Hear ye, hear ye: open call for algae
To make algae biofuels more competitive with petroleum, growers must increase productivity and keep their ponds from crashing. That’s why Sandia and partners are inviting participants to help in the search for the toughest algae strains and most innovative farming techniques.
Robotics system demilitarizes 700,000 Army submunitions
More than 700,000 Multiple Launch Rocket System submunitions have been demilitarized since the Army started using an automated, nine-robot system conceptualized, built and programmed by Sandia engineers.
Extreme fast-charging batteries
A key roadblock to widespread use of long-range electric vehicles — the longer time needed for a complete recharge compared to a gas station fill-up — may soon be overcome, thanks to DOE support for extreme fast-charging battery research. Fueled by a $1.5 million award from DOE’s Vehicle Technology Office, Sandia and the University of Michigan have teamed up to develop engineered battery materials that can be charged in less than 10 minutes.
Sandia spiking tool improves artificially intelligent devices
Whetstone, a software tool that sharpens the output of artificial neurons, has enabled neural computer networks to process information up to a hundred times more efficiently than the current industry standard. The software, created by Sandia neuroscientists, greatly reduces the amount of circuitry needed to perform autonomous tasks and is expected to increase the penetration of artificial intelligence into numerous markets.
Power to spare: New Battery Test Facility boosts work of power sources team, with big benefits for customers
When Sandia tests the performance of high-capacity energy storage devices, the power sources group frequently would hit obstacles that reduced efficiencies and stretched out schedules. Those obstacles have now been removed with the construction of a 7,500 square-foot Battery Test Facility that enables the team to assemble and test batteries more efficiently for customers to validate whether they perform up to expectations.
A trajectory for fulfillment
For Sandia's Jasmine King-Bush, Black History Month is a time to look back at the giants on whose shoulders we now stand. Honoring our history is essential, she says, because success isn’t just a single plot point on a timeline. Rather, it’s a vector that can extend from the past into the future.
Space surgeon’s prescription for success
Dr. Yvonne Cagle, astronaut, surgeon, retired U.S. Air Force colonel and aerospace researcher, has developed a device for space flight that heals muscle damage in record time here on earth. Cagle spoke at Sandia/California as part of Sandia’s Black History Month events.
NNSA administrator visits Sandia, Jan. 29
Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, DOE undersecretary for nuclear security, visited Sandia/New Mexico on Jan. 29. During the visit, Gordon-Hagerty toured some of Sandia's facilities and met with early career staff members to discuss the role of the national labs’ next-generation researchers.
Sandia named one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity
Forbes Media has recognized Sandia as one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2019. Sandia is the only national lab on the list of 500 companies and research labs. The honor is based an independent survey of employees at companies with more than 1,000 employees across all industry sectors.
International Year of the Periodic Table
Proclaimed the “International Year of the Periodic Table” by the United Nations General Assembly and UNESCO, 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of Dimitri Mendeleev’s publication of a periodic table that arranges the elements by atomic mass.