A breakthrough at PNNL could free friction stir from current constraints—and open the door for increased use of the advanced manufacturing technique on commercial assembly lines.
By combining computational modeling with experimental research, scientists identified a promising composition that reduces the need for a critical material in an alloy that can withstand extreme environments.
PNNL researchers have developed a new, physics-informed machine learning model that accurately predicts how heat accumulates and dissipates during friction stir processing.
With the launch of a large research barge, PNNL and collaborators took another significant step to improve offshore wind forecasting that will lower risk and cost associated with offshore wind energy development.
In a study off the West Coast, researchers find that although seabirds generally soar underneath the height of possible future wind turbine blades, more work is being done to fully understand seabird flight behavior.
Researchers seek to bring down costs, address potential environmental risks and maximize the benefits of harnessing wind energy above the deep waters of the Pacific.
The nation is closer to its offshore wind energy goals than ever before, but better wind forecasting is still needed. To address this challenge, PNNL and collaborators are charting a new course with help from novel technology.
PNNL had a significant presence at October’s North American Wind Energy Academy/WindTech 2023 Conference in Denver, Colorado. Thirteen PNNL wind experts participated in various capacities.
Recognizing how innovation and clean technologies at the very edge of the grid can work together to transition the electricity system, PNNL takes a multidisciplinary approach to advancing and integrating renewable energy solutions.
PNNL has received 119 R&D 100 Awards since 1969, when the laboratory began submitting entries in the contest that recognizes top 100 inventions each year.
PNNL has paired one of its offshore wind research buoys with its ThermalTracker-3D technology to correlate avian activity with ocean and weather conditions off the California coast.
Rotational Hammer Riveting, developed by PNNL, joins dissimilar materials quickly without preheating rivets. The friction-based riveting enables use of lightweight magnesium rivets and also works on aluminum and speeds manufacturing.
Twelve energy-related technologies developed at PNNL have been selected for additional technology maturation funding to help move them from the laboratory and field tests to the marketplace.
Superman may be known as the "Man of Steel," but scientific superheroes at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are developing a novel approach for manufacturing metals with superior strength.
A PNNL study that evaluated the use of friction stir technology on stainless steel has shown that the steel resists erosion more than three times that of its unprocessed counterpart.
