Department of Energy FY 2012 Congressional ... - The FIRE Place

(dollars in thousands)
FY 2010
Actual
Approp
FY 2011
Request
enduring stockpile; and improving laboratory radiation sources and diagnostics to support code
validation and hardware qualification experiments.
FY 2012
Request
The NNSA continues to work closely with the DoD to maintain a robust and nuclear survivable
stockpile. In close coordination with the DoD, the subprogram develops the tools to calculate the
output and performance of modern weapons needed to define some of the most stressing and
damaging nuclear environments. This computational capability supports both threat assessments and
effectiveness assessments which are necessary to support planned LEPs, alterations and modifications.
Planned improvements in modeling capabilities are transformational and will allow quicker response
in analyzing both threats and warhead survivability issues.
In FY 2012, the focus of the Nuclear Survivability subprogram will be the continued development of
nuclear survivability assessment capabilities (models, simulations, experiments, testing, and experts to
perform analysis). One example of a capability under development is the Qualification of Alternatives
to the Sandia Pulse Reactor (QASPR) program, which will provide the capability to qualify radiation
hardened electronics to hostile environments without additional testing at the Sandia Pulse Reactor III.
The focus of this program has shifted from qualification of circuits containing legacy bipolar junction
transistors to more modern heterojunction bipolar transistors. Inclusion of modern electronics in
Arming, Firing, and Fuzing (AF&F) circuits will enable increased surety, improved reliability through
decreased parts count, and increased margin due to the intrinsic radiation hardness of the advanced
materials.
In FY 2012, this subprogram will accomplish the following:
• Demonstrate through the QASPR program the capability to predict the response of heterojunction
bipolar transistors, the preferred technology path for circuit designers for the B61 LEP and W88/78
AF&F refurbishment;
• Complete initial analyses of B61 LEP components and subsystems to identify and prioritize needed
follow-on intrinsic radiation susceptibility R&D and to quantify exposure levels external to the
weapon;
• Conduct material irradiation experiments at Sandia’s Gamma Irradiation Facility and Low Dose
Rate Gamma Irradiation Facility to investigate total lifetime exposure effects and at LANL’s highfidelity
source to investigate effects at war reserve-like conditions for the B61 LEP, future LEPs
and alterations;
• Support the material down-select for a radiation hardening material for the W88 AF&F
refurbishment application;
• Conduct R&D in advancing materials science, thermomechanical shock, and thermostructural
response directly applicable to the W78 LEP;
• With ASC, provide coupled cable and cavity system-generated electromagnetic pulse predictive
tools to support W88/W78 refurbishments of electrical and electronic subsystem design; and
• Demonstrate an advanced terminal protection device for the AF&F/cable interface for the W88.
Weapons Activities/
Engineering Campaign Page 100
FY 2012 Congressional Budget