Advanced neutron source project information management. A model for the future Page: 3 of 7
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ADVANCED NEUTRON SOURCE PROJECT
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
A Model for the Future
Kathryn King Jones
John Cleaves
Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc.
P.O. Box 2009
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-8218Abstract
The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is a proposed new
research facility that will provide steady-state beams of neutrons
for experiments by more than 1000 researchers per year in the
fields of materials science and engineering, biology, chemistry,
materials analysis, and nuclear science. The facility will also
include irradiation capabilities to produce radioisotopes for
medical applications, research, industry, and materials testing.
This paper discusses the architecture and data flow used by
the project, some quantitative examinations of potential cost
savings and return on investment, and software applications used
to generate and manage data across IBM-compatible personal
computers, Macintosh, and Unix-based workstations. Personnel
management aspects addressed include providing paper copy to
users only when needed for adequate technical review, using
graded approaches to providing support for numerous user-needed
software applications, and implementing a phased approach to
compliance with computer-aided acquisition and logistic support
(CALS) standards that allows sufficient user flexibility for
performing technical tasks while providing needed data sharing
and integration.
Introduction
The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is a new $2.9 billion
research facility proposed for construction on the U.S. Department
of Energy reservation near Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL). Its 330-MW heavy water reactor will be used to provide
steady-state beams of neutrons for experiments by more than 1000
researchers per year in the fields of materials science and
engineering, biology, chemistry, and materials analysis. The
facility will also provide irradiation capabilities for the production
of radioisotopes for medical applications, research, industry, and
materials testing (Peretz 1992).
Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., (LMES) will be
responsible for design of research instruments and other
experimental systems equipment; for technical oversight of all
work throughout project design, construction, and start-up; and for
operating the facility. Design integration, facility design, reactor
systems design, and construction management will be performed
by an industry team with nuclear design and construction
experience. The industry team will consist of a prime contractor,
an architect/engineer (A/E), a reactor manufacturer (RM), and a
construction manager (CM).
Documentation needed to support design, construction, and
operation of ANS is expected to be similar to that needed for a
nuclear power plant. If current practices are continued, this will
result in the generation and management of more than 100 millionpages of paper during the 10-year design and construction phase of
the project. Storage of this information as paper would require
constructing a building, in addition to the labor costs associated
with handling paper. Thus, there is a great incentive to handle
information electronically.
Over $100 million of control and information computer
networks will be used to make ANS the most highly automated
and integrated research facility yet constructed. The facility will
include an experimental systems computer network to collect and
manage experiment data from research instrumentation, business
computing systems to manage operations and maintenance
activities throughout the life of the facility, and a project
information network (PIN) to generate and manage design and
construction data.
This paper is primarily concerned with the network that will
connect LMES, the industry team, and other project participants so.
that data can be shared and integrated (see Fig. 1). This network
will be a key element in creating the tens of thousands of
construction drawings, specifications, instructions, procedures, and
other documents needed to support design, construction, and
start-up. Further, since the ANS Project performs almost all
functions needed for any major engineering/construction project,
the techniques and software developed for the network can be
easily adapted by other engineering/construction organizations to
support major construction projects.
Although the network's numerous technical features will save
tens of millions of dollars (Brake 1990), this paper will deal
primarily with the management aspect of guiding technical
personnel into this new electronic environment. This choice of
focus is important because the actual cost savings are directly
correlated to the success achieved by implementing this culture
change.
Network Purpose
The main purposes of the network are to:
1. support efficient production, generation, review, and
approval of design and construction data by the project team and
2. automate the turnover of this information to operations and
maintenance personnel who will operate the plant.
The purpose of this network is not to replace the human
functions of analyzing, calculating, or otherwise manipulating data
to produce technical output. The network is to provide ready
access to data, software, and other tools needed by users to
perform these functions. This distinction is significant because
having network functions perform design tasks would lead to
significant validation and verification concerns. By restricting the
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King-Jones, K. & Cleaves, J. Advanced neutron source project information management. A model for the future, article, December 31, 1995; Tennessee. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc671999/m1/3/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.