7 research outputs found
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Novel transport-vehicle design for moving optic modules in the National Ignition Facility
The National Ignition Facility, currently under design and construction at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, will be the world`s largest laser when complete. The NIF will use about 8,000 large optics of 26 different types to focus up to 192 laser beams on a dime-size target. Given the constraints of the NIF operating environment, the tasks associated with optics transport and handling require a novel, versatile transport system. The system will consist of a computer system containing guidance, traffic management and order entry functions, and four or more automated laser-guided vehicles. This transport system will transport optics enclosures that are essentially portable clean rooms and will lift, align, and position them as needed to contact and engage mating points on the laser support structure
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Six degrees of freedom end effector places 8000 lbs robotic canisters in the National Ignition Facility
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Development of an automated guided vehicle system for large scale materials handling of optics in the National Ignition Facility
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Automatic registering receptacle safety design for bottom loading system used in National Ignition Facility
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Installation of line replaceable units into the National Ignition Facility
In the National Ignition Facility (NIF), currently under design and construction at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), 192 high-power laser beamlines incorporating over 8,000 large optics, are focused onto a target smaller than a dime. The actual laser path will be contained within the Laser Target Area Building (LTAB), but the smaller adjacent building, the Optics Assembly Building, is where the optic modules are assembled and aligned. After the optics are finished in the OAB they must be transported and installed into the LTAB. While this is done strict cleanliness and handling conditions must be maintained. To maximize the efficiency of this process the optics are assembled into Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), which typically consist of a mechanical housing, laser optics, utilities, actuators and kinematic mounts. In this paper the Optical Transport and Material Handling designs that will be used to deliver the LRUs into the NIF laser bays are presented. Five types of delivery systems have been developed to deliver the LRUs to their locations in the LTAB. They are top loading, bottom loading, side loading, switchyard loading and target area loading. The first three operate in the laser bay of the LTAB and are transported between the OAB and the LTAB by the Laser Bay Transport System (LBTS). All delivery systems must maintain each optical LRU assemblies' specified shock, vibration, cleanliness, and environmental requirements. The design for each delivery system must take into consideration the cleanliness, functionality and alignment of the LRUs while maximizing commonality in order to meet the beamline installation schedule. This paper focuses on the design challenges of the bottom, side and top loading delivery systems and especially on how commonality among these varied systems is achieved
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Start-up plan for the first NIF laser bundle: transition from single beamlet prototype to 192-beamline laser facility
The compact multi-pass laser design and the extensive use of optical component assemblies as line replaceable units (LRU) are essential to achieve the cost efficiency of the National Ignition Facility design. These design philosophies require a new approach to start-up operation of the NIF 192-beam-line high-energy laser compared to existing fusion laser facilities. The limited access to the beam-line optics and the limited on-line verification and maintenance capability require that extensive component verification and alignment take place in off-line facilities before the LRUÕs are installed in the laser structure. We are developing a detailed plan for the start-up of the NIF facility. This plan includes systematic off-line component and LRU verification tests, LRU installation and prealignment, and sub-system acceptance tests, followed by a well defined set of operational test procedures to verify integrated performance. During integrated performance testing laser performance parameters of individual beam lines will be verified using a precision diagnostic system located in the NIF switchyard. If additional on-line calibration or performance testing is required, the LRU based architecture can accommodate the insertion of specialized in-line diagnostic LRUs at locations that require such additional testing during start-up. Multiple beam focal spot characteristics on disk targets in the NIF target chamber will be examined using X-ray diagnostics. We will discuss the detailed plan for the startup of the first bundle of 8 beam lines, a laser system by itself similar in size and complexity to the LLNL Nova laser, The discussion will include the application of lessons learned from start-up and operation of the Beamlet prototype beam line during the last 4 years. Experience on the first bundle of beams is essential to optimize the start-up procedures to expeditiously deliver the 23 remaining laser bundles to the operations program at the rate of one bundle per month to complete the NIF facility. The plan that we describe supports a gradual transition from the present ICF program based upon the 10-beam Nova laser system to an ICF program based upon the 192-beam-line National Ignition Facility, with all 24 bundles being available for operation in FY04. This plan includes a schedule for a phased bundle-by-bundle completion of integrated operational test procedures and hand over of laser bundles to the program for experimental operations. The early start-up of one bundle provides early experimental capability two years before completion of the NIF Project, and experience that will be essential to complete this transition plan on schedule in a cost effective way
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Forming and smoothing D{sub 2} and HD layers for ICF by infra-red heating
We describe a technique to form and smooth uniform solid D{sub 2}, HD or DT layers for inertial confinement fusion targets. Pumping the infrared (IR) collision induced vibration-rotation band generates a bulk heating of the solid. Shadowgraphs reveal that this bulk heat quickly redistributes the solid into a relatively uniform layer depending on the IR intensity profile. Measured redistribution time constants are used to determine the conversion efficiency of IR light into bulk heat. Phase shifting interferometry reveals that the surface roughness decreases with increasing IR heating