing innovation.

MF-SSLC: Metal Foam Based Separate Sensible and Latent Cooling

High humidity in buildings leads to uncomfortable conditions and impacts occupant health. When humidity is uncontrolled, the temperature inside feels warmer. A warm and wet environment can cause mold and mildew growth which triggers allergic reactions and respiratory issues including asthma. Conventional dehumidification systems to control humidity rely on energy-intensive vapor compression cycles within bulky equipment.

ORNL has developed a new dehumidification process that uses metal foam-based Separated Sensible and Latent Cooling, or SSLC. SLLC leverages a unique porous metal foam material that's coated with advanced drying materials, or desiccants, developed at ORNL through a water-based process. This innovation allows for a compact, efficient moisture management solution that is less energy intensive and enhances performance. SSLC has broad potential for use across commercial and residential sectors and is a scalable solution to traditional dehumidification systems.

SAM+J: Solid-state Additively Manufactured Transition Joints for Extreme Environment

The Solid-state Additively Manufactured Transition Joint, or SAM+J, also known as the Additive Manufactured Graded Composite Transition Joint, is a patented technology that enables the seamless bonding of dissimilar metals through additive manufacturing combined with solid-state processes. SAM+J eliminates weak weld interfaces, enabling joints with six times the durability of traditional alternatives. Designed for use in extreme environments, the technology supports applications across power systems, aerospace and energy industries.

Developed at ORNL in partnership with West Virginia University, GE Vernova, Carpenter Additive, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, SAM+J addresses a long-standing challenge in structural engineering. Its creation was guided by ORNL's Integrated Computational Weld Engineering software, which optimized the additive manufacturing processes for both lab-scale and prototype joints. This software allowed researchers to model and validate the design, ensuring the joints met demanding industry requirements.

By combining materials science and computational engineering, SAM+J delivers a practical solution for developing high-performance multi-material joints. Its durability, performance in extreme conditions and adaptability make it well-suited for structural applications across industries where reliability is critical.

DR-Weld: A High-Performance Digital Reality Simulation Tool of Large-Scale Welding and Additive Manufacturing

A newly developed computational tool, Digital Reality Welding Simulation, or DR-Weld, enables industry-scale modeling of welding and metal additive manufacturing with unprecedented speed and precision. Designed by scientists at ORNL in collaboration with industry partners, the tool tackles the challenge of simulating the complex thermal, mechanical, metallurgical and fluid-dynamic phenomena inherent in these processes. Existing commercial tools require prohibitively long computational times for full-scale, high-fidelity simulations, making predictive modeling of welded and additive manufacturing structures largely unfeasible.

To address this challenge, DR-Weld uses a patented adaptive acceleration scheme that allows it to achieve speeds thousands of times faster than leading software. The tool functions efficiently across computing systems ranging from GPU workstations to supercomputers, offering flexibility for users with varying resources. By significantly reducing prototyping costs and shortening development cycles by weeks or months, the technology makes advanced simulation more accessible, particularly for small and midsize manufacturers. These improvements foster innovation and promote cost savings in industries where capital investment is high, driving global competitiveness.

ExaDigiT: A Digital Twin Framework for Data Centers

ExaDigiT, developed in partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, delivers the first complete digital twin framework for modeling data centers of supercomputers like ORNL's exascale system Frontier in near-real time. The first-of-its-kind software combines modeling of workloads, power and cooling with visualizations and an interactive dashboard to allow optimizations, what-if analysis and virtual prototyping that can be tailored to an individual system's needs.

Modeling systems prior to ExaDigiT offered smaller-scale, narrower models restricted to single perspectives such as power only or cooling only. The system has been employed not only by Frontier but by other leadership-class supercomputers worldwide, including Finland's Large Unified Modern Infrastructure, or LUMI system; France's Adastra system; and Australia's Setonix system, among others.

PRESTO: Privacy REcommendation and SecuriTy Optimization

Led by an ORNL researcher, a team developed Privacy REcommendation and SecuriTy Optimization (PRESTO), a Python toolkit that automates choosing differential-privacy settings that protects a user's privacy when accessing data.

PRESTO analyzes the data and calculates statistics and similarity scores to better understand sensitivity and utility. It then tests different privacy options over candidate differential privacy mechanisms and epsilon, or privacy budget, values to balance privacy risk, accuracy, and stability under uncertainty. This software then gives clear suggestions on which privacy method to use and how much privacy to apply, along with a trustworthy explanation and confidence range.

Modular and scalable, PRESTO plugs into existing machine learning and data analysis pipelines and allows for human review when needed. By replacing guesswork with transparent, auditable and data-driven choices, PRESTO standardizes privacy configuration across teams and datasets and strengthens governance.

Simurgh: AI-Powered Framework for Fast and Accurate Computed Tomography of Dense and Complex Components

Simurgh is an AI-powered framework for reconstructing images acquired using X-ray computed tomography, or CT, for inspecting and verifying the accuracy of parts manufactured for industries such as additive manufacturing, casting, nuclear energy and aerospace. Compared to industry-standard techniques, Simurgh has enabled scanning high-density metals 12 times faster, with a fourfold boost in resolution and six times better flaw detection. The technology saves money and time because it requires fewer scans and less computation, yet accuracy is improved. Simurgh achieves this by leveraging computer-aided design models of scanned parts with physics-based information in an AI-driven reconstruction algorithm.

The research projects highlighted here are funded by one or more of these programs: the Critical Materials Innovation Hub, an Energy Innovation Hub funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office; the Department of Defense Industrial Base and Analysis and Sustainment program; DOE's Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office; DOE's Building Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; DOE's Fossil Energy and Carbon Management; DOE's Geothermal Technologies Office; DOE's High-Performance Computing for Energy Innovation Program; DOE's Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences; DOE's Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division; DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, including LightMAT, Combustion & Materials, Powertrain Materials Core Program, and joint projects with the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office; the National Shipbuilding Research Program; and ORNL's Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, the largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit energy.gov/science.