DEVELOPMENT OF A DECISION-SUPPORT SOFTWARE SYSTEM FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Notice Date

June 26, 2001

Contracting Office

Sandia National Laboratories, Technology Partnerships Dept., PO Box 5800-MS1380, Albuquerque, NM 87185-1380

ZIP Code

87185-1380

E-Mail Address

Alane Dulski (adulsk@sandia.gov)

Description

Sandia National Laboratories, Carlsbad Field Office Technology Partnership Opportunity Development of a Decision-Support Software System for Radioactive Waste Disposal and Environmental Management As a scientific advisor of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project, Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) has developed a scenario-based, probabilistic, total system Performance Assessment (PA) methodology and an associated software system for demonstration of WIPP's compliance with release limits imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The SNL Carlsbad Programs Group requested funding from the Department of Energy (DOE) to modernize the existing PA software system for WIPP re-certifications and other environmental and waste management applications. This modernization includes (1) streamlining PA calculations and analyses by bringing together modern information management technologies and software engineering, (2) improve reproducibility techniques use in the PA calculations and analyses to meet regulatory quality assurance requirements, (3) featuring simple rules to integrate individual process models into a system model, (4) built-in configuration management, software assisted quality assurance, and automated workflow, and (5) a powerful visualization interface for data input and output processing. Sandia invites potential partners to participate in a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement CRADA to develop code and analytical techniques in this effort with Sandia National Laboratories. Sandia has also proposed a PA Institute as a resource for the development and management of analysis and computational tools suitable for application to environmental issues. The Institute supports the Carlsbad Field Office of the DOE's (CBFO) mission to become a leader in global environmental management using best business practices integrated with application of advanced science and technologies to environmental assessments and clean-up. Success of the Institute relies upon integration of Institute resources with DOE's National TRU Program (NTP) efforts to accelerate clean-up at DOE sites and partnership with the private sector. The Department of Energy has agreed to development of the PA Institute with initial planned funding of approximately $3.5M for FY02 and FY03. This funding includes resources needed to modernize the PA system used for recertification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant by the EPA. Existing computational tools for a modernized PA assess systems that are 1) linear with transient behavior, 2) non-linear, steady state, 3) non-linear with transient behavior. The current PA technology also integrates probabilistic methods into conceptual model and parameter uncertainty within system model assessments. The PA Institute will utilize state-of-the-art techniques in object-oriented programming, numerical solution techniques, data management, and process model development. The funding and resources of the PA Institute maybe be leveraged through this partnership opportunity. Details will be provided to respondents. The Institute comprises a virtual organization of DOE national laboratories, universities with established reputations in environmental science, geosciences, and computer sciences, as well as faculty who will contribute to Performance Assessment projects and training, and industrial partners. In addition to computational tools for environmental science, Sandia National Laboratories has developed a DOE and EPA approved Quality Assurance Program for regulatory-based, scientific projects using computational tools. The Quality Assurance methodology developed by Sandia National Laboratories represents a distinguishing factor of the PA Institute's computational environment. The QA methods and associated intellectual property developed in the CRADA be available in this partnership opportunity. Certification of the WIPP as the first licensed deep geologic repository in the world demonstrates the value of the SNL-developed PA methodology and the associated software system. The modernized PA system incorporates a wide range of applications in environmental management, including assessment of both radioactive and non-radioactive hazards within a decision making and regulatory compliance framework. Sandia proposes to make the software tool available to companies partnering with the PA Institute through a funds-in Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) and a license agreement. Since 1991, DOE invested over $40M to develop the existing PA tools. Sandia is interested in generating a full range of new intellectual property based on Sandia's experience with commercial applications that leverage the future funding For further information, please respond by mail or fax to Alane Dulski by July 24, 2001 at: Sandia National Laboratories, MS 1380, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185-1380. Fax: (505) 843-4163.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010628/SPMSC001.HTM (W-177 SN50Q1D3)