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

(dollars in thousands)
FY 2010
Actual
Approp
FY 2011
Request
Enhanced Surveillance 68,794 66,175 66,174
FY 2012
Request
This subprogram provides stockpile aging and lifetime assessments, develops aging models and
technologies needed for early identification of stockpile aging concerns. Enhanced
Surveillance conducts the lifetime assessments needed to provide the technical basis for enduring
stockpile refurbishment planning. The subprogram evaluates new and reused materials to be used in
refurbished weapons to support age-aware LEP design and certification and to increase longevity for
a more sustainable stockpile. Enhanced Surveillance develops new diagnostics and methods,
including non-destructive techniques and new component and material evaluation. The subprogram
develops embedded sensors to achieve timely, less invasive and more cost-effective surveillance.
Finally, the subprogram contributes current weapon aging information for annual assessment reports.
In FY 2012, the subprogram will provide updated results on weapon aging for the annual assessment
reports; conduct planned experiments and modeling to support lifetime estimates; provide initial
canned sub assembly (CSA) component lifetimes for one weapon type; deliver improved aging
models, experimental methods, and predictive tools for selected materials and components; and
continue work to understand aging mechanisms and effects for the earliest possible detection of agerelated
changes that could impact weapon performance, reliability, and safety. Emphasis will be
focused on activities that represent long-term investment needs that enable a science-based
surveillance methodology. This subprogram will continue to enable high priority stockpile aging and
lifetime assessments to support critical issues for annual assessment, significant finding
investigations, stockpile refurbishment and transformation planning.
In FY 2012, this subprogram will accomplish the following:
• Complete an Enhanced Surveillance stockpile aging and lifetime assessment report to support the
annual assessment process and the Technical Basis for Stockpile Transformation and Planning;
• Deploy the next suite of CSAs and case diagnostics for surveillance;
• Deploy the improved predictive capabilities for CSAs, cases, high explosives (HE), detonators,
and non-nuclear components and materials to support assessment and certification;
• Promote the most promising sensors to shelf life units and continue development of embedded
evaluation elements to TRL6 for applications;
• Install the next suite of Gas Transfer Systems diagnostics for surveillance transformation;
• Establish initial NEP component lifetimes for W76/78, and W87;
• Demonstrate the scale up of ionic liquid re-crystallization of TATB to 10kg lots, and
• Modernize WETL System Tester Capabilities.
Total, Engineering Campaign 149,679 141,920 143,078
Weapons Activities/
Engineering Campaign Page 101
FY 2012 Congressional Budget