Measuring water quality throughout river networks with precision, speed and at lower cost than traditional methods is now possible with AquaBOT, an aquatic drone developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The maneuverable AquaBOT measures water quality indicators such as nitrate, temperature and dissolved oxygen along the entire length of mid-sized streams where water quality can be variable.
ORNL researchers collaborated with Iowa State University and RJ Lee Group to demonstrate a safe and effective antiviral coating for N95 masks. The coating destroys the COVID-19-causing coronavirus and could enable reuse of masks made from various fabrics.
The East Tennessee Economic Council presented Muddy Boot Awards last Friday to Tennessee State Senator Ken Yager and Robert S. Eby, P.E. at a special edition of ETEC’s Friday morning meeting. Both of these deserving honorees have impressive resumes of service in East Tennessee and a passion for education. The Muddy Boot Award was created in the 1970s to honor individuals who have gone above the call of duty—like those who served the nation during the Manhattan Project—to make the community, the state of Tennessee, and the nation a better place to live and work.
Computational users at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, or OLCF, are running scientific codes on Frontier’s architecture in the form of a powerful test system at the OLCF called Crusher. Frontier, an HPE Cray EX supercomputer capable of 1018 calculations per second — or 10 with 18 zeroes — was installed in late 2021 and is undergoing integration and testing. Frontier is on track to be the nation’s first exascale supercomputer this year.
Jim Campbell has nothing but an optimistic outlook for the Oak Ridge region as he prepares to step down in days after a more than 26-year career as President of the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC). As noted in an earlier article in this series, he says, “This community is well-positioned to compete for new (federal) missions.” That was not the case at the time that Campbell started his ETEC role, but it is today, thanks to investments in the federal facilities along with strong performance by those contractors who were charged with delivering results.
Source: ORAU | Release | MArch 24, 2022 ORAU awards $25,000 to Stacey Whaley at Northview Primary STEM School, and Elaina Fields at Claxton Elementary receives
“The federal side has changed a lot over the years, particularly in the past 25,” says Jim Campbell, the retiring President of the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC).
Jim Campbell could write a book, if not an encyclopedia, about the history of Oak Ridge, particularly the federal missions and programs. In fact, writing is one of the activities that he plans to do more of after he retires at the end of this month as President of the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC).
Was there something ironic about holding an event on St. Patrick’s Day to introduce the Knoxville-Oak Ridge community to the 10 start-ups that comprise the inaugural cohort of the “Techstars Industries of the Future Accelerator”?
Y-12 National Security Complex and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have teamed up to rapidly modernize legacy technology and production methods of crucial components for the U.S. nuclear deterrent. A leading example of this collaboration is the recent successful installation and testing of the electron beam cold hearth melter (EBCHM) – a machine that can melt and cast various metals including uranium alloys.
