Database-intensive process simulation at the Y-12 national security complex

Abstract

The NNSA's Y-12 National Security Complex is a manufacturing facility operated by BWXT Y-12. Y-12's missions include ensuring the US' nuclear weapons deterrent, storing nuclear materials, and fueling US naval reactors. As a consequence of these missions, Y-12 makes dozens of products, having hundreds of parts, each with many different process steps associated with manufacturing components, building sub-assemblies, or assembling final products. Y-12 also disassembles weapon components to support stockpile reduction efforts and retrieve high-value materials and parts. These efforts must be coordinated not only within the Y-12 complex but also within the nation-wide nuclear weapons complex. Y-12 relies heavily on simulation models to evaluate the impact of plant changes over multiple programs and products, spanning multiple-years, and involving multiple interacting organizations. To maintain these simulations with current data and build and execute them rapidly, Y-12's simulation modeling group relies heavily on database-intensive simulations described in this paper.