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

materials, improving fabrication processes, and characterizing the performance of materials based
on composition, processing, and microstructure to advance the state of the art.
• Advanced Radiography: In pulsed power at SNL, the advanced radiography capabilities include the
design, development, and deployment of state-of-the-art, compact, reliable, and high-intensity flash
x-ray radiographic sources for experiments conducted at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS)
and for above ground dynamic experiments for LANL and the Atomic Weapons Establishment
(AWE) in support of improved physics models.
• Secondary Assessment Technologies: At the Z pulsed power facility, SNL also develops intense
energetic radiation sources, sophisticated x-ray diagnostics, and an enhanced radiographic
capability for the Z Beamlet laser and supports the utilization of these sources and diagnostics by
LANL for applications to Secondary Assessment Technologies in radiation transport,
hydrodynamics, and integrated implosions. In addition, SNL develops plasma radiation source for
impulse testing and technical safety requirements (TSR) to support radiation effects studies.
Engineering Campaign
The SNL Engineering Campaign activities develop the modern engineering tools, capabilities, and
technologies needed to ensure the safety, security, survivability, reliability, and performance of the
existing and future stockpile, and to provide a sustained engineering science basis, through the use of
quantified margins and uncertainties, for stockpile assessment and certification. The SNL portion of the
Engineering Campaign supports all four subprograms:
• Enhanced Surety: The enhanced surety subprogram continues to provide advanced surety in support
of power management systems, sensors, safety-stronglinks, and other related safety components.
Also, SNL is developing an external surety architecture that provides substantial improvements in
safety and security that will have minimal impact on weapon components.
• Weapons Systems Engineering Assessment Technology: The WSEAT will continue to characterize
material properties for abnormal thermal environments and validation of engineering models to
support current LEPs and the development of modern baselines for all weapon systems.
• Nuclear Survivability: For the nuclear survivability subprogram, the primary focus continues to be
the development and assessment of tools and technologies required to implement the QASPR
methodology for upcoming LEPs, alterations, and modifications. Similarly, major R&D efforts are
required for system generated electromagnetic pulse phenomena design and qualification tools;
technology development for hardening materials; as well as development of qualification tools for
those materials in areas of thermomechanical shock, thermostructural response, and impulse
generation; and circuit response predictive capabilities.
• Enhanced Surveillance: The enhanced surveillance subprogram performs substantial component and
material evaluation (CME) work on several of the major components of nuclear weapons and
selected studies in support of the annual assessment process for the nuclear weapons in the current
active stockpile. In addition new materials evaluations and material aging studies are performed in
support of the W76 LEP, the B61 LEP, and the W88 Alt.
Sandia National Laboratories Page 523
FY 2012 Congressional Budget