Back
Engineering
Volumetric 3D printing builds on need for speed
While additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, is enabling engineers and scientists to build parts in configurations and designs never before possible, the impact of the technology has been limited by layer-based printing methods, which can take up to hours or days to build three-dimensional parts, depending on their complexity. However, by using laser…
Lab researchers achieve breakthrough in 3D printed marine grade stainless steel
"Marine grade" stainless steel is valued for its performance under corrosive environments and for its high ductility -- the ability to bend without breaking under stress -- making it a preferred choice for oil pipelines, welding, kitchen utensils, chemical equipment, medical implants, engine parts and nuclear waste storage. However, conventional techniques for…
LLNL project aims to transform electrical grid resiliency with distributed energy resources
In the event of a major earthquake, hurricane or flood, electricity might be lost for days, affecting communications, recovery efforts and people’s lives. Normally, in a large-scale emergency, distributed energy resources (DERs) -- such as the energy produced by solar panels at customers’ homes -- are shut off to protect the greater electrical grid. But a new project…
Lab researchers achieve '4D printed' material
For the first time, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have successfully 3D printed composite silicone materials that are flexible, stretchable and possess shape memory behavior, a discovery that could be used to create form-fitting cushioning activated by body heat, such as in a helmet or shoe. As described in their paper published online by…
LLNL finds reason behind defects in 3D printing
High-speed images of a common laser-based metal 3D printing process, coupled with newly updated computer models, have revealed the mechanisms behind material redistribution, a phenomenon that leads to defects in printed metal parts, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers reported. In a study published by Scientific Reports, LLNL scientists combined…
Lab loans state-of-the-art 3D printer to Cal Poly
California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) San Luis Obispo engineering students now have access to the state-of-the-art in metal additive manufacturing and the ability to perform contracted work for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), thanks to a new Selective Laser Melting (SLM) machine on loan to the university. LLNL purchased the SLM machine and is…
NIF technology could revolutionize 3D printing
A technology originally developed to smooth out and pattern high-powered laser beams for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) can be used to 3D print metal objects faster than ever before, according to a new study by Lawrence Livermore researchers. A team of Lab scientists report the findings in the latest issue of Optics Express, published online on May 15. This new…
LLNL and LBNL researchers explore more energy-efficient solutions for paper industry
If you had to name the industries in the United States that use the most energy, paper manufacturing probably wouldn’t immediately come to mind. In fact, the paper-making industry ranks third among the country’s largest energy users, behind only petroleum-refining and chemical production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Researchers at Lawrence…
Lawrence Livermore unveils 'heart-on-a-chip'
Prescription drugs have enabled millions of Americans with chronic medical conditions to live longer and more fulfilling lives, but many promising new drugs never make it to the human trials stage due to the potential for cardiac toxicity. Through "heart-on-a-chip" technology — modeling a human heart on an engineered chip and measuring the effects of compound exposure on…
DOE HPC4Mfg Program funds 13 new projects to improve energy technologies through HPC
A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program designed to spur the use of high performance supercomputers to advance U.S. manufacturing is funding 13 new industry projects for a total of $3.9 million. The High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) Program unites the world-class computing resources and expertise of the national laboratories with U.S. manufacturers…
Lab developed aerodynamic devices improve tractor trailer fuel efficiency
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers, as part of a Navistar SuperTruck I team, helped design a new type of tractor-trailer truck that significantly improves fuel economy. The new SuperTruck vehicle achieved 13 mpg on public roads and a 104 percent freight efficiency improvement. Forty-eight percent of this improvement comes from aerodynamic…
Lab breakthrough in 3D printing of glass
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists and academic collaborators have demonstrated the synthesis of transparent glass through 3D printing, a development that could ultimately lead to altering the design and structure of lasers and other devices that incorporate optics. A team of LLNL researchers, along with scientists from the University of Minnesota and…
Experiments validate models predicting failure modes in miniaturized lightweight structures
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have adapted theoretical models to predict the failure behavior of miniaturized 3D lattice structures and have used advanced characterization techniques to demonstrate that these failures exist. Specifically, experiments showed a transition in failure modes for stretch-dominated lattice structures at low relative…
McCallen recognized by Chico State University
It’s been more than three decades since Rose McCallen graduated from California State University, Chico, but in the intervening years she hasn’t forgotten her alma mater. And just the other day, the university remembered – and honored – her. McCallen, who graduated from Chico State in 1980 with a bachelor’s of science degree in mechanical engineering, has been named a 2017…
Lawrence Livermore reinventing metal 3D printing with new direct writing process
Metal 3D printing has enormous potential to revolutionize modern manufacturing. However, the most popular metal printing processes, which use lasers to fuse together fine metal powder, have their limitations. Parts produced using selective laser melting (SLM) and other powder-based metal techniques often end up with gaps or defects caused by a variety of factors. To…
Lab employees author X-ray imaging book
After three current and former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) employees and a university professor found a need, they started down the long road to meet it. When the LLNL trio -- physicist Harry Martz, retired engineer Clint Logan and retired computer scientist Dan Schneberk -- and a colleague surveyed scientific books on X-ray imaging, they discovered a…
Lab honored for Vets to Tech program
For veterans returning from military service and attempting to readjust to civilian life and the classroom, the transition can be a culture shock. To help give veterans on-the-job experience while they continue their education in engineering, math and physics -- in addition to solving a need for engineers in the coming years at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory -- the…
Lab team to explore more cost-effective way to inspect welds on nuclear-powered submarines
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers are joining forces with the U.S. Navy Metalworking Center (NMC) to study ways to reduce the high cost of inspecting welds on nuclear‐powered submarines. LLNL entered a feasibility study agreement with the Navy to look at developing a non‐destructive technology that can essentially peer through the submarine’s…
3D printing with high-performance carbon fiber
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have become the first to 3D print aerospace-grade carbon fiber composites, opening the door to greater control and optimization of the lightweight, yet stronger than steel material. The research, published by the journal Scientific Reports online on March 6, represents a "significant advance" in the development of…
National Academy honors Westbrook
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) bestowed its highest honor to retired Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) senior scientist Charlie Westbrook.Westbrook was recognized for his "pioneering development, applications and leadership in chemical kinetic modeling to advance combustion science and technology." He is part of a 105-person class to be inducted at…
