Engineering Science

The Engineering Science research area at Sandia leads engineering transitions in advanced, highly critical systems by integrating theory development, experimental discovery and diagnostics, modeling, and computational approaches to refine our understanding of complex behavior in engineered systems. 

Why Our Work Matters 

Revolutionizing the fundamental understanding of complex engineered systems can lead to enhancements that will bolster our national security stance for decades to come. 

Our Unique Value 

We do leading-edge work on physical phenomena at the continuum and near-continuum scale, and our engineering expertise in national security systems is second to none. We have foundational knowledge across multiple disciplines, including solid mechanics, fluid mechanics of reacting and nonreacting systems, structural dynamics, thermal and combustion sciences, aerodynamics, shock physics and energetics, and electromagnetic sciences. Sandia has corporate expertise in materials sciences, nanosciences, and microsciences, and we have large-scale, complex test capabilities, including high-performance computing and world-class modeling, simulation, and visualization capabilities.

Recent Highlights

Enabling fully predictive simulations using disruptive computational mechanics and novel diagnostics

Accurately capturing solidification of fluids and the development of residual stress is critical for fully predictive simulations for numerous applications in geoscience, nuclear safety, manufacturing, energy production, and bioscience. Researchers on this LDRD project...

Using machine learning to create rapid stronglink mechanisms

Computer aided design (CAD) to simulation workflows for nuclear deterrence (ND) have shown dramatic performance improvements with ML. This work targets some of the most inefficient, tedious, and error-prone bottlenecks using new ML-based methods....

Detonation in multilayer explosives: Effects of characteristic length scale of mixing

Predicting explosive performance at length scales near the minimum needed for a detonation to propagate is often a challenge—surrounding materials, non-ideal interfaces, sample geometry, and local microstructure variations can all significantly impact explosive output....

Engineering Science Related Research Facilities

Advanced Power Electronic Conversion Systems (APEX)

The Advanced Power Electronic Conversion Systems (APEX) Laboratory supports the development of advanced power conversion topologies and intelligent control strategies. Research in the APEX laboratory focuses on robust and fault-tolerant...

Researcher working in APEX lab
Aerial Cable Facility (ACF)

The ACF is a unique capability for simulating drop and high-velocity impact testing combining a breadth of instrumentation.

Worker preparing for a cable pulldown test
Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory (BATLab)

The BATLab is an internationally recognized leader in energy storage system safety research.

Man testing battery at the Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory (BATLab)
Blast Tube Facility

The Blast Tube facility provides tests using different blast tube configurations with varying lengths and diameters to perform tests with energetic and hazardous materials.

Blast tube flow shot with fireball
Burn Site

Lurance Canyon Burn Site (LCBS) provides controlled fire environments to perform fundamental studies, simulate transportation and handling accidents for nuclear safety studies, and evaluate and certify hazardous materials shipping containers.

Item on fire at the burn site
Centrifuge/Superfuge

The Superfuge capability provides the most realistic flight environments beyond the typical launch, reentry, and flight inertial loads by combining vibration, spin, thermal, and shock.

Three technicians/engineers working on a component
Computer Science Research Institute (CSRI)

CSRI brings university faculty and students to Sandia for focused collaborative research on Department of Energy computer and computational science problems.

Two scientists working on computational science problems
Control and Optimization of Networked Energy Technologies (CONET) Laboratory

Researchers at the CONET Laboratory conduct research, development, and testing on networked and distributed systems.

Man at computer at the Control and Optimization of Networked Energy Technologies (CONET) Laboratory and Advanced Power Conversion (APEX) lab
Design, Evaluation and Test Technology Facility

The Design, Evaluation and Test Technology Facility focuses on simulating a wide range of environments for component and system testing.

Researcher holding component against the sun
Energy Storage Test Pad (ESTP)

ESTP, in conjunction with the Energy Storage Analysis Laboratory (ESAL), provides long-term testing and validation for electrical energy storage systems. The goal of the ESTP is to develop advanced energy...

Man standing next to an energy storage test pad
Engineering Sciences Experimental Facilities (ESEF)

The ESEF focuses on advanced diagnostics and fundamental experiments. Researchers seek to improve understanding of phenomena in areas of fluid flow, heat transfer, and aerodynamics.

Workers in the hypersonic wind tunnel
Explosive Components Facility (ECF)

The ECF provides unique capabilities allowing staff to design, test, and prototype a wide variety of energetic components in support of Sandia's ND mission.

Explosive Components Facility Building

Related Intellectual Property

Current Engineering Science Openings

Current Engineering Science Openings

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