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Aerial view of laboratory
During World War II, in order to build an atomic bomb before Germany, the United States launched the Manhattan Project. As part of the Manhattan Project, 1943, in February, in Clinton Town, 30 kilometers west of Knoxville, Tennessee, the Clinton Laboratory (later renamed Oak Ridge National Laboratory ORNL), which was engaged in nuclear weapons experimental research, broke ground.
Within a year, a secret city "Oak Ridge" and a national laboratory for nuclear weapons testing and research were built in a barren land. For a long time, Oak Ridge was not found on the published map. Even at 20 13, GPS can only find the street where the laboratory is located, but it can't find its specific house number.
The development of history
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Laboratory entrance sign
In 1950s and 1960s, ORNL was an international center engaged in nuclear energy, physics and life sciences. After the establishment of the US Department of Energy in the 1970s, ORNL's research plan expanded to the fields of energy production, transmission and preservation.
By 265438+the beginning of the 20th century, the task of laboratory supporting the United States was as important as in peacetime, but different from the Manhattan Project.
Scientific research strength
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ORNL has many important scientific research facilities that have developed to a higher level. It has built a new nano-material science center, a genetic science center and the world's largest supercomputer center that performs 40* 10 12 calculations per second. It is responsible for the largest civil scientific research project in the United States, which was jointly built by six American laboratories, with a value of $654.38+04 billion.
ORNL currently employs 4600 people, including 3000 scientists and engineers. ORNL receives 3000 visiting researchers for two weeks or more every year, of which about 25% are from the industrial sector. It receives 30,000 tourists every year, plus students before entering the university 1 10,000.
ORNL's annual fund exceeds 654.38+65 billion US dollars, of which 80% comes from the Department of Energy and 20% comes from customers of the federal government and the private sector. It exceeded 1 billion dollars for the first time in fiscal year 2003. The Bater Memorial Institute of the University of Tennessee has provided millions of dollars to support mathematics and science education, economic development and other projects in the Great Oak Ridge area.
ORNL plans to invest 300 million dollars to provide a modern place for the next generation of large-scale scientific research. Funds provided by the federal government, state governments and the private sector are used to build 1 1 new devices, including functional genome center, nano-material science, advanced material characterization laboratory and joint research institute of computational science.
The spallation neutron source SNS with an investment of 65.438+0.6 billion US dollars is the largest civil science project in the world, and ORNL has thus become the world's leading neutron science research center. [ 1]
research field
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ITER schematic diagram
ORNL's mission is to carry out basic and applied research and development, provide scientific knowledge and innovative methods to solve complex problems in technology, and enhance the leading position of the United States in major scientific fields; Improve the utilization rate of clean energy; Restore and protect the environment and promote national security.
With the construction of modern facilities making cutting-edge research possible, ORNL is repositioning its major scientific tasks in the future, involving advanced computing, advanced materials, biological systems, energy science, nanotechnology, national security, neutron science, research facilities and other related research fields.
ORNL is engaged in research and development activities in a wide range of scientific disciplines, and ORNL is in an international leading position in many scientific fields. It is mainly engaged in research in the following scientific fields, including neutron science, complex biological systems, energy, advanced materials, national security and high-performance computing.
1, neutron science
2. Biological system
Step 3 be energetic
Bioenergy project
Power transmission technology
:: Energy efficiency and power technology
Energy efficiency and renewable energy
Industrial technology project
The United States participated in the international thermonuclear fusion experimental reactor project.
4. New materials
Center for Basic and Applied Research of Catalysis
Physical center of structural material defects
Nanomaterials Science Center
High temperature materials laboratory
Industrial technology project
5. National security
6, high performance computing
7. Nanotechnology
Biological and Nanosystems Group
Nano application center
Superconducting wire.
ORNL developed a high temperature superconducting wire through three-dimensional self-assembly of insulating nano-dots. As an effective flux pinning center, the nanodot array distributed throughout the thickness of the second generation thick film superconducting production line meets the requirements of most practical power applications. In 2006, this achievement was rated as "the best" by the professional magazine Nanotechnology Digest and awarded the International Top 50 Nanotechnology Award. In 2008, Dr Amit Goyal of the laboratory won the inventor award for developing this technology.
-Diagnosis (diagnosis)
ORNL is developing and implementing nanostructured devices that directly manipulate the transcription process-with this device, genes in cells can be induced or inhibited by electronic control. In this method, the cell-penetrating nano-electrode is used as the nano-function of the cell interface, so that the bound genetic material can be introduced into the cell and monitored by external stimulation applied on the multi-scale equipment platform. This research platform is a powerful tool to understand the function of a single gene in a single cell.
-Nano-fermentation (nano-fermentation)
Nano-fermentation uses natural metal-reducing strains to produce customized single crystal nanoparticles of various important engineering materials. The discovery that bacteria can be used in industrial biological processing to make mixed metal oxides has made a breakthrough in the large-scale synthesis of nano-powders. The size and morphology of particles can be controlled by centralized methods, including temperature, incubation time and the choice of electron donors or some chemical additives.
Using familiar and mature industrial equipment and simple fermentation practice, nano-fermentation is carried out at or near room temperature. This strain is completely natural and there is no danger. The operation process can be carried out under a wide range of conditions that make the product meet special needs, and can be easily increased in proportion. Nano-fermentation produces extremely fine, well-controlled and solid crystalline products with a wide range of components.
-Nano-reinforced alley.
ORNL's revolutionary rapid infrared heating process is controlled, from nano-grain refinement to the production of high-performance forgings with excellent tensile strength and fatigue resistance. ORNL is cooperating with forging industry association to commercialize this R&D 100 award-winning technology.
-Super hydrophobic material.
ORNL has developed super-hydrophobic (waterproof) nanostructure materials, which may reduce energy loss by reducing friction and corrosion. ORNL is working to commercialize powders based on superhydrophobic oxides. This kind of powder has nanometer characteristics of accurate repetition and high uniformity of surface size of each particle.
These functions are coated with a fluorine-containing compound-treated monolayer. These super waterproof materials have many general and advanced applications, including energy-saving applications of drag reduction and heat transfer enhancement, new sensors and biomedical applications. ORNL is currently working hard to improve the quality of powder and develop a binder system.
-Real-time characterization.
ORNL developed a technology to sample the nanoparticles produced in the gas phase process in real time through a commercial differential mobility analyzer. The production technology of metal oxide particles and carbon nano-materials has been confirmed. The system was tested in the plasma arc reactor of Luna nanoWorks Company.
Nanoscience and Equipment Group
Nanoscience and Equipment Group is a part of ORNL Life Sciences Department. Its research fields include: stress caused by absorption, nano-electromechanical system and micro-electromechanical system sensors, nano-scale molecular mechanics, interface physical chemistry, scanning probe microscope and molecular comb.
Through the research in these fields, many exciting integration foundations of traditional separated scientific fields have been established, and the once obvious dividing lines between molecular biology, fluid mechanics, quantum mechanics and photonics have been crossed. The technological progress made is likely to benefit mankind, from improving the examination and treatment of cancer, detecting mines, and artificially restoring the visually and hearing impaired to protecting civilians and the military from attacks by conventional weapons, nuclear weapons and chemical and biological weapons.
Biology and Nanogroup
National Oak Ridge Institute
The research of nanotechnology in biological and nano-scale groups includes the following projects: nano-sensing and driving using nano-analogues; Photoetch that molecular scale of the biological functional surface with a scanning probe; And biomolecular interface nano-scale device patterning. These projects aim to design, construct and realize nanostructures for interfacing, simulating or characterizing biological systems.
Other research areas
In addition to the main key areas, ORNL also conducts world-class research in the following scientific fields:
Field of chemical science
ORNL conducts basic and applied research in chemistry through experiments, theories and calculations, including: chemical biology, fluid interface reaction, structure and transportation, geochemistry and aqueous solution chemistry, various catalysis, laser spectrum, mass spectrometry, material chemistry, molecular transformation and fuel chemistry, neutron science, polymer, synthesis and characterization, radioactive material characterization, separation chemistry, surface science and interface chemistry, and theory, modeling and simulation.
Field of nuclear physics
The key areas of research are: experiment, with emphasis on heavy ions and atomic physics; In theoretical research, the emphasis is on nuclear physics, astrophysics and the physics of core particle interface. [ 1]
Chronicle of events
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Nuclear fission was discovered in 1939.
1942 Oak Ridge was chosen as the site of the Manhattan Project of World War II.
1943, the world's first graphite reactor with a continuous operation cost of120,000 USD, reached a critical point after nine months of construction.
1944 Plutonium was produced in graphite reactor, preparing for the production of plutonium for atomic bomb in hanford reactor, so as to end World War II.
Element 6 1 (promethium) was found in the graphite reactor of 1945; Neutron scattering research was conducted in the reactor for the first time (the experimenters were Ernie Wolan and Cliff Schur (right)); The latter won the 1994 Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering work in graphite reactors).
1946, the radioisotope produced by the reactor was sent to the cancer hospital for the first time; The idea of pressurized water reactor (later used for nuclear power and submersible thrust) was put forward. Design a radiation detector and dosimeter.
1947 mice were used to study the genetic effects of radiation on mammals; Atomic energy commission established
1948 is designed to study the fuel composition of the reactor; The material experimental reactor was designed in ORNL and built in Idaho.
The Prex process was developed in ORNL in 1949, and later became a method to recover uranium and plutonium from used reactor fuel all over the world.
1950 Oak Ridge Reactor Technology School was established; First operation of low current test reactor
195 1, the fully shielded reactor began to operate; Measuring neutron half-life; Install 5 MW electrostatic accelerator
1952, the first heavy ion cyclotron in ORNL was built; According to the study of irradiated mouse embryos, ORNL warned that women who might be pregnant should be examined by X-ray. The first operation of homogeneous reactor experiment
1953, the world's most powerful Oak Ridge automatic computer and logic machine was installed in ORNL. ORNL is a mobile reactor designed for the military and used in remote areas.
ORNL ecological plan started from1954; Testing ORNL experimental aircraft reactor: the tower shielding device was put into operation for the first time, which provided data for the reverse nuclear plane plan, and the chemical reaction was studied in detail by using the collision of two different reactants with molecular beams for the first time.
1955, ORNL's small "swimming pool" reactor was presented to President Eisenhower at the United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atoms. Alvin Weinberg was appointed as the director of ORNL, and this position lasted for 18 years.
RNA was found in1956; Show the first bone marrow transplant. The National Academy of Sciences predicted the genetic effects of radiation on human beings based on the data of ORNL mice.
1957 under the influence of ORNL's leadership, the allowable medical radiation level and radionuclide in the workplace were determined; ORNL's first nuclear fusion research device was built.
Oak Ridge Research Reactor started operation on 1958; The first attempt to find a storage site for high-level nuclear waste in the United States began in ORNL.
1959 found that male mice depend on the existence of Y chromosome; ORNL researchers discovered the shadow team shield used on the first civilian nuclear-powered ship in the United States.
1960, made a pocket whistle of personal radiation monitor; An experimental plan to measure the genetic effects of chemicals on mice has been launched.
196 1 year, developing radioisotope heating source to provide power for space satellites; Transmutation doping method was developed in ORNL reactor. And then used for manufacturing electronic components.
1962 to carry out physical research on radiation protection; Complete the research reactor; The ion channel effect was found by computer simulation. The military-civilian research plan was launched; The wooden bench is marked with radioactive isotope cesium-137; Analysis shows that radioactive particles produced by nuclear weapons experiments are harmful.
1963 radiation shielding information center was established; The First Operation of Oak Ridge synchrocyclotron
1964, becoming the first national laboratory to employ social scientists (initially conducting military-civilian dual-use research); Introduce the concept of ORNL nuclear desalination at the UN General Assembly.
1965 Qualcomm bright isotope reactor (HFIR) and molten salt reactor operation (MSR)
1966 graphite pile was named as a national historic milestone; A Keno Monte Carlo program for evaluating nuclear criticality safety is developed.
1967 walker tributary basin research facilities are open to ecosystem research; Under the international biology project, ORNL was selected to lead the ecosystem research in the United States; The virus was isolated in ORNL high-speed centrifuge. A simulation program for evaluating the radiation shielding ability is developed.
1968 uses uranium 233 to run the second molten salt reactor (this is the first reactor using this fuel); Invent a rapid centrifugal analyzer for medical diagnosis; Ultra-pure vaccine is produced by regional centrifuge developed by ORNL; A stainless steel alloy with better neutron-induced expansion resistance was designed.
1969, the neutron cross section was measured for the first time by using the new oak ridge electron linac. ORNL became a leader in the combination of geographic information system and remote sensing; Apollo 1 1 moon rock collector design.
1970 puts forward the scale standard, which is helpful to ensure the safe storage and transportation of used nuclear fuel; Operation of ORNL's first tokamak fusion research facility for plasma physics experiments
The Water Ecology Laboratory was established in1971; Obtain the favorite water temperature data of fish required by the environmental impact statement; The possible shape of deformed uranium -234 nucleus is determined in accelerator research.
1972 energy-saving research plan started; Freezing and thawing mouse embryos and transplanting them into the mother mice to give birth to healthy young mice; In the bioreactor, it was found that bacteria in vegetable garden soil removed nitrate and rare metals from industrial wastewater. It is found that the quadrupole magnet vibrates greatly. The modes of these nuclear oscillations have been extensively studied.
From 65438 to 0973, the composition of moon rocks was analyzed. Ultrasonic fish marker is used to measure and transmit the favorite water temperature of fish.
Herman Postma was appointed Director of ORNL in 1974, which lasted for 14 years; Developed Cr-Mo steel; It is used in power station boilers and oil refining boilers all over the world.
1975, the computer model of ecosystem was developed, and ORNL became the leader of system ecology. A high-strength iridium alloy for sealing nuclear fuel of space probe was developed.
1976 installation of experimental safe-flow bioreactor in oak ridge sewage treatment plant; A plan was launched to improve the production of liquid and gaseous fuels from coal and determine their biological effects.
President Jimmy Carter visited ORNL；; ; A shot injection method for adding fuel to fission energy research equipment has been developed and widely used all over the world.
1979 ORNL neutral injector helps Princeton plasma physics laboratory set a fusion plasma temperature record; ORNL helped the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determine the causes and consequences of the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant; It was found that ethyl nitrosourea was the most effective chemical substance to induce mutation in mice. In the research mice, it was found that nitrite in food preservatives reacted with food and drug amines to form carcinogenic nitrosamines.
1980 holyfield heavy ion research facility (HHIRF) is open to the public as a nuclear physics user facility; After the opening of the National Small Angle Scattering Research Center, HHIRF became a user facility; National Environmental Research Park (12400 mu) is open; It is found that the new technology of ion implantation can improve the surface properties of materials. ORNL implanted titanium alloy with nitrogen ions to make artificial joints with longer life; Establish a computer model to predict the influence of power station on fish in Hudson River; Researchers at ORNL began to study remote control technology and became world leaders in manufacturing robots that undertake dangerous tasks.
198 1 year, whisker toughened and fracture-resistant ceramics were developed and used as cutting tools in factories.
1982, in order to improve the efficiency of refrigerators and heat pumps, standards were formulated and designs were drawn up; Insulation standards are formulated and adopted by the federal government. An improved nickel aluminide alloy was developed for commercial production of steel and automobile parts. Fusion energy researchers successfully tested superconducting magnets on large coil test equipment. The carbon dioxide information analysis center was established, which is a world-famous global change data storage center.
1984, using the light and action in spinach and algae, the experiment of producing huge energy of hydrogen from water was started.
1985 development of fatty acids with iodine 123 for medical scanning diagnosis of heart disease; University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory establish a scientific alliance; Glue casting has been developed and is now used commercially to form micro-eddy current theory ceramic parts.
1986, ORNL determined the time of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the reason why so much radiation was released.
1987 high temperature materials laboratory was opened as user equipment for industrial researchers seeking to manufacture energy-saving engines; Laser is used to make high temperature superconducting materials; In view of the concern of the Ministry of Energy about the safety management of laboratory reactors, all the reactors in ORNL have been closed.
1988, in order to study the fusion energy, the advanced ring device was started by using the star simulator; Alvin Trivelpiece was appointed as the director of ORNL for a term of 12 years.
1989 provided the NRC with the first draft of the General Environmental Impact Report for issuing the operation license of nuclear power plants.
1990 the study of ORNL acid rain led to the control of sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions in industry; Atomic number contrast electron microscope sees rows of atoms; Computer code helps troops to better deploy troops and equipment on the battlefield; Confirm the existence of quarks in neutrons
Neutron activation analysis on 199 1 year HHFIR denies the claim that an American president died of arsenic poisoning. Write software to solve problems by connecting scattered PCs.
President George Bush visited ORNL；; ; Invented rhenium 188 isotope generator to treat cancer and heart disease patients all over the world; Inventing thin-film miniature lithium battery; Found and cloned the gene that stung guinea pigs in mice; Found that mutant genes lead to obesity, diabetes and cancer; Graphical Input Language (GRAIL) was developed to identify genes in DNA sequences on computers.
1993, invented the optical biopsy technology, which can find cancer and tumor in esophagus without surgery. UT-ORNL ranks among the top 500 supercomputers.
1994 invented the "lab on a chip", which is now used in protein analysis and drug discovery experiments; Invented mass spectrometry technology to detect pollutants, explosives and protein; Develop alliance software to make a group of robots work together; The code is prepared for running the future climate model on the new parallel supercomputer.
1995 Start with Intel Paragon XP/s150; , the fastest supercomputer in the world at that time; The RABiTSTM method for manufacturing high temperature superconducting wires was invented. Develop ultra-high speed data storage and retrieval system for supercomputers; ORNL's DNA protein crystal grows in the universe with the Columbia space shuttle; A signal analysis system was developed for the navy to detect passing submarines.
1996 Volkswagen refrigerator model transformation, energy consumption halved; It is found that graphite foam conducts heat very well. Design a heartbeat detector to find terrorists and criminals hiding in the car; A searchable e-book window helps collaborators conduct experiments through the Internet.
1997 developed equipment for testing the conversion of Russian weapon-grade uranium into reactor-grade fuel; The preliminary design of mass spectrometer to help the navy discover biochemical threats: it is the first time to approve genetically designed microorganisms to produce VITALE to enhance the signal of damaged video tapes and help the police solve the crime problem; The world's largest watershed experiment shows the effects of drought and heavy rain on forests; For the first time, it was approved to publish microorganisms obtained through genetic engineering.
1998 invented the MicroCAT scanner; Draw the internal change map of mutant mice; Outdoor face experiments show that rubber trees grow faster in the atmosphere with high CO2 concentration. ORNL's technology helps semiconductor companies find problems that lead to computer chip defects.
1999 Vice President Gore delivered a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of spallation neutron source; Invent a multifunctional biochip to quickly detect human diseases; Conducting alloy research leads to paper mills upgrading or new boilers, making them safer.
In 2000, Bill Madia was appointed Director of ORNL; Two new supercomputers are put into operation; ORNL ranks fourth among the top 65,438+000 in the International protein Structural Prediction Competition; TianNaXi University-Oak Ridge National Laboratory opens National Transportation Research Center; Developing energy-saving water heaters with heat pumps; ORNL helps sequence three human chromosomes; Fusion energy theorists began to design quasi-magnetic star simulators.
In 200 1 year, HHFIR was put into operation again after replacing thulium reflector and adding research building. A hologram is designed for a semiconductor company to directly check the three-dimensional defects of the numbers; GRAIL was used in landmark papers on human genome sequencing in Science and Nature. Spencer Abraham, Minister of Energy, visited ORNL and transferred the land of the Ministry of Energy to ORNL for new construction. Develop superconducting transformers and high temperature superconducting cables with industrial partners.
The fastest supercomputer target of ORNL- Cray Partners in 2002; UT-ORNL joint institute of computer science broke ground; The modernization plan of 300 million US dollars started construction; The Ministry of Energy approved the establishment of nano-phase materials science center in ORNL; ORNL energy technology displayed in the window of human life; Actinium -225 was transported from ORNL to the hospital to treat leukemia.
Jeff Wadsworth has been the director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory since August 6th, 2003.
Privately funded facilities in 2003: A 300,000-square-foot state-of-the-art energy and computing science laboratory will be built on the land transferred by the Ministry of Energy.