Experiments at solar thermal test facility break new ground
Sandia’s National Solar Thermal Test Facility will host a number of “firsts” in 2020, including testing a particle-to-supercritical carbon dioxide heat-exchanger system, and the world’s first on-sun falling particle receiver connected to a supercritical CO2 loop.
Brush fire burns on Livermore campus
A brush fire burned approximately 28 acres of grassland on the southeast side of Sandia’s Livermore, California, campus on June 18.
Frank Hansen earns lifetime achievement award
The Wendell D. Weart Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to retired Sandian Frank Hansen at a ceremony in Phoenix on March 10. The award was created by Sandia and Waste Management Symposia Inc. in 2001, in honor of Wendall Weart, who retired from Sandia in 2000, to recognize the recipient’s long-term commitment to solving major nuclear waste challenges.
EMS Environmental Excellence Awards
This April 22 marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Though Sandians were unable to celebrate onsite, the Labs’ annual Environmental Management System Environmental Excellence Awards honored those who help to reduce ecological impacts, in the spirit of resource conservation and environmental protection.
Heroes waiting to be discovered
Since the beginnings of Sandia National Laboratories, Sandians have made the unthinkable not only thinkable, but also plannable and doable. Over time, we’ve tempered ourselves, studying and devising an assortment of ways to deter, defend against and blunt all manner of threats.
Excellence in action
Sandia’s Laboratory Operating System program honored three teams that demonstrated lean thinking and behavior, improved operations and saved the Labs time and money in fiscal year 2019. Labs Director James S. Peery, Deputy Labs Director Dori Ellis and Business Excellence Director Joan Tafoya honored the teams at a ceremony in February, highlighting their innovations and how the teams challenged the status quo.
Shake, rattle and roll
About 45 Gallup, New Mexico, high school juniors and seniors took in a little shake, rattle and roll at Sandia’s Environmental Test and Evaluation Complex during a special March 4 STEM Day event organized just for them.
SunPower partnership sparks new solar module
Representatives from SunPower Corp., a leading U.S. solar manufacturer and global competitor, recently visited the New Mexico Regional Test Center, co-located with Sandia’s Photovoltaic Systems Evaluation Laboratory, to inspect their company’s experimental PV system.
Father, son bond over record-smashing roadster
For the past eight years, Sandia manager Joel Wirth has been working after hours in his home garage with his crew chief — his father, Jack Wirth, a retired Sandia electrical engineer. Together, they’ve built one of the fastest 1927 Model T roadsters in the world.
A material benefit to society
Sandia senior scientist Tina Nenoff, a perennial inventor of advanced materials, has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Tina was bestowed the honor by her peers “for outstanding accomplishments in nanoporous materials and technology through research and group effort leadership, particularly in ion and gas separations for energy and environmental applications.”