Year
2002
Abstract
From 1943 through 1986, Battelle Columbus Laboratories performed research and development work at its own facilities for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies. The most highly contaminated facilities are located on 11 acres in West Jefferson, Ohio. Three buildings on this site were used to study nuclear reactor fuels, fuel element components, reactor designs, and radiochemistry analyses. The DOE Columbus Environmental Management Project (CEMP) is responsible for the decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the West Jefferson (WJ) site. The CEMP mission is to decontaminate the site to a condition that is suitable for use without restrictions and to dispose of or store the associated radioactive waste at a suitable DOE-approved facility. In response to DOE Order 413.3, Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets (1), a systems engineering approach was used to prepare a revised project baseline consisting of nearly 300 activities. This project baseline was highly commended by an independent project review team from DOE Headquarters. However, like most existing baseline documentation, it does not adequately convey the complexities of D&D operations to senior management. To provide management with a better understanding of the D&D process and the technical staff with a more robust analytical tool, a computer simulation/animation model of the D&D operations within one building was developed. This model allows users to clearly \"see\" D&D progress step-by-step throughout the entire building. It can be used to evaluate the potential benefits of alternative D&D technologies and operational concepts, identify possible bottlenecks, track the flow of waste and samples throughout the site, and display the daily utilization of various labor categories. Alternative actions (\"what-ifs\") with respect to equipment breakdowns, labor shortages, or uncertainties in characterization can also be easily analyzed. This same capability could be used to help other sites prepare new baselines and better explain existing ones. This paper presents the interim results that have been achieved in applying this modeling concept to one of the major facilities at the WJ site.