OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – More than 80 years after the Graphite Reactor helped launch the atomic age, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has opened a new scientific facility aimed at shaping the future of energy storage, quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
The laboratory’s new Translational Research Capability (TRC) spans 100,000 square feet and brings researchers from multiple disciplines together under one roof. The facility is designed to accelerate the transition of scientific discoveries from the laboratory into technologies with practical, real-world applications.
Officials say the TRC will serve as a hub for research in advanced materials, battery development, quantum information science and other emerging technologies critical to the nation’s energy and technology future.
One of the Driest Research Environments in the Nation
One of the facility’s most unique features is its highly specialized battery manufacturing “dry room.”
Engineered with a dew point of minus 75 degrees and a moisture concentration of just 20 parts per million, the room provides an ultra-arid environment necessary for creating advanced battery materials.
Researchers say moisture can interfere with battery chemistry and reduce performance, making strict environmental controls essential.
“If you’re out in the warm Tennessee air, it’s thousands and thousands of water molecules,” said Cynthia Jenks, ORNL’s Associate Laboratory Director for Physical Sciences. “Here, for every million particles, there are only 20 of water.”
Scientists working inside the room must follow special safety protocols because the environment can quickly remove moisture from skin and airways, increasing the risk of dehydration.
Accelerating Battery Technology
The facility gives researchers the ability to move from designing materials at the atomic level to producing working battery prototypes.
According to ORNL materials scientist Andrew Westover, the laboratory’s rapidly growing battery research program had previously been spread across multiple buildings.
“Previously, our battery portfolio had grown, and we were in 10 different laboratories,” Westover said. “Consolidating into this space gives us material synthesis and characterization capabilities, but the real enabling piece is this dry room.”
Researchers are developing next-generation lithium-ion and solid-state batteries that could improve performance for electric vehicles, consumer electronics and future aviation applications.
Scientists are also producing thousands of experimental coin-cell batteries for testing and evaluation.
Supporting the AI Revolution
The new facility is also focused on meeting growing energy demands associated with artificial intelligence.
Among the technologies being tested is a prototype redox flow battery, a large-scale energy storage system designed to provide backup power and improve electrical grid reliability.
Researchers believe those systems could play an important role in supporting power-hungry data centers that drive AI development.
“We’re going through an AI revolution right now,” Westover said. “This prototype redox flow battery is specifically designed to enable data centers and that AI revolution.”
Building the Future of Quantum Computing
Beyond batteries, the TRC serves as the center of ORNL’s expanding quantum information science initiatives.
The building includes highly specialized laboratories designed to shield sensitive equipment from electromagnetic interference and vibration.
Earlier this year, researchers installed the Pathfinder quantum computing testbed in the facility. Officials say the system enables experts in computing, materials science and engineering to collaborate more closely as they work toward the next generation of scientific computing.
“We are at the bleeding edge of quantum information science,” said Gina Tourassi, ORNL’s Associate Laboratory Director for Computing and Computational Sciences.
Tourassi said ORNL’s long-term goal is to create the first large-scale scientific quantum computer dedicated to open scientific research.
Laboratory leaders believe quantum computing could dramatically accelerate discoveries in chemistry, physics, materials science and energy research over the next decade.
Continuing Oak Ridge’s Scientific Legacy
Located just a short distance from the historic Graphite Reactor, the new Translational Research Capability represents the latest chapter in Oak Ridge’s history of scientific innovation.
Officials say the facility’s mission is straightforward: bring researchers together, speed up scientific discovery and transform groundbreaking research into technologies that benefit industry, national security and everyday life.
