Feature Articles

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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-Apr-2025 12:08 ET (19-Apr-2025 16:08 GMT/UTC)

9-May-2023

Sandia switches to hydrogen weather balloons

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

More than three years ago, the Sandia National Laboratories-operated atmospheric measurement facility in Alaska switched from launching helium-filled weather balloons to launching weather balloons filled with hydrogen produced on-site. By switching the gas used in their weather balloons, they have reduced their metaphorical footprint on the fragile Arctic ecosystem. Since then, they have launched nearly 5,000 hydrogen balloons with minimal issues.

Funder

DOE/US Department of Energy

4-May-2023

Using math to map social connections

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

Mike Brzustowicz and his team are using a mathematical principle and Sandia’s computing capabilities to probe the mysteries of connections between people and things, and create a predictive measure for everything from energy grid resiliency to A.I.

2-May-2023

Let’s get cracking: Sandia scientists detect gases from fractured rock

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

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.

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DOE/US Department of Energy

1-May-2023

An unlikely plan is helping the U.S. fast-track hypersonic conventional weapons

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia National Laboratories has piloted a new way to transfer technical designs to defense contractors for the common hypersonic glide body, which detaches from a rocket and soars at speeds above Mach 5.

17-Apr-2023

Testing coatings to conserve canisters against corrosion

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

To shield steel from the corrosive threats posed by sea air, Sandia National Laboratories researchers tested a variety of nickel mixtures as protective coatings on stainless steel. The researchers found that the specific material applied, and the specific application process used, impacted the properties of the coating, including how protective it was against corrosion.

Journal

Frontiers in Metals and Alloys

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DOE/US Department of Energy

14-Mar-2023

Sandia scientists help enhance advanced nuclear reactor analysis

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia National Laboratories engineers have developed a standardized screening method to determine the most important radioactive isotopes produced by an advanced nuclear reactor in the unlikely event of an incident.

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

31-Jan-2023

A fresh look at restoring power to the grid

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

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 start.”

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DOE/US Department of Energy

13-Dec-2022

Surveilling carbon sequestration: A smart collar to sense leaks

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

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.

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DOE/US Department of Energy

15-Nov-2022

Sandia studies vulnerabilities of electric vehicle charging infrastructure

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

With electric vehicles becoming more and more common, the risks and hazards of a cyber attack 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.

Journal

Energies

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DOE/US Department of Energy

17-Oct-2022

Burping bacteria: Identifying Arctic microbes that produce greenhouse gases

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

As greenhouse gases bubble up across the rapidly thawing Arctic, Sandia National Laboratories researchers are trying to identify other trace gases from soil microbes that could shed some light on what is occurring biologically in melting permafrost in the Arctic.