Effect of amplifier component maintenance on laser system availability and reliability for the U.S. National Ignition Facility

Alvin C. Erlandson; H. Lambert; Luis E. Zapata; L. Pedrotti; Doug W. Larson; Mark D. Rotter; W. J. Dallum; Stephane E. Seznec; Geoffroy LeTouze; Eric Grebot; O. Carbourdin; J. C. Fornerod; P. Bosch

doi:10.1117/12.294297

8 December 1997 Effect of amplifier component maintenance on laser system availability and reliability for the U.S. National Ignition Facility

Alvin C. Erlandson, H. Lambert, Luis E. Zapata, L. Pedrotti, Doug W. Larson, Mark D. Rotter, W. J. Dallum, Stephane E. Seznec, Geoffroy LeTouze, Eric Grebot, O. Carbourdin, J. C. Fornerod, P. Bosch

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3047, Solid State Lasers for Application to Inertial Confinement Fusion: Second Annual International Conference; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.294297
Event: Second International Conference on Solid State Lasers for Application to ICF, 1996, Paris, France

Abstract

We have analyzed the availability and reliability of the flashlamp-pumped, Nd:glass amplifiers that, as a part of a laser now being designed for future experiments, in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), will be used in the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Clearly, in order for large ICF systems such as the NIF to operate effectively as a whole, all components must meet demanding availability and reliability requirements. Accordingly, the NIF amplifiers can achieve high reliability and availability by using reliable parts, and by using a cassette-based maintenance design that allows most key amplifier parts to be replaced within a few hours. In this way, parts that degrade slowly-- as the laser slabs, silver reflectors, and blastshields can be expected to do, based on previous experience--can be replaced either between shots or during scheduled maintenance periods, with no effect on availability or reliability. In contrast, parts that fail rapidly--such as the flashlamps--can and do cause unavailability or unreliability. Our analysis demonstrates that the amplifiers for the NIF will meet availability and reliability goals, respectively, of 99.8% and 99.4%, provided that the 7680 NIF flashlamps in NIF have failure rates of less than, or equal to, those experienced on Nova, a 5000-lamp laser at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Citation Download Citation

Alvin C. Erlandson, H. Lambert, Luis E. Zapata, L. Pedrotti, Doug W. Larson, Mark D. Rotter, W. J. Dallum, Stephane E. Seznec, Geoffroy LeTouze, Eric Grebot, O. Carbourdin, J. C. Fornerod, and P. Bosch "Effect of amplifier component maintenance on laser system availability and reliability for the U.S. National Ignition Facility", Proc. SPIE 3047, Solid State Lasers for Application to Inertial Confinement Fusion: Second Annual International Conference, (8 December 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.294297

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

;

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE