ZR reliability and operations analysis

Sandia National Laboratories´ Z machine provides a unique capability to a number of National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and basic science communities, and routinely produces X-ray power more than 5 times, and energy 50 times, greater than any other nonpulsed power laboratory device. To address an increasing demand and widening range of research interests, Sandia´s Z refurbishment (ZR) program intends to increase Z utilization by providing the capability to double the number of shots per year, improve the overall precision for better reproducibility and enhanced data quality, and increase delivered current to provide additional performance capability. Reliability and operations analysis has been included from the onset of the ZR program to maximize performance and operations capacity. Preliminary analysis using a system-level reliability model highlighted Z failure modes requiring reliability improvement to help meet the increased ZR requirements. Preliminary results from analysis with a developed Z and ZR operations simulation model indicate, from an overall operations perspective including penalty costs and personnel resources, the scheduled maintenance activities and unscheduled repairs most in need of reduced time requirements and rates of occurrence.