6.4. User-Supplied Diagnostics

User-Supplied Diagnostics

Because NIF is a major user facility, any new diagnostics must be interfaced to the facility and must be controlled and operated by the facility. The NIF facility provides the systems in the target area necessary for executing experiments, including integration, qualification, control, and operation of diagnostics, as well as the target area systems necessary for executing experiments and the requisite offline and online testing and calibration.

Users may supply diagnostics for experimental fielding on experiments, but it is important that these meet NIF and LLNL engineering design standards. NIF Procedure 5.1 defines the diagnostic design review process and the graded approach used to guide the users and to ensure that the diagnostic will be successfully integrated when it is fielded on NIF. The NIF Engineering Design Review Manual provides the criteria for reviewing design adequacy. Other procedures have been developed to guide fabrication, material selection, and cleanliness (see Section 5.9 for additional details on these topics). For instance, all materials used in these systems must be listed in MEL99-009 or undergo a 100 hour bake/purge test.

The Work Authorization Process (WAP) (again, using a graded approach) provides a checklist to make sure that the diagnostic can be fielded on a shot. Areas of concern are safety for the people and the facility. Issues include mechanical and electrical aspects such as grounding/ shielding, earthquakes, and rigging; human factors for installation/removal, cleanliness, and contamination control; and control and data acquisition system needs for interfacing with the NIF shot cycle software. All of these categories are covered in the WAP checklist.