Hydrogen materials service advanced by new multilab consortium
Researchers at Sandia and Pacific Northwest national laboratories are leading a collaborative effort to investigate how hydrogen affects materials such as plastics, rubber, steel and aluminum. The Hydrogen Materials Compatibility Consortium, or H-Mat, will focus on how hydrogen affects polymers and metals used in diverse sectors, including fuel cell transportation and hydrogen infrastructure.
New Mexico Science Fiesta
Sandians brought STEM fun to the New Mexico Science Fiesta at several locations in Albuquerque in June.
Man on the moon
On July 20, 1969, nearly 650 million people watched as Neil Armstrong took “...one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” when the Apollo 11 mission landed the first man on the moon. This year marks the 50th anniversary of that mission, and Sandia was part of the team.
Sky’s the limit
Four Sandia interns mentored eight high school students from throughout New Mexico who participated in this year’s Model Rocket Design and Telemetry project at the 2019 Joint Science and Technology Institute residential STEM camp in June.
Steve Younger joins roundtable to expand trades in New Mexico
Labs Director Steve Younger met with New Mexico 3rd District Congressman Ben Ray Luján at a recent forum to discuss the ACCESS Act, which would establish a five-year grant program run by DOE to create apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs in colleges and technical education schools to fill nuclear industry jobs at national laboratories.
Budgets double for small business assistance projects
Sandia will be doubling the amount of technical assistance it provides to small businesses, following legislation signed into New Mexico state law this year. The new law, which took effect July 1, raises the cap on the value of services Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories can offer New Mexico small businesses.
Students compete for best 3D-printed design during Sandia robotics camp
Sandia and R4 Creating hosted the second annual week-long robotics camp in May at the Robotics Vehicle Range. Local students competed in teams to create and print original 3D designs.
Global collaboration to study photovoltaic performance, reliability
An international community of research institutions, led by Sandia, to advance photovoltaic research and expand solar markets formally launched its work on May 14 in Munich, Germany. The organization provides a unique platform for studying photovoltaic performance and reliability in multiple, diverse environments and climates.
Rooftop solar panels get boost from Sandia tool
Homeowners and businesses may now have an easier time getting solar panels on rooftops thanks to software developed at Sandia. The new software can run a detailed, second-by-second simulation that shows utility companies how rooftop solar panels at a specific house or business would interact with a local electrical grid throughout the year.
Don’t set it and forget it — scan it and fix it with tech that detects wind blade damage
Drones and crawling robots outfitted with special scanning technology could help wind blades stay in service longer, which may help lower the cost of wind energy at a time when blades are getting bigger, pricier and harder to transport, Sandia researchers say.