August 25, 2014

DOE IG Raises Questions About Sandia Neutron Generator Production

By ExchangeMonitor

Sandia National Laboratories may have trouble meeting neutron generator production requirements in the future according to a Department of Energy Inspector General report released yesterday. The audit report calls into question the ability of Sandia to ramp up neutron generator production as requirements for the key nuclear weapons component increase 50 percent in Fiscal Year 2016. In FY 2013, Sandia produced about 600 neutron generator units, but it will need to produce 900 per year in FY 2016 to support limited-life component exchanges on the W80, B83, B61-11, B61-12, and W88 from FY 2015 to FY 2019. That’s in addition to ongoing life extension requirements for the W76 and limited-life component exchanges on the W78 and W87.

The IG noted that Sandia had briefly increased production during a three-week period in FY 2013, producing 40 “tube starts” per week with about two-thirds being usable, an increase from 24 tubes per week (with a quarter usable) during FY 2012. The IG said “it is not certain whether SNL can sustain that production-level and yield over an extended period of time,” indicating that production dipped in FY 2014 to about 12 tube starts a week. Sandia said budget constraints impacted production in FY 2014 and that it planned to build up to 24 tube starts a week in late FY 2014 and 30 a week in FY 2015. The IG credited Sandia for developing, producing and testing new neutron generator designs to address challenges and risks and working to preserve its supplier base for key materials and components.

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