Plans to Increase NIF’s Shot Rate Capability Described
Planning, scheduling, and efficiency changes designed to increase NIF’s productivity were discussed by Acting NIF&PS Principal Associate Director Jeff Wisoff in Directorate All-Hands meetings on March 12.
Wisoff described the details and impact of a Congressionally-mandated 120-day study to find ways of increasing the NIF shot rate over three years at a constant annual funding level. A national team of NIF collaborators and sponsors led by NIF Director Jeff Atherton and Deputy for NIF Doug Larson has been “looking very deeply into and challenging assumptions about how we operate,” Wisoff said, and will be making organizational, engineering, scheduling, and experimental configuration recommendations to enhance NIF’s shot availability.
NIF’s shot rate already has increased to an average of five shots a week in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2014, partly through the scheduling of “mini-campaigns” that minimize facility changes while optimizing data return (see the February NIF Status Update). By engaging the NIF user community as well as NIF’s sponsors in the effort, Wisoff said, the study will further the ultimate goal of transforming NIF into a world-class user facility.
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