Information management data base for fusion target fabrication processesJ. Reynolds Citation: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A 1, 937 (1983); doi: 10.1116/1.572157 View online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1116/1.572157 View Table of Contents: http://scitation.aip.org/content/avs/journal/jvsta/1/2?ver=pdfcov Published by the AVS: Science & Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing Articles you may be interested in DataHub: Knowledgebased data management for data discovery AIP Conf. Proc. 283, 669 (1993); 10.1063/1.44479 REPHLEX II: An information management system for the ARS Water Data Base AIP Conf. Proc. 283, 288 (1993); 10.1063/1.44446 Evaluation of solgel processing as a method for fabricating sphericalshell silica aerogel inertial confinementfusion targets J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 10, 1152 (1992); 10.1116/1.578218 Management of noisedominated acoustic data bases to support undersea surveillance processes J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 68, S72 (1980); 10.1121/1.2004889 Target fabrication and positioning techniques for laser fusion experiments Rev. Sci. Instrum. 45, 1245 (1974); 10.1063/1.1686470
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Information management data base for fusion target fabrication processes J. Reynolds
Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester. Rochester. New York 14623
(Received 27 September 1982; accepted 6 December 1982)
A computer-based data management system has been developed to handle data associated with target fabrication processes including glass microballoon characterization, gas filling, materials coating, and storage locations. The system provides automatic data storage and computation, flexible data entry procedures, fast access, automated report generation, and secure data transfer. It resides on a CDC CYBER 175 computer and is compatible with the CDC data base language Query Update, but is based on custom FORTRAN software interacting directly with the CYBER's file management system. The described data base maintains detailed, accurate, and readily available records of fusion targets information.
PACS numbers: 06.50.Dc, 52.50.Jm
I. INTRODUCTION
Inertial fusion experiments conducted using the University of Rochester's OMEGA laser system require precision, submillimeter-sized fuel containers called targets. Multiple process steps are required to fabricate each target. These process steps involve performing a micromanipulation operation, making a measurement, conducting a layer deposition, performing a fuel permeation, etc. As an example, the generic fusion target shown in Fig. 1 is composed of four materials and requires more than a dozen process operations for construction. Considerable target process information is generated and recorded during the fabrication sequence.
Each target has unique dimensions and specifications, and is described by measurements taken at each step during fabrication. The targets are given unique identification numbers to ensure their individual identities. Glass microballoons (GMBs) receiving fuel gas are placed in numerically coded locations in "egg crates"; metal containers with rows of depressions to hold the balloons (Fig. 2). Completed targets are cryogenically stored in groups of 16 in alphanumerically coded cannisters (Fig. 3). Targets requested for OMEGA experiments are transferred to numbered positions in a "car-
Plastic Ablator
Copper Pusher
1'-..1_--1" Glass Microballoon
FIG. I. Schematic of generic fusion target.
ousel"; each carousel can hold up to 16 targets (Fig. 4). Records detailing each process step are necessary for an
accurate description of the finished target. This record keeping becomes a sizable task given the thousand or more targets delivered by the target fabrication group in a year, with large numbers of targets at various stages in the fabrication process at any given time. The need for detailed, accurate, readily available data on the entire process has been met by the development of a computer-based information management data system.
II. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A computer-based information management data basel has been developed to meet the need for record keeping. The system provides: (1) automatic data storage, (2) flexible data entry and computation, (3) fast searching for targets based on physical criteria, (4) automatic report generation, (5) rapid location of targets in storage, (6) computerized transfer of data to other systems.
The data base resides on the CYBER 175 of the Laser Computing Facility. The records are organized in indexed
FIG. 2. Micrograph of egg crate used to hold glass microballoons for gas permeation and storage.
937 J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 1 (2), Apr.-June 1983 0734-2101/83/020937-04$01.00 's 1983 American Vacuum SOCiety 937
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936 J. Reynolds: Information management data base
FI(, 3. Cannister used to store and transport mounted fusion targets.
sequential files, to optimize the tasks of processing individual target records and searching across the entire data base. The identification number assigned by the target fabrication group to each target serves as the key to the records.
There are four main data files in the system (Fig. 5). The "master" file contains the basic physical and storage data, while three satellite files contain more detailed target data. This allows the experimentalists to select targets and the target fabrication group to find targets without the need to access extraneous Information.
The master file contains the following: target number, target outer diameter. coating materials and thicknesses, fill gases and pressures, egg-crate code (if any), ten cannister locations, the target type (or the purpose for which it was fabricated), and ten comment fields that may be used to describe special features about a target or batch of targets.
The "layers" satellite file stores the target number, and for each layer of the target a material, density, thickness, and
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Ftu. 4. Carousel used in OMEGA target chamber permits 16 targets to be dispensed sequentially.
interferometric measurement when appropriate. For each layer there is also stored the date and time the record was entered or last modified, and the user code of the person who entered the data. The entry date, entry time, and user code are kept in all the satellite files.
The "gases" satellite file stores the number of gas layers in a target, and the number of individual gas species in each gas layer. For each gas the fill pressure, the best estimate of pressure, and the pressure half-life are stored.
The "counts" satellite file stores radioactivity measurements that can be used to calculate the tritium content of the target.
The data base was originally devised so that the CDC data base language Query Update (QU) could be used. This was soon found to be impractical and cumbersome, and a set of front-end programs were written in FORTRAN that could interface with the data files with greater flexibility. There are several types of front-end programs:
Data Entry Programs Reporting and Special Function
Crates
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, Vol. 1, No.2, Apr.-,June 1983
FIG. 5. Target fabrication data base system schematic showing files, data entry programs, and reporting functions.
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939 J. Reynolds: Information management data base
Target Fabrication Data Base
laser System
Data Base
Experimental Data Base
FIG. 6. Information flow diagram showing the interface between the target fabrication data base and other laboratory data bases.
1. Data-entry programs. These are used to enter new target infonnation into the data base or to update records when a target is modified. The "entry" program is a menu-driven system that pennits the user to select specific items in the target record to be changed; there is also a command-driven section that prompts the user for data in a predefined sequence which is much faster than the menu-driven system and is used for entering new records.
2. Interface programs. There are other data bases at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics that depend on the target fabrication group for data; programs have been developed that interface with these other data bases (Fig. 6). When targets are removed from storage and placed in an OMEGA carousel, the "carousel" program extracts the information on these targets from the main data base and places it in a "holding" file. The holding file can be read by the Laser System data base on the OMEGA Laser controlling net2 and by the OMEGA experimental data base which is also resident on the CYBER 175. The holding file is a scratch pad; when a target is placed in a carousel position, information on any target that was there previously is erased. When the final information from the laser shot is inserted into the OMEGA experimental data base, the holding file is tapped for the data pertaining to that target; once that data is stored, a deletion program automatically removes the target records from the target fabrication group's data base. This ensures that the data base is kept up to date on the targets that are available, so targets that have already been irradiated will not be requested.
3. Support programs. Reports and graphs are often needed by the target fabrication group and several programs have been created to prepare them. One program displays on a terminal a briefsummary of the target properties; this is used by OMEGA experimentalists to seek out targets with special characteristics. A second program "master report" prepares a hard-copy report of all the information in the target record. This report contains information on storage locations and other information that would not be needed by the OMEGA experimentalists, but is needed by the target fabrication group. Another program searches the data base and produces reports on all targets that have been entered or modified since a user-supplied date, which allows the target group to keep track of its own activity and inventory levels. A spe-
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cial radioactivity content report was devised to compute the total amount of radioactive material in the targets and in the fabrication group's inventory at any time. This was developed to aid in compliance with applicable ionizing radiation legal codes and regulations.
A different kind of infonnation fonnat is provided by the "plotz" graphics program. This is used to produce plots of the physical parameters of the targets in the data base. For example, the distribution of wall thickness versus GMB diameters in the range of 300-400 pm that is contained in inventory is readily obtained by using the plotz program. This program pennits the target group and the experimentalist to quickly survey the available inventory.
Two new data files have been added in the last year that were not part of earlier versions of the data base; a file of tables and a file of egg-crate contents. There were problems in the early versions of the front-end programs with recognition of synonyms for materials and gases. For instance, a coating of copper might be entered by one user as "COPPER" and by another as "Cu." Both meant exactly the same thing, but the computer could not tell this, and mistakes were often made when the data base was searched for all targets having copper coatings. The "tables" file contains a list of materials and gases and all known synonyms for them; within this file is also stored the density and refractive index of the item, which is needed for thickness and mass computations. Presently, if a user enters Cu, it will be recognized as a synomyn, and COPPER will be placed in the record. The system will also note when a new material is being used, and store infonnation on density and refractive index for future use, so that the same data never has to be entered again.
The "crates" file contains records on the egg crates that are being processed, with the physical characteristics and locations of all the GMBs in them. After an egg crate returns from processing, each surviving GMB is assigned a target number. The information originally entered in the crate file is automatically transferred to the master and satellite files after target number assignment has been completed.
III. SUMMARY
The target fabrication data base performs several needed services for LLE. The efficiency of the target fabrication group personnel is increased by automation of tasks such as report writing. The data recorded are more reliable since copying mistakes can be eliminated. The data are guarded from tampering, as a user identification code is required before the data entry program can be used. Information on target types, target components, and target parameters are made more accessible to LLE as a whole through the searching and reporting mechanisms, and the interfaces to other LLE data bases. In summary, detailed, accurate, and readily available records of target fabrication activity are being efficiently handled by the computer-based information management data base.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author would like to thank Dr. John R. Miller and Mr. Bernhard Brinker of the Target Fabrication Group for encouragement, criticism, and review; Mr. Lawrence Fors-
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940 J. Reynolds: Information management data base
ley, Computer Systems Group Leader, for ideas and support; and the personnel of the Target Fabrication Group, Computer Systems Group, and Laser Computing Facility for the time and effort expended to test, evaluate, and use the data base. This work was partially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Inertial Fusion Project under contract number DE-AC08-80DP40124 and by the Laser Fu-
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sion Feasibility Project at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.
's. Jacobs, Laboratory for Laser Energetics Review IUniversity of Roches· ter, Rochester, New York, 1982), Vol. 10, p. 28.
'J. Boles. D. Pessel, and L. Forsley, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 9, 1903 119811.
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