ORNL Invention Alert: Innovative Tech to the Marketplace

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Atomic Canyon to accelerate nuclear licensing with AI

ORNL and Atomic Canyon signed a memorandum of understanding to streamline the licensing process for nuclear power plants with AI for license application reviews. The agreement outlines their shared intentions to use high-performance computing to create high-fidelity simulations that ensure the safety of designs while accelerating licensing.

“ORNL was critical to the development of nuclear energy more than 75 years ago, and we are committed to advancing the technologies needed to sustain and grow the nation’s nuclear capacity today,” said ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer. “The time is now. With new capabilities enabled by AI and partners like Atomic Canyon, we can help the nuclear industry unleash American energy.”

Six entrepreneurs have joined the next cohort of Innovation Crossroads. The program provides energy-related startup founders from across the nation with access to ORNL’s unique scientific resources and capabilities, as well as connect them with experts, mentors and networks to accelerate their efforts to take their world-changing ideas to the marketplace. Read more.

United Rare Earths has licensed two innovative technologies from Oak Ridge National Laboratory aimed at reducing dependence on critical rare earth elements. These technologies support the creation of high-performance magnets engineered to use significantly less rare earth content. Read more.

New ORNL Inventions

Strain Templating and Control of Topological Quantum States
202305497 // IT and Communications // Detectors and Sensors
This technology enables controlled manipulation of topological quantum states through nanoscale strain templating in superconducting materials. The approach provides a pathway to influence vortex configurations critical for quantum information applications—offering a scalable alternative to lithographic techniques. This innovation addresses a key challenge in quantum computing: how to precisely direct and reconfigure vortex behavior in superconductors.

A Deep Machine Learning Method for One-to-Many Scenarios
202405762 // Manufacturing
This technology offers a novel machine learning approach for predicting variability in situations where the same input conditions yield varying outputs. It addresses common challenges in fields like manufacturing and materials science, where understanding and managing variability is critical. By predicting both average behavior and the range of possible outcomes, the method provides deeper insight into the associated variability and supports better decision-making in design, optimization, and control of processes and experiments.

Composite Oven Panel
202405774 // Energy and Utilities // Materials
Reflective and emissive surfaces are designed with heat retention as opposed to the current state of the art oven and furnaces which use non-reflective surfaces. Heat is absorbed and transferred to the exterior of the heated appliances. The same is true of industrial furnaces, retaining heat instead of transferring to the surrounding has typically relied on low thermal conductivity insulation instead of controlled surface reflectivity.

Multi-harmonic Brushless Excitation System for Wound-Field Synchronous Machines
202505857 // Transportation // Energy and Utilities
This invention enables a brushless excitation system for wound-field synchronous machines (WFSMs) using controlled magnetic field harmonics. The approach eliminates the need for traditional brushes or rotary transformers—offering a more reliable, cost-effective, and simplified alternative for delivering rotor excitation, with potential to reduce reliance on critical materials like rare-earth magnets.

Thermophilic PET Bioconversion
202505864 // Chemicals // Healthcare and Biology
We have developed thermophilic bacterial strains that can break down PET and consume ethylene glycol and TPA. This will help enable modern, petroleum-derived plastics to be converted into value-added chemicals.

Six-Cable Parallel Robot for Automated Installation of Large Components
202505889 // Energy and Utilities // Manufacturing
This invention presents a six-cable cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) system tailored for automated construction tasks, including but not limited to panelized envelopes for retrofits and new construction. The technologies reduce setup complexity while maintaining the necessary control to position prefabricated panels, addressing challenges in retrofitting multi-story buildings or installing panelized envelopes with reduced labor and equipment costs.

High-Fidelity 3D Printed Structured Catalysts
202505918 // Energy and Utilities // Chemicals
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Dartmouth College have developed a 3D printing method for manufacturing structured catalysts with improved resolution and performance. Designed to address key limitations in continuous flow reactors, this innovation enhances conversion efficiency for processes such as catalytic pyrolysis of waste into jet fuel.

Speed Estimation from a Single Image of a Disc
202505921 // Security and Defense // Transportation
A novel method enables passive estimation of a rotating disc's tangential speed using a single image from a moving camera. This technique is applicable to scenarios where direct measurement tools are impractical or unavailable, such as uncooperative targets or obstructed views. It offers a scalable and discreet solution for monitoring vehicle speeds or rotational machinery.

Carbon Nanofiber-Binder Composite for Polysulfide Flow Battery
202505924// Energy and Utilities // Materials
Researchers have developed composite electrodes composed of polymer-bound carbon nanofibers and carbon black for use in sodium polysulfide flow batteries. This technology supports long-duration energy storage with earth-abundant, cost-effective materials and enhanced electrochemical performance, directly advancing the DOE’s Grid Modernization Initiative by providing resilient, large-scale energy storage that smooths renewable generation and accelerates grid recovery after disturbances. By substituting critical minerals with plentiful sodium and carbon, it also fortifies supply chains and strengthens national energy security.

eDICEML
202505938 // IT and Communications
eDICEML is a software-based digital twin that emulates the hardware and software of instrument-computing ecosystems. Designed to reduce cost and risk during development and explore design options, this platform enables continuous testing, orchestration, and deployment of complex scientific workflows without requiring access to physical instruments or infrastructure.

Vinyl Ester Resin for Against the Gravity Direct Ink Writing
202505951 // Materials // Manufacturing
Researchers developed a vinyl ester resin formulation specifically designed for direct ink writing (DIW) that enables the printing of self-supported complex structures against gravity. This advancement addresses key limitations in DIW by improving shape fidelity and structural integrity during printing.

To learn more about these technologies, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call
865-574-1051.