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Modeling Every Building in America Starts with Chattanooga

Buildings use 40 percent of America’s primary energy and 75 percent of its electricity, which can jump to 80 percent when a majority of the population is at home using heating or cooling systems and the seasons reach their extremes. The US Department of Energy’s (DOE)’s Building Technologies Office (BTO),…
Rachel McDowell
November 13, 2019
Science

Titan Speeds Inquiry into Engine Alloys That Can Take the Heat

Simulations performed on the Cray XK7 Titan supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) filled in a knowledge gap about high-temperature–capable alloys and inspired engineers to successfully develop a new cast aluminum–copper alloy that promises to withstand engine temperatures as high as 300°C—a temperature too extreme for current…
Rachel McDowell
September 17, 2018
Science

Putting the Pedal to the Metal in the Hunt for Alloys

High-temperature alloys, often used in power plants and automobile engines, are valued in engineering because they can withstand temperatures that are a high fraction of their melting point. Operating power plants and engines at higher temperatures typically allows for more efficient energy generation, so developing higher temperature alloys is desirable.…
Rachel McDowell
June 26, 2017