Publications

The National Center for Advanced Information Components Manufacturing (NCAICM) Projects focus on manufacturing processes, materials, user facilities, standard tools, and equipment for large area emissive flat panel displays and microelectronics. Two types of projects are funded: (1) precompetitive projects done at the Center, and (2) joint industry/national laboratory projects, which may carry intellectual property rights, where the work will be done at the appropriate industry or laboratory site. A summary of the NCAICM Projects will be presented.

Photonics activities at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) are founded on a strong materials research program. The advent of the Compound Semiconductor Research Laboratory (CSRL) in 1988, accelerated device and materials research and development. Recently, industrial competitiveness has been added as a major mission of the labs. Photonics projects have expanded towards applications-driven programs requiring device and subsystem prototype deliveries and demonstrations. This evolution has resulted in a full range of photonics programs from materials synthesis and device fabrication to subsystem packaging and test.

This report describes a new flexible technology which is now available to design sensor and control networks based on a protocol embedded in an intelligent communications processor. The flexibility allows a system designer and/or a technical installer to make appropriate tradeoffs among simplicity, functionality, and cost in the design of network nodes and their installation. This is especially important in designing an installation scenario for the safeguards network. The network technology permits several choices of installations with the same basic node hardware. A pre-installed network offers maximum simplicity and no flexibility since it will operate as programmed during manufacture or the pre-installation setup and checkout. At the other end of the spectrum, a network can be installed using network management software and a computer. The combination of the network management software and computer hardware is generally referred to as a Network Management Tool (NMT). The NMT option offers full flexibility to change the network during or after installation. Different NMT can provide different degrees of complexity depending upon the applications and the amount of changes that need to be made during installation.

Simplified expressions for the attenuation of radionuclide releases by sprays and by water pools are devised. These expressions are obtained by correlation of the 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles of uncertainty distributions for the water pool decontamination factor and the spray decontamination coefficient. These uncertainty distributions were obtained by Monte Carlo uncertainty analyses using detailed, mechanistic models of the pools and sprays. Uncertainties considered in the analyses include uncertainties in the phenomena and uncertainties in the initial and boundary conditions during dictated by the progression of the severe accidents. Final results are graphically displayed in terms of the decontamination factor achieved at selected levels of conversatism versus pool depth and water subcooling or, in the case of sprays, versus time.

In an effort to reduce the cycle time for producing prototypical mechanical and electro-mechanical components, Sandia National Laboratories has integrated rapid prototyping processes into the design and manufacturing process. The processes currently in operation within the Rapid Prototyping Laboratory are Stereolithography (SL), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and Direct Shell Production Casting (DSPC). These emerging technologies have proven to be valuable tools for reducing lead times and fabrication costs. Sandia uses the SL and SLS processes to support internal product development efforts. Their primary use is to fabricate patterns for investment casting in support of a Sandia-managed program called FASTCAST that integrates computational technologies and experimental data into the investment casting process. These processes are also used in the design iteration process to produce proof-of-concept models, hands-on models for design reviews, fit-check models, visual aids for manufacturing, and functional parts in assemblies. The DSPC process is currently being developed as a method of fabricating ceramic investment casting molds directly from a CAD solid model. Sandia is an Alpha machine test site for this process. This presentation will provide an overview of the SL and SLS processes and an update of our experience and success in integrating these technologies into the product development cycle. It will also provide a lead-in for a tour of the Rapid Prototyping Laboratory, where these processes will be demonstrated.

The objective of this study was to find a material and configuration that could reliably detect the proper functioning of a current slapper detonator. Because of the small size of the slapper geometry (on the order of a 15 mils), most diagnostic techniques are not suitable. This program has the additional requirement that the device could not use any electrical power or output signals. This required that the diagnostic be completely passive. The paper describes the three facets of the development effort: complete characterization of the slapper using VISAR measurements, selection of the diagnostic material and configuration, and testing of the prototype designs. The VISAR testing required the use of a special optical probe to allow the laser light to reach both bridges of the slapper detonator. Results are given in the form of flyer velocity as a function of the initiating voltage level. The selected diagnostic design functions in a manner similar to a dent block except that the impact of the Kapton disk causes a fracture pattern. A quick visual inspection is all that is needed to determine if the flyer velocity exceeded the threshold value. Sub-threshold velocities produce a substantially different appearance.

We identify a general framework for weak planning called bootstrap planning, which is defined as global planning using only a local planner along with some memory for learning intermediate subgoals. We present a family of algorithms for bootstrap planning, and provide some initial theory on their performance. In our theoretical analysis, we develop a random digraph problem model and use it to make some performance predictions and comparisons of these algorithms. We also use it to provide some techniques for approximating the optimal resource bound on the local planner to achieve the best global planner. We validate our theoretical results with empirical demonstration on the 15-puzzle. We show how to reduce the planning cost of a global planner by 2 orders of magnitude using bootstrap planning. We also demonstrate a natural but not widely recognized connection between search costs and the lognormal distribution.

Li/SOCl{sub 2} battery technology is attractive by virtue of its high energy density, low self-discharge rate, and ability to to perform well at a wide variety of discharge rates. However, some of these same attributes also make Li/SOCl{sub 2} cells capable of hightly exothermic events when handled under abnormal conditions. We manage the energy safely and optimize the performance by tailoring the design to the application. We have developed three different ``D`` size cells that target low, moderate, and high rate applications. Each design provides safe and efficient performance, although, in progressing from low to high rate capability, the likelihood of venting under abuse conditions increses. We incorporate a vent mechanism in all designs as the ultimate protection from severe abuse. The details of our battery designs and the benefits of application-specific design are discussed.

The structural properties of spent nuclear fuel shipping containers vary as a function of the cask wall temperature. An analysis is performed to determine the effect of a realistic, though bounding, hot day environment on the thermal behavior of spent fuel shipping casks. These results are compared to those which develop under a steady-state application of the prescribed normal thermal conditions of 10CFR71. The completed analysis revealed that the majority of wall temperatures, for a wide variety of spent fuel shipping cask configurations, fall well below those predicted by using the steady-state application of the regulatory boundary conditions. It was found that maximum temperatures at the cask surface occasionally lie above temperatures predicted under the regulatory condition. This is due to the conservative assumptions present in the ambient conditions used. The analysis demonstrates that diurnal temperature variations which penetrate the cask wall have maxima substantially less than the corresponding temperatures obtained when applying the steady-state regulatory boundary conditions. Therefore, it is certain that vital cask components and the spent fuel itself will not exceed the temperatures calculated by use of the steady-state interpretation of the 10CFR71 normal conditions.

The increasing complexity of integrated circuits demands that software tools, in addition to hardware tools, be used for successful diagnosis of failure. A series of customizable software tools have been developed that organize failure analysis information and provide expert level help to failure analysts to increase their productivity and success.

An Integrated Demonstration (ID) Program, hosted by the Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Company, has been established for investigating technologies applicable to the characterization and remediation of soils contaminated with uranium. Chemical and physical characterization of Fernald soils and the uranium wastes contained therein is being accomplished by means of standard analytical techniques as well as a suite of non-standard microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. Likewise, a suite of physical and chemical extraction technologies are being designed and tested for accomplishing soil decontamination. However, the main theme of this paper is not the technologies being tested but the approach taken to integrate characterization, decontamination, and risk assessment efforts. It is the authors intent to outline the critical components of an integrated approach for characterizing and remediating uranium contaminated soils as well as provide a real-world example based on the lessons learned in the ID program.

Pyroshock is a potentially severe environment produced by the detonation of explosively actuated components and stage separation hardware. Electronic components exposed to pyroshock events during flight or deployment can be damaged by this high frequency, high G shock. Flight qualification of these components may be accomplished using one of many existing techniques to simulate the pyroshock environment in the laboratory. Two new techniques developed at Sandia National Laboratories allow larger components to be tested to a wide variety of pyroshock environments. The frequency content and amplitude of the simulated pyroshock can be easily controlled in a predictable manner. The pyroshock environment is produced by the resonant response of a test fixture that has been excited by a mechanical impact. The resonant fixture has a dominant frequency that can be continuously adjusted over a frequency range that is typically found in most pyroshock environments. The test apparatus and techniques utilized by each method will be described in this paper. Experimental results will be presented which illustrate the capabilities of each method.

From the beginning, equipment to support IAEA Safeguards could be characterized as that which is used to measure nuclear material, Destructive Assay (DA) and Non Destructive Assay (NDA), and that which is used to provide continuity of knowledge between inspection intervals, Containment & Surveillance (C/S). C/S equipment has often been thought of as Cameras and Seals, with a limited number of monitors being employed as they became available. In recent years, technology has advanced at an extremely rapid rate, and continues to do so. The traditional film cameras are being replaced by video equipment, and fiber optic and electronic seals have come into rather widespread use. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this evolution, and that which indicates the wave of the future without much question, is the integration of video surveillance and electronic seals with a variety of monitors. This is demonstrated by safeguards systems which are installed in several nuclear facilities in France, Germany, Japan, the UK, the USA, and elsewhere. The terminology of Integrated Monitoring Systems (IMS) has emerged, with the employment of network technology capable of interconnecting all desired elements in a very flexible manner. Also, the technology for transmission of a wide variety of information to off-site locations, termed Remote Monitoring, is in widespread industrial use, requiring very little adaptation for safeguards use. This paper examines the future of the Integrated Monitoring Systems and Remote Monitoring in International Safeguards, including technical and other related factors.

It is well known that two phase titanium alloy systems suffer from an abrupt drop in ductility at elevated temperatures in the range of 1,000 to 1,150 K. This loss of ductility is manifested by easy decohesion of polycrystalline aggregates along the grain boundaries of the high temperature beta phase. If the alloy is in a state of tensile stress at the aforementioned temperatures, cracks initiate at the grain boundaries and propagate readily through the alloy, leading to premature failure. This phenomenon is a cause of major concern in titanium alloy fabrication and welding. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain high temperature crack nucleation and growth along the boundaries. A critical review of the phenomenon and possible mechanisms responsible for the observed behavior will be discussed.

This paper describes a concept in which dry air is injected into an unsaturated formation to reduce the soil moisture content, referred to here as a dry (or sometimes tensiometric) barrier. The objective is to reduce the hydraulic conductivity of the unsaturated media to the point where liquid phase transport becomes negligible, thereby achieving containment. The concept could be applied in subsurface formations to provide containment from a leaking facility, or it could be incorporated into a cover design to provide redundancy for a capillary barrier. The air injection process could in principle be coupled with a vacuum extraction system to recover soil vapors, which would then provide a remediation process that would be appropriate if volatile organic compounds were present. Work to date has consisted of a combined theoretical, laboratory, and field research investigation. The objective of this research was to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the dry barrier concept by identifying the parameters which determine its effectiveness. Based on the results obtained for the experimental and theoretical studies, feasibility analyses were prepared for as a modification for a landfill cover design to prevent infiltration from atmospheric precipitation and for potential application of dry barriers to achieve subsurface containment and removal of volatile constituents. These analyses considered the technical as well as the economic aspects of the dry barrier concept.

Rigid Foam is a chemical delay foam used to completely encapsulate an object or to block access to an area. Prior studies have indicated that the final foam product is essentially non-toxic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and summarize the current chemical and toxicological data available on the components of Rigid Foam and to update the information available on the toxicity of the final Rigid Foam product. Since the possibility exists for a partial deployment of Rigid Foam where only one of the components is released, this study also examined the toxicity of its chemical constituents. Rigid Foam is composed of an {open_quotes}A{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}B{close_quotes} Component. The {open_quotes}A{close_quotes} component is primarily a polymeric isocyanate and the {open_quotes}B{close_quotes} component is a mixture of polyols. In addition to the primary constituents, dichlorodifluoromethane and trichlorofluoromethane are present as blowing agents along with catalysts and silicone surfactants necessary for foaming. The pre-deployed {open_quotes}A{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}B{close_quotes} components are stored in separate vessels and are brought together in static mixing nozzles for dispersal. The results of this evaluation indicate that a completely deployed Rigid Foam under normal conditions is essentially non-toxic as determined previously. However, in the event of a partial deployment or deployment of an individual component directly at an unprotected individual, the degree of hazard is increased due to the toxic and corrosive nature of the individual constituents. The health hazard would depend on the properties of the material to which the person was exposed.

The source term for assessing events that involve the combustion of metallic plutonium (Pu) presents a continuing need in carrying out safety evaluations in support of DOE programs involving nuclear weapons. For production, storage, transport and decommissioning operations, an accident sequence that frequently must be evaluated involves metallic Pu being exposed in a fire environment. There are significant data on which to base an estimate for the source term which has been surveyed recently by Mishima et al (Mishima, 1993), but much of the surveyed work relates to well controlled laboratory experiments with relatively small amounts of Pu. One of the most relevant sources of information was the work by Stewart (Stewart, 1959) of the UK Atomic Weapon Research Establishment at Aldermaston. That work, referred to as the Vixen A Trials provides direct experimental data on the aerosolization and environmental releases from relatively large metallic Pu shapes immersed in a ``petrol`` fire. A new analysis of the air sampler data from the two Vixen A Trials experiments involving chunks of plutonium exposed to hydrocarbon fuel fires indicated a respirable release fraction (referenced to total plutonium involved) of 0.0001 to 0.0003 (1 E-4 to 3 E-4) depending on the parameters used in the atmospheric transport and dispersion model used. A value of 3 E-4 is recommended as an upper limit for use in safety assessment studies involving similar accident scenarios.

Sandia National Laboratories has been involved with rocket systems for many years. Some of these systems have carried high explosive onboard, while others have had FTS for destruction purposes whenever a potential hazard is detected. Recently, Sandia has also been involved with flight tests in which a target vehicle is intentionally destroyed by a projectile. Such endeavors always raise questions about the safety of personnel and the environment in the event of a premature detonation of the explosive or an activation of the FTS, as well as intentional vehicle destruction. Previous attempts to investigate fragmentation hazards for similar configurations have analyzed fragment size and shape in detail but have computed only a limited number of trajectories to determine the probabilities of impact and casualty expectations. A computer program SAFETIE has been written in support of various SNL flight experiments to compute better approximations of the hazards. SAFETIE uses the AMEER trajectory computer code and the Engineering Sciences Center LAN of Sun workstations to determine more realistically the probability of impact for an arbitrary number of exclusion areas. The various debris generation models are described.

The neutron fluences and spectra and the gamma ray doses inside and in the vicinity of a guidance system exposed to the Sandia Pulsed Reactor II (SPR II) in four configurations have been determined. This project required customization of the environment and the application of new techniques to determine the spectra within the system. The required radiation environment was achieved, and the experimental results clearly demonstrated that the radiation environment inside the system was very different from that seen outside. This example demonstrates very clearly that experimenters must consider the effect the test apparatus may have on the environment inside the system.

Abstract not provided.

Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, conducts the Utility Battery Storage Systems Program, which is sponsored by the US Department of Energy`s Office of Energy Management. In this capacity, Sandia is responsible for the engineering analyses, contract development, and testing of rechargeable batteries and systems for utility-energy-storage applications. This report details the technical achievements realized during fiscal year 1993.

The advent of micro- or binary optics technology has made possible the fabrication of a variety of new optical devices. Optical fabrication is no longer limited by surfaces that can be made by grinding and polishing, or even diamond turning. In fact, optics with no symmetry, no smooth surfaces, and that perform multiple functions can be readily fabricated. While these optics have a large number of applications, they are extremely useful for systems that require arrays of small optics or aperture multiplexing, since these are fabricated using computer controlled photo-lithography and etching processes. We have applied binary optics technology to construct various wavefront sensing using four mask processes to create 16 level optics. They are binary in the sense that they use discrete phase levels, not in the sense of using only two levels (they might more properly be called digital optics). We have found that 16 levels is adequate for most systems, giving greater than 99% of efficiency.

This report presents the results of testing of selected propellants and primers to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) characteristic of the human body. It describes the tests and the fixturing built to accommodate loose material (propellants) and the packed energetic material of the primer. The results indicate that all powders passed and some primers, especially the electric primers, failed to pass established requirements which delineate insensitive energetic components. This report details the testing of components and materials to four ESD environments (Standard ESD, Severe ESD, Modified Standard ESD, and Modified Severe ESD). The purpose of this study was to collect data based on the customer requirements as defined in the Sandia Environmental Safety & Health (ES&H) Manual, Chapter 9, and to define static sensitive and insensitive propellants and primers.

This report summarizes the purchasing and transportation activities of the Purchasing and Materials Management Organization for Fiscal Year 1993. Activities for both the New Mexico and California locations are included.

Assessment of the hoist failure rate for the Payload Transporter Type III (PT-III) hoist was completed as one of the ground transportation tasks for the Minuteman II (MMIII) Weapon System Safety Assessment. The failures of concern are failures that lead to dropping a reentry system (RS) during hoist operations in a silo or the assembly, storage, and inspection building for a MMIII wing. After providing a brief description of the PT-III hoist system, the author summarizes his search for historical data from industry and the military services for failures of electric hoist systems. Since such information was not found, the strategy for assessing a failure rate was to consider failure mechanisms which lead to load-drop accidents, estimate their rates, and sum the rates for the PT-III hoist failure rate. The author discusses failure mechanisms and describes his assessment of a chain failure rate that is based on data from destructive testing of a chain of the type used for the PT-III hoist and projected usage rates for hoist operations involving the RS. The main result provides upper bounds for chain failure rates that are based on these data. No test data were found to estimate failure rates due to mechanisms other than chain failure. The author did not attempt to quantify the effects of human factors on the PT-III hoist failure rate.