Story tips from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, October 2009
Graphene cleanup . . .
Graphene, a single-layer sheet of graphite, has potential as a remarkable material, particularly for electronics and composite applications. However, working with the material leaves molecular-scale rough edges, which spoil its properties. Theory-based computer simulations performed by researchers at DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory explain how a process called Joule heating cleans up the edges of the graphene as the carbon edges vaporize and then reconstruct at the higher, voltage-induced temperature. ORNL's computational simulations with quantum mechanical calculations explain how the process works. The research, first funded by Lab Directed Research and Development, with further funding by the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences and DOE's Office of Science, was recently described in Science magazine. [Contact: Bill Cabage, (865) 574-4399; cabagewh@ornl.gov]
TRANSPORTATION -- IntelligentFreight hits highway . . .
Information sharing technologies at the heart of Web 2.0 are being integrated into an Oak Ridge National Laboratory freight tracking system that could revolutionize the industry. Most importantly, IntelligentFreight will add a level of communication and safety beyond what is in place today, according to Randy Walker, transportation program manager for the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division. This is especially important for tracking radioactive shipments worldwide. Initially, this technology will be used to track hazardous waste to be buried at a waste management facility at ORNL. Down the road, this technology could be used throughout the DOE system and by the transportation industry worldwide. Funding is provided by the Department of Energy's offices of Science and Environmental Management. [Contact: Ron Walli, (865) 576-0226; wallira@ornl.gov]
NEUTRON SCIENCES -- TOPAZ beam line . . .
Construction and installation has been completed recently on the newest instrument at the Department of Energy's Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Single-Crystal Diffractometer, also known as TOPAZ, will greatly expand the range of materials explored in chemistry, earth sciences, materials science and engineering, solid-state physics and biology. Lead instrument scientist Christina Hoffmann, Neutron Scattering Sciences Division, said TOPAZ also will be of great use in studies of therapeutics and medical compounds, such as aspirin, to help scientists better understand a material's individual effectiveness. TOPAZ, one of 13 SNS instruments now in operation or in commissioning, is funded by DOE's Office of Science. [Contact: Bill Cabage, (865) 574-4399; cabagewh@ornl.gov]
HIGHWAYS -- Better barriers . . .
Advanced computer simulations could be a big hit for truckers and the people who design guardrails, protective barriers and roadway signs. Srdjan Simunovic of Oak Ridge National Laboratory is part of a team conducting a study aimed at gaining a better understanding of crash performance of these safety structures. "Very limited computational simulation work has been conducted on crash performance of barriers when impacted by medium- and heavy-duty trucks because of the computational cost and complexity of full-scale truck models," Simunovic said. The design and engineering of these structures strongly influence the injury-causing g-forces experienced by vehicle occupants and whether the trucks are redirected back into traffic, causing additional hazards. Partners in the study, funded by the National Transportation Research Center Inc., are Battelle Memorial Institute and the University of Tennessee. [Contact: Ron Walli, (865) 576-0226; wallira@ornl.gov]
Source: DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
