Throw another rock on the fire
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers have joined with scientists worldwide in a collaborative effort to pursue a massive energy reserve that, by itself, could keep America powered into the next century. But, retrieving that resource poses quite a challenge. In fact, it's trapped within rock three-quarters of a mile below Alaska and Canada's frozen tundra, and in offshore locations scattered around America's coastline.
Early next year, PNNL researchers will obtain frozen core samples from the MacKenzie Delta in Canada that contain methane gas trapped in an ice-like substance called gas hydrate. These 'rock gas' samples from the Mallik Research Well may unlock clues to future U.S. energy independence if a safe and economical harvesting process can be perfected.
Weight loss program for glass
With today's average car sporting upward of 150 pounds of glass, it's clear why the automotive industry has set a goal to cut this weight by one-third, despite the challenge of preserving safety and performance features. Less weight means improved gas efficiency and lower emissions.
With a dedicated suite of models and experimental tools, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and its automotive and glass manufacturing partners have developed a prototype windshield 30 percent lighter that retains key optical, thermal and safety properties. Related efforts at PNNL have focused on strength testing of various lightweight glass designs, high-speed impact windshield testing and understanding how temperature, humidity and flaws impact glass strength. Researchers also are studying the overall structural behavior of glass and have learned, for example, that windshield thickness may be reduced by as much as half and result in only small decreases in a vehicle's "torsional rigidity."
Up on the rooftop: energy savings
Using equipment intended to save energy is a losing battle if that equipment isn't working properly. A new diagnostic system developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory can help ensure economizer devices purchased for rooftop air-conditioning units are working at peak performance.
PNNL's diagnostician allows building managers to remotely monitor conditions like temperature and thermostat control commands. Rather than a technician climbing onto the roof, opening the air-conditioning unit and taking measurements by hand, the rooftop diagnostician records all that information and posts it on a web page, enabling technicians to monitor the system from a desk. The constant collection of data also provides a more comprehensive view of the system's performance.
Future enhancements will include capabilities to check efficiency levels and the condition of filters and coils. The diagnostician also could be useful in monitoring chillers, boilers and substations.
Flow in the fast lane
At the nanoscale level of molecules, moving through a fluid is like navigating your car through heavy traffic-great if you could use the fast lane. Liquids have a nanoscale "fast lane," as experiments by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientists have shown. This could be crucial to engineering future nanoscale devices, such as lab-on-a-chip, or better lubricants.
Using a "soft landing ion system," PNNL scientists measured motion at the molecular level in organic solvent films and found that the solvent's outer surfaces were considerably less viscous than the interior. PNNL scientists are using this information to predict how ions transport across the interface of water and oil.
This research will be presented during the American Vacuum Society's 48th International Symposium held Oct. 28 to Nov. 2 in San Francisco, Calif.