ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Peter Kobos, an economist and manager at Sandia National Laboratories, has been selected as a senior fellow of the United States Association for Energy Economics. Kobos defines energy economics as the science of storytelling, using data to determine which energy technologies can perform as needed and which technologies are cost-effective enough to […]
Author Archives: Mollie Rappe
New tool models viability of closed-loop geothermal systems
November 14, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Geothermal power has a lot of promise as a renewable energy source that is not dependent on the sun shining or the wind blowing, but it has some challenges to wide adoption. One of these challenges is that there are a limited number of locations in the U.S. that naturally have the right […]
Wearable sensor to monitor ‘last line of defense’ antibiotic
October 3, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, bacteria have evolved numerous ways to evade or outright ignore the effects of antibiotics. Thankfully, healthcare providers have an arsenal of infrequently used antibiotics that are still effective against otherwise resistant strains of bacteria. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have combined earlier work on painless […]
Cyber Defender interns take on national security challenges
September 21, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Nearly every day, a cyberattack or newly discovered zero-day exploit hits the headlines, which makes providing the best training for the next generation of cybersecurity professionals of vital importance. Sandia National Laboratories’ internship institute in cybersecurity, called the Center for Cyber Defenders, has been introducing college students from across the U.S. to […]
Sandia successfully tests heat-powered system
August 21, 2023 – 7:24 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Capturing carbon dioxide and pumping it deep underground could be an important part of mitigating the effects of climate change. However, ensuring the carbon dioxide stays trapped away from the atmosphere, where it serves as a heat-trapping greenhouse gas, is critical. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories recently designed, built and lab-tested a […]
Silicon nose: Small sensor ‘smells’ incipient seizures
June 20, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In people with epilepsy, seizure-alert dogs can smell small changes in body chemistry and warn of an impending seizure an hour or more before it occurs. Inspired by this feat of nature, a team of researchers has sniffed out a way to replicate the ability with technology. Sandia National Laboratories and research […]
Sandia switches to hydrogen weather balloons
May 9, 2023 – 10:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Hundreds of miles north of the Arctic Circle, Sandia National Laboratories researchers ensure the collection of important weather and climate data. By switching the gas used in their weather balloons, they have reduced their metaphorical footprint on the fragile Arctic ecosystem. More than three years ago, the Sandia-operated atmospheric measurement facility in […]
Let’s get cracking: Sandia scientists detect gases from fractured rock
May 2, 2023 – 7:03 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Geoscientists have detected specific gases being released from fractured rocks in real time after a series of small chemical explosions set underground. This fundamental research, led by Sandia National Laboratories geoscientist Steve Bauer, could one day improve the prediction of earthquakes or detection of underground explosions. “In the different shots, we were […]
Testing coatings to conserve canisters against corrosion
April 17, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — As anyone who has lived near the ocean can attest, metal and sea mist are a recipe for corrosion. A nuisance of coastal life, the consequences of these common chemical reactions become far more serious when it is taking aim at the stainless-steel canisters that contain spent nuclear fuel. To shield steel […]
Sandia scientists help enhance advanced nuclear reactor analysis
March 14, 2023 – 7:47 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Nuclear power is a significant source of steady carbon-neutral electricity, and advanced reactors can add more of it to the U.S. grid, which is vital for the environment and economy. For decades, Sandia National Laboratories has supported the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in its role of regulating and licensing nuclear reactors. With many […]
Studying ship tracks to inform climate intervention decision-makers
February 20, 2023 – 7:10 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Scientists from Sandia National Laboratories are studying ship tracks — clouds that reflect sunlight and are formed by moving ships, similar to contrails from planes — to help inform decision-makers of the benefits and risks of one technology being considered to slow climate change. To understand how these ship tracks move and […]
Can clay capture carbon dioxide?
February 9, 2023 – 9:49 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The atmospheric level of carbon dioxide — a gas that is great at trapping heat, contributing to climate change — is almost double what it was prior to the Industrial Revolution, yet it only constitutes 0.0415% of the air we breathe. This presents a challenge to researchers attempting to design artificial trees […]
A fresh look at restoring power to the grid
January 31, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Climate change can alter extreme weather events, and these events have the potential to strain, disrupt or damage the nation’s grid. Sandia National Laboratories computer scientists have been working on an innovative computer model to help grid operators quickly restore power to the grid after a complete disruption, a process called “black […]
Surveilling carbon sequestration: A smart collar to sense leaks
December 13, 2022 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories engineers are working on a device that would help ensure captured carbon dioxide stays deep underground — a critical component of carbon sequestration as part of a climate solution. Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing CO2 — a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere — […]
Sandia studies vulnerabilities of electric vehicle charging infrastructure
November 15, 2022 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — With electric vehicles becoming more common, the risks and hazards of a cyberattack on electric vehicle charging equipment and systems also increases. Jay Johnson, an electrical engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, has been studying the varied vulnerabilities of electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the past four years. Johnson and his team recently […]