A publication of the Advanced Simulation & Computing Division, NA-121.2, NNSA Defense Programs
June 2009
NA-ASC-500-09—Issue 11
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New RAMSES Simulation Software Tested to Assess Its Predictive Capability
In a joint ASC and Campaign 7 activity, a first-of-its-kind validation study was performed to assess the predictive capability of new features in Sandia’s RAMSES software. These new RAMSES capabilities were added to better assess weapon electrical circuit vulnerability to hostile X-ray and gamma-ray radiation environments. This study focused on electrical circuits constructed utilizing Sandia’s CMOS7 (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) manufacturing process, which was used in the W76-1 life extension program and may be used in future weapon applications.
Campaign 7 funded a custom electrical circuit using ~90 thousand transistors, and then test the circuit in an Air Force linear accelerator facility. ASC funded coupling of RAMSES with Sandia’s DAKOTA software to execute the 800+ RAMSES runs needed for the uncertainty propagation and validation portion of this study. Each RAMSES run simulated the electrical response of the circuit to the radiation pulse produced by the accelerator, and the total set of RAMSES runs covered a wide range of uncertainties in the circuit model parameters (see figure below). Additional studies are under way in FY09 to quantify the uncertainties in both the simulation data and the test data so as to develop a quantified measure of agreement for the data sets.
As a result of this study, new insights were gained into the sensitivity of peak voltage and current values resulting from variations in circuit model and design parameters. This insight has helped explain past observations in tests performed for the W76-1 program and provides new information to designers working on circuits for current and future applications.
The results of a validation study showing an ensemble of circuit response simulation data from the RAMSES simulation software, versus test data obtained from a linear accelerator facility.
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