THE POWER OF ORACLE SYSTEMS IN RELATION TO MEASUREMENT BIAS DETECTION AND CONTROL

Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas (GNF-A) is a low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel fabricator located in Wilmington, NC. Special Nuclear Material that is measured during processing at the different steps of fabrication must be accounted for with precision and accuracy at all times. Oracle database systems enable current knowledge of an item’s location and characteristics in a real-time setting. The collaboration of these key components gives the end user an endless amount of information and data surrounding these measurement systems in a production oriented facility. This paper describes the power and usefulness of Oracle databases when dealing with measurement bias and material control and accounting at our LEU facility. Development of queries to obtain laboratory results, process yields, and item locations bring real-time data to the shop and the system’s engineers. The data is then used by the measurements engineers to develop ways of recognizing measurement system biases. This form of feedback facilitates quick recognition of bias as well as key contributors to the Standard Error Inventory Difference. The following is GNF-A’s database system, useful query examples, and usability of data is described.