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March 2017

LABSACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Sandia Lab News Sandia National Laboratories

Bill Murphy • Lab News EditorMichael Lanigan • Labs Accomplishments Design & Production

Cover photographs by Randy Montoya

Through a project supportedby DoD’s Defense AdvancedResearch Projects Agency(DARPA), Sandia is develop-ing technology to dramati-cally improve the enduranceof legged robots, such as theLabs’ WANDERER andSTEPPR robots seen here,helping them operate forlong periods while perform-ing the types of locomotionmost relevant to disasterresponse scenarios.

Sandia’s Thor accelerator isdesigned to study materialsat extreme pressures; itsnovel features may fore-shadow future renovationsin Z, the world’s largest andmost powerful pulsed-power accelerator. In thephoto, Sandian Eric Bredenterminates a transmissioncable for installation on thesilver disk that is the newmachine’s centralpowerflow assembly.

Nuclear weapons engineering. . . . . 3, 4

Homeland security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Climate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Bioscience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Global security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Remote sensing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

ES&H & security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Partnerships & alliances. . . . . . . . . 7

Product realization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Computer & information sciences . . 9

Military programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

IT, networks, & facilities. . . . . . . . . 10

Microelectronics & microsystems. . . 10

Engineering sciences. . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Pulsed power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Robotics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

HR, finance, & legal. . . . . . . . . . 13, 14

Community Involvement and public

engagement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Ethics and business conduct. . . . . . . 15

Governance, leadership,

& management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Inside . . .

This year’s Labs Accomplishments highlights some of Sandia’s best work during2016, as submitted by the Labs’ Center offices and selected by Divisionoffices. Readers will see numbers in parentheses following many of theentries that indicate the Centers (as of FY16) where the bulk of the workwas performed for those accomplishments.

SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES, with principal locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico (above),and Livermore, California (right), grew out of America’s World War II effort to develop the first atomicbombs. Today, keeping the US nuclear stockpile safe, secure, and effective is a major part of Sandia’swork as a multidisciplinary national security engineering laboratory. Sandia’s science, technology,and engineering foundations enable its unique mission. The Labs’ highly specialized research staff isat the forefront of innovation, collaborating with universities and companies and performing multi-disciplinary science and engineering research programs with significant impact on US security.

Sandia National Laboratorieshttp://www.sandia.gov/LabNews

Albuquerque, N.M. 87185 • Livermore, Calif. 94550Tonopah, Nevada • Nevada Test Site • Amarillo, Texas

Carlsbad, New Mexico • Washington, D.C.

Front cover Back cover

Nuclear weapons engineering

Sandia is leading the execution of Nuclear EnterpriseAssurance (NEA) requirements across the Nuclear SecurityEnterprise through leadership of the NEA IntegrationWorking Group, which addresses implementation inter-faces across all labs and plants. NEA protects the modern-ization programs and the enduring stockpile during theentire life cycle from potential denial of use risks throughWeapon Trust Assurance and Supply Chain Risk Manage-ment. A robust R&D pipeline supports technology devel-opment. Partnerships with Mission Support organizationsincluding logistics, purchasing, information management,and cybersecurity are critical to Sandia’s success. (500)

The B61-12 Life Extension Program was authorized fortransition into Phase 6.4, Production Engineering. Thisauthorization is the culmination of multiple successful keydeliverables demonstrating baseline weapon design perfor-mance, including the System Baseline Design Reviews, sev-eral dozen subassembly and Component Baseline DesignReviews, three development flight tests, more than 40 system and subsystem ground tests, publication of a Preliminary Weapon Development Report, and positivefeedback from the Preliminary Design Review andAcceptance Group. (200, 400, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000,8000, 10000)

An integrated team developed a new methodology ofrisk-informed, system-specific surveillance objectives forprioritization of Sandia’s nuclear weapon stockpile assess-ment work. Requirements were documented in system-spe-cific Integrated Stockpile Evaluation Plans (ISEPs). The

objective of this effort is to detect defects and develop thecapability to forecast potential technical risks that couldimpact safety, security, and/or reliability of the stockpile.This new approach will drive efficient use of resources whileproviding earlier indication of stockpile concerns. The initialimplementation of this effort culminated in this year’s

The B61-12 Life Extension Program successfully executed the Impact1 qualifica-tion test to evaluate the ability of the system safety theme to maintain a safe weaponconfiguration in a limiting accident scenario. The test occurred at Sandia’s rocket sledtrack facility using a high-fidelity B61-12 configuration coupled with full-system,

solid-mechanics modeling to evaluate multiple aspects of the system safety theme.The event successfully captured weapon response data and demonstrated effectivesafety theme performance using representative hazards to properly simulate aweapon accident. (400, 1000, 2000, 4000)

Labs Accomplishments • March 2017

annual assessment presented to the Laboratories director.(400, 1800, 2200, 2900, 8200)

In meeting Sandia’s commitment to ensure adequacyof nuclear safety design throughout the product realiza-tion process, the Independent Assessment team com-pleted an assessment of the B61-12 LEP and W88 ALTWeapon Project Teams’ Baseline Designs. Follow-on man-agement reviews of both the Nuclear Safety design andassessment results were conducted with the chief engineerof nuclear weapons and the executive VP of NationalSecurity Programs, resulting in jointly signed memoran-dums to the Labs director documenting the adequacy ofboth systems’ nuclear weapon safety baseline designs. (400)

Eight surety mechanisms under development for theB61-12 LEP and W88 ALT 370 have completed their lastdevelopment build and are now moving forward intoproduction process prove-in. All are designed to protect thesystem during an accident or unintended event. These com-ponents are sophisticated, custom-designed devices encom-passing more than 700 unique parts and assemblies. Group2610 has design responsibility with invaluable support fromScience & Technology, Surety Engineering and Analysis,Stockpile Resource, Business Management and others.(1500, 1800, 400, 2900, 1300, 10600)

Sandia’s 10,000-foot sled track was used with ahigh fidelity test unit to provide a representativeaccident impact condition for evaluation of B61-12system safety theme integrity.

One of Sandia’s most high-profile responsibilities tothe nation by law is to annually assess the safety, relia-bility, and performance of the nation’s nuclear stockpileand report the results through our customers to thepresident of the United States. This year’s successfullyexecuted approach incorporated significant improve-ments in the processes, content, and clarity of messag-ing to ensure critical facts and issues were communi-cated, while engaging all key organizations includingweapon systems, components, surveillance, science, andothers to inform the relevant national reviews and theLabs director’s letter.

Testing engineer Dave Clements uses SIFTer to prepare for a B61-12 flight test. (SIFTer con-nected to B61-12 test body)

Sandia President and Laboratories Director Jill Hruby signsthe Annual Assessment Letter.

The System InterfaceTester (SIFTer) is an innov-ative software-basedNuclear Weapon testingsolution for the CodeManagement System andhas expanded capability toprovide critical support forthe B61-12 LEP. SIFTer emu-lates 24 unique hardwareand software products ofthe use control system tosupport the B61-12 andCMS teams. SIFTer is usedduring engineering devel-opment and qualificationto verify critical interfacesand internal functionality.The B61-12 and CMSprograms rely on SIFTer inenvironmental testing aswell as aircraft ground andflight tests. (2200, 6900)

Nuclear weapons engineering


The first image shows the TTR Test Operations Center near completion. The next frame is a test asset in flight, millisecondsbefore impact. The final frame is a graphic of the fiber being trenched in the route around the range.

Aircraft is loaded with B61-12 Compatibility Test Units prior to ASIC risk-reduction captive-carry flight testing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in June 2016.

Tonopah Test Range completed significant improve-ments supporting surveillance and development testingin FY16. The Test Operations Center was outfitted withnew electrical, environmental, plumbing, and fire protec-tion systems, as well as exterior corrosion control andpainting. TTR executed eight surveillance and develop-

mental flight tests and developed new procedures forfuture operations. TTR also completed a joint fiber opticinstallation of 59.5 miles of high-speed fiber, connecting40-plus locations over 280 square miles of ground space,enabling the integration of four newly acquired remotesensor systems. (1000, 2000, 4000, 5000, 8000)

Sandia’s Aircraft Compatibilityteam successfully completed multi-ple aircraft tests to prove the B61-12LEP’s application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC) product design. Therigorous test scheme includedwaveform capture, laboratorytesting, ground testing, and cap-tive-carry flight testing on allrequired aircraft. The team’s effortsyielded vital performance informa-tion prior to a “freeze” of the B61-12’s ASIC hardware. This criticalrisk reduction effort preserved B61-12 program resources by aggres-sively validating ASIC design andproper function within the weaponsystem. (2100, 2900)

The Final Design Review at the SP1115 level for the W87Alt 360 Gas Transfer System (GTS) Product Realization Teamwas successfully completed Aug. 23-25, 2016. The designreview panel included five members from Sandia and onemember from Kansas City National Security Campus. TheAlt 360 PRT was applauded for the quality of the review, thegreat job managing the project, and the teaming amongSandia, Kansas City National Security Campus, and SavanahRiver National Laboratory/Savannah River Site. On scheduleto deliver the First Production Unit in October 2018. (8200)

The New Capabilities for Hostile Environments GrandChallenge Laboratory Directed Research and Development(LDRD) project developed new X-ray and neutron test plat-forms with enhanced capabilities for NW-relevant radia-tion effects science testing. The platforms opened newavenues for survivability testing and enabled the exposureof NW-relevant devices to higher neutron fluences andhigher photon energies and fluences than ever before. Theplatforms were designed to ensure survival of the testdevices and to be coupled with advanced diagnostics thatprovide a high fidelity characterization of the temporal,spatial, and energy-dependent radiation environment.(1000, 2000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 8000)

In a multi-laboratory collaboration, experiments atHERMES III provided insight into gamma ray-driven airbreakdown, photoemission, and electrical coupling, andthereby validated source-region electromagnetic pulsecode predictions and validated the generation andpropagation of prompt signals of interest for a variety ofmissions (Teller light, gamma rays, and electromagneticpulse). More than 30 shots were conducted in the mostheavily diagnosed experimental series ever recordedon HERMES III. The team received an NNSA DefensePrograms Award of Excellence. (1300)

Sandia was tasked to design and implement activevehicle barriers at a NATO facility. The barriers wereinstalled at the Entry Control Point and at two aircrafttaxiway gates. Sandia completed the barriers in January2016. The system underwent Government AcceptanceTesting (GAT) in March 2016. After the GAT was com-pleted and accepted, the system was turned over to theAir Force, resulting in improved security to US overseasassets. (6500)

In FY16, the Primary Standards Laboratory performedcalibrations on more than 13,000 individual pieces of testequipment for Sandia line organizations and more than1,500 primary standards for the Nuclear Security Enter-prise. This equipment is used for traceability of more than75,000 measuring instruments across the complex. The

quantities represent an increase of 40 percent, supportingall aspects of Nuclear Weapons modernization, research,development, and Strategic Partnership projects. In addi-tion to meeting the increased workload, the PSL reducedturnaround time for customers and provided critical mea-surement engineering support. (2500)

(Photo by Randy Montoya)

Sandia replaced the Entry Control Gate and installed new taxi-way gates to improve operations and security at a NATO site.

Bioscience

Homeland Security


An Albany/FELIX simulation of Antarctica shows surfacevelocities draped over a surface topography computed on avariable resolution mesh.

ClimateAs part of the five-year multi-institution DOE/SciDAC[Scientific Discovery Through Advanced Computing] pro-ject PISCEES, Sandia has developed a land-ice simulationcode that has been integrated into DOE’s Accelerated Cli-mate Model for Energy earth system model for use in cli-mate projections. The Albany/FELIX code enables the cal-culation of initial conditions for land-ice simulations,critical for stable and accurate dynamic simulations of icesheet evolution and the quantification of uncertainties in21st century sea level rise. With NASA, the team has suc-cessfully validated simulations in comparison to actualGreenland ice sheet measurements. (8900,1400)

In 2016, Sandia researchers flew tethered balloons atDOE research facilities on the north coast of Alaska withinArctic clouds for 65 hours to more than 3,500 feet abovethe surface. Atmospheric measurements were collected aspart of the Inaugural Campaigns for Atmospheric RadiationMonitoring Research using Unmanned Systems (ICARUS).A distributed temperature-sensing system and super-cooledliquid water sondes were operated for the first time in theArctic during these balloon flights. Concurrent measure-ments from an unmanned aerial vehicle represent anotherfirst in the Arctic. (6900, 4100)

The release of toxic materials in a subway could resultin widespread contamination of the system. To counterthis threat, Sandia has developed and tested a methodfor containment and neutralization of highly toxicmaterials. Charged sprays of a mild decontaminationchemistry are introduced to the cloud of material,

knocking it to the ground and neutralizing it. Theapproach has been demonstrated for biologicalpathogens, liquid aerosols of chemical materials, andvapors in a test chamber at Sandia and in a mock subwaysystem (see above right) during a DHS demonstration.(6600, 6900)

Our team has harnessed theversatility of generic smart-phones (camera sensors andBluetooth) to detect geneticmaterial of viruses such as Zika,chikungunya, and dengue. Oursmartphone wirelessly actuatesa low-powered heater to initiatethe nucleic acid amplificationand a novel onboard imageanalysis algorithm, dramaticallyenhancing the detection capa-bilities beyond traditionalsmartphone-enabledapproaches. The technologyenabled us to construct a light-weight (<1 pound), inexpensive(<$50) and rapid detection (10-20 minutes) bioanalysis/diagno-sis platform ideal for remotesensing in the field — even inlow resource settings.

Screenshot of smart phone app for detection of pathogenic viruses shows assay con-trol and analysis of assay endpoint using the phone’s built-in camera and image pro-cessing capabilities. (8600)

Critical federal networks are under constant cyberattack from malicious actors looking to undermine ournation’s security. Sandia’s National Security Cyber RedTeam’s (NCRT) job is to assess vulnerabilities in key DHSsystems responsible for the defense of government net-works. To detect and mitigate vulnerabilities, NCRT has per-formed multiple cybersecurity assessments using a rigorousmethodology that originated with Sandia’s mission toensure a safe and reliable nuclear stockpile. The NCRTmethodology has been developed and refined throughdecades of experience on cyber and cyber-physical systems.(6600, 5600, 8900)

NCRT leverages a rigorous methodology that originated withthe Lab’s mission to ensure a safe and reliable nuclear stockpile.


Remote sensing


Global security

The Global Burst Detector (GBD) III Prime System Prelimi-nary Design Review (PDR) was successfully completed inAugust 2016 with 100+ attendees representing diverse sec-tors of the US Nuclear Detonation Detection System com-munity. The NNSA-led panel approved the system to fully

advance through the critical design phase (based uponfulfillment of the system-level PDR objectives and exit cri-teria) as the subsystems now prepare for their subsystemcritical design reviews starting in June 2017. (5700, 5300,2600, 10600) (Photo by Randy Montoya)

During FY16, Charles “Gus” Potter presented testi-mony to Congress and was named a Fellow of theprestigious Health Physics Society. In October 2015,Gus presented testimony on behalf of Sandia to the USHouse of Representatives Transportation and Infra-

structure Commit-tee’s Subcommit-tee on CoastGuard and Mar-itime Transporta-tion for a hearingon Prevention ofand Response tothe Arrival of aDirty Bomb at aUS Port. The hear-ing was focusedon radiologicalscanning ofincoming cargocontainers, butGus’s testimonyhelped the sub-committee under-stand that this

particular concern is just one component of a largerset of possible pathways from source to target. Hisbriefing provided important information for consid-eration by the subcommittee as it sets policy for portsecurity. During the 61st annual meeting of theHealth Physics Society, held last July in Spokane,Washington, Gus was named a Fellow of the society.He is an internationally recognized expert on themeasurement and impact assessment of radiationdoses to humans. He was honored for his scientific,educational, and administrative contributions to theprofession of health physics.

CHARLES “GUS” POTTER

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Sandia’s Fragment Tracking Diagnostic Developmentteam has begun a three-year study to investigate fragmen-tation device behavior, such as pipe bombs, and how tocharacterize case expansion, breakup, and fragment flightfor development of Sandia’s leading-edge numerical simu-lation capabilities. The project combines high-speed imag-ing, flash X-ray, computer modeling, laboratory measure-ments, and large-scale explosive tests to help researchersbetter understand explosively driven threats. Early resultshave generated significant interest from the applied physicsand defense communities. This research has potentialapplications for DoD and DOE. (1500, 6600)

Organic glass scintillators developed at Sandia repre-sent a new class of radiation detector materials. Scintillatorsemit light in the presence of radiation and are crucial tononproliferation efforts. Organic glass scintillatorsbridge the gap between expensive, fragile, high-perfor-mance molecular crystals used in small detectors andinexpensive but less efficient polymers used in largedetectors. Organic glass scintillators are easily melt-castinto shapes, are brighter than molecular crystal scintilla-tors, and efficiently distinguish neutrons from gammaphotons. (8100)

In January 2016, DOE and the Ministry of ForeignAffairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands hosted ApexGold, the first-ever ministerial-level gathering aimed atexploring national and international actions for addressinga nuclear crisis. Representatives from 37 countries partici-pated in the event at Lawrence Livermore National Labora-tory (LLNL). The event set important groundwork prior tothe 2016 Nuclear Security Summit hosted by PresidentObama. Sandia collaborated with LLNL to demonstratetechnical tools for detecting and analyzing nuclear materialfor the representatives. (8100)

The Advanced Remote Sensing Optical Field Deploy-ment Team deployed to six high-explosive test series thatrepresent a varied cross section of explosive and weaponphenomenology. Such rich test article variety and dataresources enable research into fundamental physicalprocesses like detonation and combustion, as well asmaterials science and chemistry in extreme environments.Optical data is used to develop and validate simulationtools from device, coupled shock physics, fluid dynamics,chemical reactions and combustion, and optical radiationtransport phases. (5700, 5400, 2500)

Dan Wahl, a DMTS, along with Dave Yocky, CharlesJakowatz, and Senior Scientist Katherine Simonson havedeveloped a processing algorithm to improve the perfor-mance of coherent change detection (CCD) synthetic aper-ture radar. Their improved algorithm has been implementedby DoD. In addition, their technical paper, “A New Maxi-mum-Likelihood Change Estimator for Two-Pass SAR Coher-ent Change Detection,” was published in the IEEE Transac-tions of Geoscience and Remote Sensing in Volume No. 54 inApril 2016. (5900, 5400)

An advanced satellite ground system comprisingcommand and control and data processing for a set ofadvanced space-based sensors has been under develop-ment since FY13. This system, known as “Recap,” is builton a modern software architecture and includes ~3.3million source lines of code, modern operator interfaces,and will support national security needs. In September2016, the project completed a 19-day customer-witnessedacceptance test of functional requirements. In November,the 27 racks and 36 pallets of hardware comprising theground station were transported to the operational site.(2600,5500, 9300, 9500, 10600)

Sandia employed its systemsengineering skills to solvesome of the most vexingchallenges associated with theEbola outbreak in West Africa.We used our expertise ininternational threat reduction,infectious diseases research,modeling, and systemsanalysis to improve the safetyand security of laboratorieshandling live virus, helpdevelop a basis for establishinga network of laboratories,reduce the time it took toanalyze blood samples, andassist with post-outbreak draw-down and the secure elimina-tion of diagnostic specimens.(6800, 6100, 8600)

An Ebola diagnostic laboratory isset up in Moyamba, Sierra Leone.

Labs Director Jill Hruby joined DOE Secretary ErnestMoniz and other leaders to commission the Chinese Center of Excellence for nuclear security. The center willprovide training for security personnel in China’sexpanding nuclear power sector. DOE/NNSA and theChina Atomic Energy Authority agreed to build thecenter in 2010. Sandia contributed equipment andexpertise and consulted on the design, operation, andtesting of a physical protection system at a mock materialprocessing facility at the center. Sandia will also providetraining for China’s security professionals. (6800)

ES&H & security


After a 27-year effort and an approximate total cost of $22 million, Sandia's Environ-mental Restoration Team achieved a landmark milestone with the closure of the MixedWaste Landfill (MWL) and its full transition to Sandia’s Long-Term Stewardship Program.From 1959 to 1988, the MWL had received low-level radioactive waste, hazardous waste,

and mixed waste. Closure efforts, which began in 1989, included investigations, monitor-ing, computer modeling, engineered barrier installation, and implementation of long-term safeguards. The New Mexico Environment Department Final Order for closurebecame effective in March 2016. (6100, 6200, 4100, 4200, 11100)

Completing a four-yearprocess, the final disposal of8,300 legacy explosive Track-able Units was made in2016. In 2011, Kirtland AirForce Base sought to elimi-nate explosive waste disposalon site. In response, a multi-function team assessed bothclassified and non-classifiedmaterials, streamlined theprocess, and created a dis-posal solution, all compliantwith Department of Trans-portation requirements foroff-site packaging and trans-portation. When all the finallegacy waste items wereproperly disposed, itamounted to 32,000 poundsof explosive waste. (4100)

All buildings in New Mexico and California now havechemical containers tagged with Radio Frequency ID(more than 102,000 containers total) to ensure safer inven-tory reconciliation processes and increase accuracy ofchemical inventory. (4100)

Emergency Management personnel successfullyresponded to a life-saving emergency. When the Emer-gency Management Communications Center received a911 call related to an unresponsive person, the closest Pro-tective Force personnel responded and immediately per-formed CPR. Emergency Response personnel then arrivedon the scene to find the patient unconscious, unrespon-sive, and without a pulse. The Emergency Response Teamtook charge of scene management, airway management,compressions, and prepared the IV bag for the Sandia para-medics. The patient was then transported to PresbyterianHospital for further treatment. (4200)

Team members from across Infrastructure Operationswere fully integrated in the first of two supersonic reverseballistic tests in support of the B61-12 nuclear weaponsprogram. ES&H was engaged in all stages of testing, includ-ing planning, recovery, and ultimate disposition of testdebris. Facilities assisted with site preparations and check-ing grounding systems. Emergency Management providedunified command during operations. The test was exe-cuted without incident and the site was remediated andrestored in a safe condition for both the environmentand personnel. (4100, 4200, 4800)

This is a view to the west of the Mixed Waste Landfill engineered vegetative Evapotranspirative Cover withbiointrusion barrier, June 2015.

The Mixed Waste Landfill Evapotranspirative Cover is shown during constructionin 2009 after placement of the top soil layer.

Security and Emergency Management (S&EM) achieved Quality New Mexico (QNM) Roadrunner Level 3 Status. Thecriterion for the award, based on the Baldrige Excellence Framework, is used worldwide to guide operations, improve per-formance, and achieve sustainable results. This accomplishment validates the commitment S&EM has made to processimprovement and the incorporation of systemic quality principles into its activities. Additionally, obtaining QNM Road-runner status plays a key role in the center’s efforts toward achieving its Operational Excellence strategic objective. (4200)

Partnerships & alliances

The DOE-sponsored National Security Labs Day onCapitol Hill capped months of coordination to featuretop scientists and engineers using hands-on displays toshare with Congress how and why they do what theydo. As part of the event, Sandia led a four-lab partner-ship to communicate that to date the B61-12 LEP is onschedule and budget, and how advanced engineering/science/computing capabilities enable stockpile steward-ship, crossing over to benefit other missions includingnuclear nonproliferation, homeland security, cyberspace,and national emergency response, all highlighted atthe event. (160 and centers across the Labs)

Sandian Heather Kraemer answers questions about B61-12and other display models in the Stockpile Stewardshipbooth during National Laboratories Day on Capitol Hill, amajor NNSA tri-labs effort.

Sandia National Laboratories • Sandia Lab News

Product realization

The Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT) ProductRealization Team (PRT) delivered to the Kansas CityNational Security Campus the first compound semicon-ductor NW product from the MESA MicroFab. This deliv-ery, two months ahead of schedule and on-budget, con-cludes several years of focused effort to transition this newtechnology into an NW-rigor production environment forcurrent and future NW programs. Collocated design andproduction activities were key to meeting project mile-stones and laying the foundation for next-generationdevices. (1700)

Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratory completedthe joint W88-0/Mk5 ALT 370 Preliminary Design Reviewand Acceptance Group (PDRAAG) review of the Prelimi-nary Addendum to the W88 ALT 370 Final Weapon Devel-opment Report. This review was conducted by an indepen-dent DoD panel to evaluate the adequacy of the designmeeting DoD customer requirements. Major milestonesleading up to the PDRAAG included the System BaselineDesign Review and the Inter-Laboratory Peer Review. ThePDRAAG review is a prerequisite for Phase 6.4 ProductionReadiness authorization from NNSA. (200, 400, 1000,2000, 5000)

Defect Prevention is a methodology applied through-out the product development lifecycle to identify, ana-lyze, and prevent defects from re-occurring. Defect Pre-vention has been successfully implemented across nineprojects, a new class has been deployed (NQT610 –Defect Prevention), and 25 new Quality Tool Cardshave been released to aid users in implementation. Theformalization of the Defect Prevention methodologythroughout FY16 enables both Nuclear Weapons andStrategic Partnership Projects to launch their own initia-tives for high-consequence programs seeking defectreduction and elimination. (400, 1500, 2000, 5000, 6000)

The Neutron Generator Enterprise (NGE) met orexceeded all deliverable commitments in the FY16 NGEIntegrated Program Plan. This included a record numberof NG builds (854) representing nine NG products indevelopment and production. Other noteworthy FY16highlights for the NGE were the realization of $2 millionin savings due to exceeding yield targets at varioussubassembly levels and the continued efficiency gains(doubled tooling capacity in the past two years) associatedwith the use of additive manufacturing to meet toolingneeds. (2700, 400, 1500, 2100, 2500, 2800, 8200)

The Nuclear Weapons Summer Product RealizationInstitute (NW SPRINT ) was officially recognized as apipeline for prospective weaponeers. This institute wasformed through a partnership of like-minded NW centersin an effort to define a compelling project-based experi-ence for uncleared interns and new-hires. Three teamsdesigned an environmental sensing device, built it withadditive manufacturing techniques, and tested it on acentrifuge. The teams included 22 participants from 10universities. NW SPRINT will now continue on an annualbasis. (400, 2200, 2600, 2900)

Sandia developed a state-of-the-art Additive Manufac-turing laboratory that supports rapid product realizationby providing agile, adaptive, and responsive manufactur-ing of parts used for engineering evaluations, demonstra-tions, and communication of design intent. An engineer’sdigital model can now be directly manufactured on one ofour laboratory’s nine printers, which are capable of pro-ducing 5,000 cubic inches of products every month inpolymer materials such as ABS, nylon, ULTEM™, polycar-bonate, and photopolymer resins with tolerances of +/-0.005” with greater than 95 percent accuracy. (2900)

The B61-12 Antenna Product Realization Team, consist-ing of team members from both Sandia and NNSA’s KansasCity National Security Campus, achieved Qualification Eval-uation Release (QER) status for the B61-12 JTA antenna inDecember 2015 after completing all requirements necessaryto verify that the component is ready to release to produc-tion. This is the first B61-12 component to achieve QER. TheAntenna PRT has achieved this significant milestone underbudget and ahead of schedule. (5300)

Sandia S-series actuator Production Agency (PA), partner-ing with Los Alamos National Laboratory Design Agency,instituted enhanced mistake-proofing controls and increasedtechnical oversight of external supplier manufacturingprocesses in response to ananomaly discovered during actu-ator lot acceptance testing. Following process-improvementimplementation across all S-series products, actuator perfor-mance dramatically improved as evidenced by early path-finder lots. Resulting product delivery delays were subse-quently compensated for through close collaboration amongall affected weapon complex agencies including Sandia, LosAlamos, Kansas City National Security Campus, and Savan-nah River Site. (2500, 2900, 400, 10200, 10600)

The highly motivated Equipment Lifecycle Management (ELM) team worked closely with its production anddevelopment partners to successfully deliver, install, and qualify 23 new pieces of equipment in FY16 to supportcomplex processes such as evaporation and target loading, and highly specialized processes such as X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy. This equipment ensures needed availability and improved and updated functionalityto the Neutron Generator Enterprise. (2700)

ELM/C&M/Production teams accept a new target loader at vendor, April 2016.

MaterialsBy taking advantage of materials and phenomena fromsolid-state batteries, Sandia researchers have demonstrateda novel nonvolatile transistor based on Li-ion intercalationthat has all the required attributes for an artificial synapsein a neuromorphic computer architecture: stable multi-level analog states, “write” linearity, low “write” noise, lowswitching voltage, and potential for scalability and lowpower dissipation. Simulations of backpropagation usingthe experimentally measured device properties achievethe highest classification accuracy with an energy cost per“write” operation of <10 aJ for scaled devices. (8300, 1700)

Universal qubits can be made using the electron spinof a donor atom in close proximity to an electron quan-tum dot. All previous successful efforts to make thesedevices relied on stochastic placement of donor atoms.Though these techniques worked, they had extremelylow yield, preventing meaningful integration. Sandia sci-entists Mike Lilly et. al.have developed and demon-strated a new technique allowing for the precise controlof donor placement during fabrication, increasing qubityield and bringing quantum computers one step closerto reality. (1100, 1700)

A measurement camera looks on as a row of 50 tensile bars is tested automatically inrapid sequence. The resulting dataset is useful for engineering design, simulation, andreliability assessment.

Sandia has streamlined ahigh-throughput tensile testmethod to rapidly evaluatethe mechanical performanceand reliability of structuralmaterials. The method per-mits hundreds of tensile testsin the same time and for thesame cost as ~5 conventionaltensile tests, with no sacrificein data fidelity. Engineers inSandia’s Materials Scienceand Engineering Center areusing this new capability toassess variation in themechanical performance ofadditively manufacturedalloy components. Theapproach enables newmaterials or manufacturingprocesses that are agile, afford-able, and assured. (1800)

B61-12 Joint Test Assembly Antenna Element


Computer & information sciences

Sandia has conducted analyses of the economicimpacts and resource risks related to the depletion ofthe High Plains Aquifer, which extends underNebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.A three-year study by the National Infrastructure Sim-ulation and Analysis Center (NISAC) has led to con-

ference appearances and talks with officials in severalstates. Sandia presented at the Nebraska InfrastructureProtection Conference and held talks that wereattended by the New Mexico state engineer, Oklahomasecretary of agriculture, and numerous stakeholdersfrom Texas. (6900)

Cindy Phillips wasselected as a Fellow ofthe Society for Indus-trial and Applied Math-ematics for contribu-tions to the theory andapplications of combi-natorial optimization.Cindy’s wide-rangingwork has had impactat Sandia on cyber-security, parallel com-puting, infrastructureresilience, resourcescheduling, and more.She has also playednumerous leadershiproles in her profes-sional communities.CINDY PHILLIPS

NISAC simulation shows how water demand will change by 2030. (Photo source: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3058542/the-scientists-who-simulate-the-end-of-the-world)

An automatically generated model of the SC16 Super-computing conference’s SCinet network uses live datawith Sandia’s minimega toolset. The modeled networkconsisted of more than 12k hosts and had a peak band-width near 1.2Tbit.

Sandia has developed a method of network andhost discovery to automatically create high-fidelityemulation models for assessing potential cyberthreats. The tools, integrated with Sandia’sEmulytics™ platform, can ingest real network sensordata and output a detailed description to create anemulated model of the network. These tools havebeen tested to model Sandia’s network and, recently,the network of SC16 Supercomputing conferencewhich during the conference is the largest opennetwork in the world. (8900)

An ice sheet computational model developed by theCenter for Computing Research in collaboration with LosAlamos climate scientists has been selected to be part ofthe next-generation DOE climate model. Modeling thedynamics of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets is criticalto making sea level rise predictions, which potentiallyhave large national security implications. The model fea-tures robust and scalable parallel solvers, inverse capabili-ties for estimating model parameters, tools for quantifyingthe uncertainty of the predictions, and has been used forscience publications. (1400)

Accurately quantifying hostile and reentry environ-ments for design of future stockpile systems withoutnuclear testing and with reduced numbers of flight testsrequires new approaches to running simulations on next-generation supercomputers. Sandia has developed twonew simulation codes for these environments that havesuccessfully demonstrated that sensitivity and uncertaintyanalysis can be directly embedded within the codes alongwith performance portability abstractions that allow the

same code to run on widely different computer architec-tures (Intel Phi and NVidia GPU). (1300, 1400, 1500)

During a special Odyssey program review, the technicaldirector of Sandia’s United States government partner pre-sented a meritorious achievement award to three projectteams — Driftwood, TwoIota, and Hearthstone. Theawards recognized tremendous teamwork, technicalaccomplishments, and deliveries of technologies beingused actively by the customer and are impacting nationalsecurity. When asked, “Why do you come to Sandia?” theimmediate reply was “The people are amazing!” Theseprojects leverage Sandia’s cyber capabilities. (5600)

Tamizar is a Sandia-developed software that identifiesmalicious network traffic. Because it focuses on anomalousbehaviors it can detect novel, sophisticated attacks thatwould bypass signature-based technology. Tamizar hasbeen adopted by four government organizations and wasrecently used with great success at two live cyber trainingexercises. (5600)

Researchers from Sandia, University of California,Davis, and Purdue University have developed Pyomo,extensible software for optimization-based analytics tosupport complex decision-making in real-world appli-cations. Pyomo has been used to design sensor net-works to protect water distribution systems, schedule

DoD satellite sensors, schedule production of NWcomponents, design cyber defense strategies, planNNSA operations for nuclear weapon life extensionprograms, and control power grid operations. Pyomov4.1 was selected as one of the winners of the 2016R&D100 Awards. (1900)

The Skypunch Team pressed the leading edge of cloudcomputing to bring new, differentiated research capabili-ties to Sandia. This team focused on establishing an R&Dcloud environment that incorporates capability steward-ship, mission integration program management, infor-mation assurance, cybersecurity, and emergent technolo-gies. These goals were accomplished through integratingopen source technologies to develop a common cloudcomputing framework and designing a multilevel systemof R&D cloud environments. (5500, 5600, 9300, 1400)

EMPIRE, an electromagnetic and plasma physicsapplication designed for performance assessment ofnuclear weapons in electromagnetic and ionizingradiation environments, was enhanced for executionon next-generation platforms including Nvidia’s Teslagraphics processing unit and Intel’s Knights Landingprocessors. On-node performance on the early Trinitychips shows a factor of 43 speed-up going from one to64 physical cores and effective use of hyper threads inthe matrix assembly. Thus, the EMPIRE applicationdemonstrated scaling on both current and next-genera-tion applications superior to traditional message-passinginterfaces. (1300)


The MEMS component of Sandia’s ultra-low power unattended vibration sensor.

Through the DARPA N-ZEROprogram, Sandia demonstrated awakeup sensor that consumes lesspower than a nightlight (6nanowatts), beating the project goalby 40 percent. MESA-fabricateddevices integrate MEMS and low-power CMOS into a sensor that drawsalmost no power until it detects anacoustic and/or vibration signatureof interest. These technical break-throughs aim to substantially extendthe useful life of military sensors.

IT, networks, & facilitiesOn Aug. 9, 2016, NNSA put into production a redun-dant connection from the NNSA Secret Network (NSN)to the DoD SIPRNET network. Sites in the eastern USare being routed through HQ, and sites in the westernUS are being routed through Sandia, with automaticfailover in the event one of the circuits fails. NNSAnow has a highly reliable connection to the DoDSIPRNET. (9300)

With the completion of Bldg. 911 renovations andnew building construction, the layout of the Californiasite will be open to the east and closed to the west. Thisreconfiguration increases Limited Area space, enablingexpanding national security work and more effective man-agement of security risks. The alternative finance proposalfor an additional building, Collaboration in ResearchEngineering and Advanced Technology and Education(CREATE), was submitted to NNSA ahead of schedule.The addition of CREATE in the Livermore Valley OpenCampus willfacilitate external partnerships and enhanceour ability to attract and retain a high-caliber workforce.

Facilities Management and Operations Center (FMOC)executed three key infrastructure projects funded by NA-50.In partnership with multiple centers within Division 2000and Center 1200, FMOC coordinated and completed workon the Tonopah Test Range Control Tower, the ExplosivesComponent Facility addition, and multiple refurbishmentefforts for the Neutron Generator Production Facility. (4800)

The Analytics for Sandia Knowledge (ASK) suite of toolswas delivered and put into full production in FY16. ASKenables the enterprise to leverage corporate data in newand innovative ways. The suite of capabilities includes theframework, toolsets, and access to a collection of 46 enter-prise data sets, allowing Sandia management and datascientists to run custom reports and analytics against thedata. In addition, a set of general-use analytics and visual-izations has been made available to assist the enterprise.The suite of tools can be accessed by managers atask.sandia.gov. (9500)

ERPlus transformed the work experience by successfullyintegrating the Expense Report and Event Tracker applica-tions. Several system enhancements and policy changes forthe user were implemented through ERPlus, including thecreation of an expense report from a conference request,automatic expense report approvals (where no exceptionsexist), per diem costs for meals and incidentals auto-popu-lated based on destination, lodging costs verified usingFederal Travel Regulations, and paperless receipt documen-tation for all expense reports, which will eliminate hun-dreds of boxes per year of Corporate Storage as userschoose this option. (9500, 10500)

One of five Sandia R&D 100 Award winners announcedin early FY16, the Lightweight Distributed Metric Service(LDMS), provides capabilities long sought by high-perfor-mance computing (HPC) center administrators. The high-fidelity data monitoring and gathering capability of LDMShelps improve utilization of HPC resources, identifiesenergy-saving opportunities in large capability-classcomputers, and helps predict impending failures ofsystem components, thus avoiding unplanned outageson production computers. (9300)

Microsoft Corp. benchmarked Sandia’s Cyber SecurityIncident Response capabilities by conducting a PersistentAdversary Detection Services (PADS) assessment on Sandia’sunclassified environment. Overall observations from thePADS out-brief: minimal malware found — much less thancomparable networks; no determined threat actors detectedon the network; Sandia cyber staff were aware of nearly alldetections prior to the engagement. Microsoft concludedthat “Sandia’s Cyber Security Program is exemplary; it iswell-managed and technically exceptional.” (9300)

Sandia’s Production Cryptographic Facility (PCF) hasgenerated more than 80,000 encrypted SNSI data packagesfor government contractor Cryptographic InstallationCapabilities (CICs). The PCF and CICs provide militaryGlobal Positioning System (GPS) receiver vendors with amechanism to program units at their own facility, elimi-nating logistical delays and headaches seen in the pastwhen all receivers were programmed at a central govern-ment location. Sandia is expanding the scope of this effortto generate data packages for the next generation of Mili-tary GPS User Equipment (MGUE) vendors. (2600)

Five Sandia researchers were part of a team thatreceived the 2016 Secretary of the Navy InnovationCatalyst Award and the Naval Sea Systems CommandWarfare Centers’ Transformation Award. The teamincluded Lon Dawson, Phil Turner, and Mitch McCroryfrom Center 6200 and John Mulder and Alex Roeslerfrom Center 5600. These awards were given in recognitionof the team’s significant contributions to deliver a cutting-edge capability to the Navy, eradicating a significant cyberthreat by collaborating across disparate technology andorganizational boundaries. (6200, 5600)

Military programs

Sandia Sniper Wind Sense prototype (left photo) with laser rangefinder mounted on top, and a Candian military sniper (rightphoto) using the prototype at a firing range.

Under funding from US Special Operations Com-mand and special operations forces of Canada, UK,and Australia, Sandia developed and delivered opera-tional prototypes of an inexpensive portable windsense system to improve the shooting accuracy of spe-cial operations snipers. The system was evaluated by

multinational snipers with various winds, distances,and terrains, greatly improving first-shot hit probabil-ity, including at night when traditional wind estima-tion methods do not work. The testing success wassignificant enough that it was briefed to the Secretaryof Defense. (5300)

Ireena Ertezahas been nameda 2017 AsianAmerican Engi-neer of the Year.Ireena has madecontributions inthe areas of inte-grated and dif-fractive opticsand informationsystems, radia-tion effects onoptical process-ing systems,unattendedground sensor(seismic andacoustic) signalprocessing andalgorithm devel-opment, syn-thetic apertureradar signal pro-cessing and

algorithm development, and high-performance com-puting. The Asian American Engineer of the YearAward is an annual award bestowed during NationalEngineers Week. It is the only national award programto pay tribute to Asian American engineers, scientists,and corporate leaders each year. The 2017 AAEOYaward celebration marks the 16th anniversary of theorganization. This award recognizes and celebratesoutstanding Asian Americans who change the worldthrough invention, innovation, and outstanding con-tributions to their companies, communities, and thenation. Past honorees include Nobel laureates and topindustrial, academic and government leaders.

IREENA ERTEZA

Microelectronics & microsystems


Engineering sciences

Illustration of the complex multiphysics modeling required tounderstand material properties and residual stress evolution dur-ing and after manufacturing processes. An electric current heatsand eventually welds two parts, leaving a complex residual stressstate that evolves while cooling to room temperature.

Engineering Science and NW engineers established anew test capability to provide extreme mechanical shockenvironments using a Hopkinson Bar in support of elec-tronic neutron generator (ELNG) qualification tests forthree nuclear weapon systems. The team successfullyaddressed the unique experimental challenge of demon-strating ELNG functional operation in sync with thearrival of the shock pulse. This mechanical shock capabil-ity is now accessible for other components and systems.These repeatable and controlled tests have reduced riskfor the NW program and have the potential for futurecost savings. (1500, 2700)

Sandia’s Multiphysics Model-ing and Simulation organiza-tion developed a capability topredict residual stress evolu-tion through manufacturingprocesses and extreme plasticdeformations. The new capa-bility allows designers andanalysts to visualize complexmultiphysics processes andresidual stress evolution in away that was previously notpossible. The developmentshave immediate impact andapplication areas that includeassessing variability, improv-ing manufacturing processes,helping with SFI investiga-tions, and enabling future GasTransfer System reservoirdesigns. (8200)

Pulsed power

We have demonstrated successful operation of a proof-of-concept version of Thor, a pulsed-power accelerator with arevolutionary architecture optimized for megabar-class mate-rial-physics experiments. Thor will be powered by as many as288 circuits, each of which generates — for 100 ns — a peak

electrical power of 5 GW. (The largest nuclear power plantin the US generates a steady-state power of 3.3 GW.) Thorcreates pressure-loading time histories with unprecedentedprecision, and will position Sandia as the world’s premiermegabar-class material-physics laboratory. (1600)

Enabled by cross-center teaming,a new launch accelerometer hasbeen designed that is more tolerantto fabrication, assembly, and envi-ronment uncertainties. The develop-ment of a physics-based, nonlinearfluid and mechanical modelempowered by uncertainty quantifi-cation has revealed behavior previ-ously undetected by traditionaldeterministic analyses, quantifiedstatistical performance of the exist-ing design, and elucidated parame-ter variations that significantlyimpact performance. Ultimately,this has contributed to new launchaccelerometer designs, specifica-tions, and screening techniques tosignificantly improve margindespite uncertainties introducedthrough fabrication and assembly.(1500, 2600)

The Z pulsed power facility at Sandia executed a Puexperiment in collaboration with Los Alamos NationalLaboratory to support the B61-12 Life Extension Programcertification. The B61-12 certification must determine if pitaging is a concern. The Z experiment provided fundamen-tal data on four-year-old and 37-year-old B61 Pu fromactual pits for certification modeling. (1600)

A newly developed 3-inch Hopkinson Bar in the ExperimentalImpact Mechanics lab provides extreme mechanical environmentsfor materials, components, and structural testing and qualification.

The New Capabilities for Hostile Environments on ZGrand Challenge LDRD project developed the capabilityto safely use tritium in fusion targets on the Z facility forthe first time. Experiments were conducted at trace tritiumlevels (0.1 percent), and established a future path toward50-50 deuterium-tritium mixtures, with a potentialincrease in neutron yield of 60-90 times. This capability

will benefit multiple programs, including Inertial Confine-ment Fusion and Radiation Effects Sciences. The LDRDdeveloped the capability for using in-situ discharge-clean-ing electrode hardware to mitigate plasma formation anddecrease current loss.(1300, 1600, 1800, 2100, 2700, 2900, 4100, 5400, 5900,6200, 8200)

Within the New Capa-bilities for Hostile Envi-ronments Grand Chal-lenge LDRD project,Derek Lamppa led theCurrent Loss Reductionteam that developedthe in-situ plasma-cleaning process forZ machineconvolute/diode hard-ware. The team demon-strated this process onsurrogate diode assem-bly hardware, showingcompatibility withdiagnostics, and inte-grated the plasma-cleaning system ontothe Z machine. The

first-ever, in-situ cleaning was then demonstrated priorto a downline shot on a 20-MA accelerator. Derek alsoled development of diagnostics for current measure-ment and conductor temperatures that will be used tovalidate current loss models. Understanding loss mech-anisms is critical for design of next-generation pulsedpower machines beyond Z. Derek received the 2016“Outstanding Young Engineer” award from the Albu-querque Section of the IEEE for engineering excellenceand leadership in establishing the Systems IntegrationTest Facility and developing and testing novel systemsthat significantly impact all science programs on theZ Machine.

DEREK LAMPPA

Thor: a novel megabar-class material-physicsaccelerator. (Photo by Randy Montoya)


The Ultrafast X-ray Imager is the world’s fastest multi-frame solid-state camera (50 times faster) that can cap-ture a sequence of images with user-selectable exposuretimes as short as 2 billionths of a second. Our camerawas developed to enable scientists to study the heating

and compression of fusion targets in the quest to har-ness the energy process that powers the stars. These cam-eras are being used at Sandia’s Z machine and at theNational Ignition Facility at Lawrence LivermoreNational Laboratory. (1700, 1600)

Schlieren optical images of laser penetration and heating of a gas-filled target at Sandia National Laboratories

Energy

Sandia's supercritical CO2 Brayton laboratory developmentplatform. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

The development of sparingly solvating electrolytes forlithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries surmounts a critical barrier tocreating high energy density (400 Wh/kg(L)), low cost($100/kWh) transportation power sources. TransportationStorage team lead Kevin Zavadil, together with a teamfrom DOE’s Joint Center for Energy Storage Research(JCESR), have demonstrated how electrolytes in Li-S batter-ies can be engineered to reduce capacity loss and extendcycle life, providing a path to achieve DOE transportationstorage goals for a new generation of battery technologybeyond Li-ion. (1800)

Ford Motor Company, Arbin Instruments, Sandia, andMontana Tech recently completed the ARPA-E AMPEDproject to design, build, and validate a new high-precision,high-current battery tester for automotive and stationaryapplications. The tester significantly improves battery lifepredictions, helping meet the growing demand for better,longer-life electrified vehicle and grid storage batteries.Arbin intends to continue commercializing its high-preci-sion technology, while Sandia and Ford will continue vali-dation work, incorporating next-generation cells intofuture efforts. In November, the team received the 2016R&D 100 Green Tech Special Recognition Award. (2500)

Sandia surpassed its 30 percent by 2015 energy intensityreduction goal with a 30.87 percent reduction at the endof September 2015 (relative to FY2003 energy intensitybaseline) as reported in the FY2016 Site Sustainability Plan.This year, a new goal was set to 25 percent by 2025 with2.5 percent reductions annually. Data shows that Sandiareached a 2.5 percent reduction for fiscal year 2016. (4800)

A Sandia interdisciplinary team was the first to report onthe feasibility of using metal-organic frameworks as elec-trodes for Na-ion batteries. Limited energy resourcesrequire that innovative storage technologies be identifiedto provide adequate supply for future demand. The com-prehensive study including materials synthesis and batteryfabrication revealed a complex interplay between thestructural characteristics of the materials and battery com-ponents and their cumulative effect on the overall perfor-mance. Their work was highlighted on the front cover ofJournal of Materials Chemistry A. (2500, 1100)

Sandia and the Electric Power Research Institute heldthe first annual Secure Resilient Microgrid Systems Sympo-sium in Baltimore in 2016. The event attracted about 100participants from labs, industry, utilities, and governmentagencies. The symposium covered design and operationaltools, methods, standards development, and researchneeds for secure and resilient microgrids in both civilianand military environments. Forum topics included gridintegration and control issues when operating in grid-con-nected and islanded modes. Participants praised thesymposium and expressed a strong desire for continuingthe forum. (6100)

Sandia’s Wind Farm Technology Facility (SWiFT) inLubbock, Texas, recently restarted one of its advancedwind turbines as the final step in a rigorous DOE readinessreview that returned SWiFT to full operational capability.Based on the approval, SWiFT performed the first-evermeasurements of the wind behind the turbine (i.e., thewake) while also steering the wake to bypass a downwindturbine. Additionally, the SWiFT turbine controller andhardware in the loop system were leveraged by Vestas, theworld’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, for its quad-rotor technology demonstrator. (6100, 4100)

Robert Kolasinskihas received a $2.5million, five-yearEarly Career ResearchProgram award fromDOE’s Office of Sci-ence to support hiswork on how intensefusion plasmas inter-act with the interiorsurfaces of fusionreactors. Robert’sresearch will developthe scientific founda-tions needed todetermine how reac-tor surfaces changein a harsh plasmaenvironment and to

identify mechanisms that limit material lifetime. Hischallenge will be to probe surface properties duringplasma exposure without having to infer them frompost-test analyses.

DOE’s Supercritical Transformational ElectricPower (STEP) program seeks to facilitate commer-cialization of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2)technology. The Technology Roadmap details thecurrent status of technology policy and market con-siderations, analyzes gaps and needs, and outlines thesteps necessary for successful development anddeployment of the STEP demonstration system by theend of FY19. This demo is the baseline focus that setsthe foundations for the long-term goal of commercial-ization by 2025. (6200, 8600, 1900, 10600)

Illustration shows the structural features of a metal-organicframework as featured on the cover of Journal of MaterialsChemistry A.

This rear facing instrument is used to measure the windbehind the turbine.

The Hydrogen Station Equipment Performance (HyStEP)project won a regional Outstanding Partnership Awardfrom the Federal Laboratory Consortium. Developed bySandia and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL), the HyStEP device reduces the time to commissionnew hydrogen fueling stations from as much as months tojust one week. HyStEP has been first deployed in Californiaas the state is leading the nation with the most fuel cellelectric vehicles on the road and plans to open 35 newretail hydrogen stations by the end of 2016. (8300, 8500)

Sandia lead engineer Terry Johnson, left, and NREL engineer ChrisAinscough prepare the Hydrogen Station Equipment Performance(HyStEP) device for testing. (Photo by Dennis Schroeder/NREL)

Scientists from Sandia and the University of New Mexicocollaborated to develop a revolutionary advance in carbondioxide (CO2) capture technology. By confining waterloaded with CO2 enzymes in nanopores in ultra-thin mem-branes, the team created the Memzyme, which enablesCO2 capture from power plants, significantly reducing thethreat from greenhouse gases. Applied to a single coalpower plant, the annual CO2 emissions avoided by theMemzyme would be equivalent to planting 63 million treesand letting them grow for 10 years. (8600, 1000)

ROBERT KOLASINSKI


Sandia's Robotics team exhibited its bipedal walking robot, WANDERER, at theTechnology Exposition portion of the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals inPomona, California. The team conducted a field test and demonstration. TheSandia-designed robot successfully operated for 5 hours and 20 minutes, including

4 hours and 9 minutes of active walking, traversing 2.8 km on a single batterycharge. This level of performance exceeds that of previous walking robots by morethan five times. Core components of the technology are readily transferable toother applications. (6500) (Photo by Randy Montoya)

Robotics

HR, finance, & legal

HR and Communications VP Melonie Parker addresses attendees at the 2016 Employee Recognition Awards Celebration. (Photo by Lonnie Anderson)

In FY16 the Employee Recognition Awards (ERA) pro-gram was redesigned with three key principles in mind:• To brand the ERA program with the focus on Sandia’sculture of national security and mission success. • To ensure all who have made outstanding contribu-tions to Sandia’s success are celebrated.• To create an enjoyable and special celebration where

award recipients feel engaged and honored.As a result, for the first time ever, all winning individualsand team members were honored and celebrated inevents held in Albuquerque and Livermore.A team with members from Executive Protocol,Creative Services, and HR/Total Rewards executedthe events. (100, 3600, 3500)

Sandia's WANDERERrobot team in theRobotics Laboratory.

Sandia’s Health Services Center obtained certifica-tion by NCQA (National Certification of Quality Assur-ance) as a Patient-Centered Connected Care facility.The program recognizes ambulatory care providers whocommunicate and connect with primary care providersas they deliver care to shared patients. To be recog-nized, Health Services demonstrated use of evidence-based guidelines for treating patients, coordination ofcare with primary care providers, improved outcomesand patient experiences through care coordination,improved trust among providers, and an impact onreducing healthcare waste. (3300)

The Project Lead Training pilot provided strong bene-fits such as knowledge sharing, reducing the number ofovercommitted and over-costed projects, and developingintegrated approaches for customer commitments. Thepilot, implemented in February 2016, received suchremarkable feedback that the training will officially rollout in FY17 rather than going through a second pilot.Centers will partner with DS&A Mission Assurancethroughout course implementation. (5000, 10600, 10000)


HR, finance, & legal

To proactively facilitate and execute CooperativeResearch and Development Agreements (CRADAs) insupport of Sandia’s technology transfer mission, aCRADA strategy was developed. Two new teams focusedon economies of scale and provided the dynamics neces-sary to meet customer expectations. Efforts resulted increating internal/external brochures and sample State-ment of Work templates, significantly decreasing theamount of iteration on drafts. A Lean Six Sigma eventreduced processing time by nearly 10 calendar days. Allefforts were shared complex-wide and are collectivelyconsidered a best practice. (10500, 10000)

Sandia’s due diligence around Environmental Liabilitieshas been noted as a NW complex best practice. By teaming

closely with technical Environmental Liabilities subjectmatter experts (SMEs) and technical/financial DOE/NNSApoints of contact, Sandia accurately estimates and com-pletely records all Environmental Liabilities while continu-ing to look for ways to improve the process. This bestpractice has been recognized for several years, and as aresult, Sandia had input into the new complex-wide ActiveFacilities Data Collection System cost model. In FY 2016,Shelby Hansen, a Sandia SME, presented on the topic tothe Contractor Financial Management Associationconference in Washington, D.C. (10500)

Staff supporting the B61-12 LEP planned, created, con-ducted, and archived for future use NW complex-wideproject controller training throughout FY16 and FY17. Attending project controllers, project managers, financialstaff, and Product Realization Team leads were trained onthe project management principles and skills required toimplement sound Earned Value and project managementprinciples. This gained expertise will benefit all currentand future NW-related programs and projects. (10600)

In conjunction with material owners, the CorporateStorage Legacy Project has physically inspected andassessed more than 90 percent of the material in corporatestorage.This collaboration produced some exciting results:• The corporate storage footprint was reduced by 12,479cubic feet;• More than 250 items were sent to the Nuclear WeaponsKnowledge Preservation Program; and• CRAY 1 and CRAY 2 supercomputers were located andsaved. (10200, 10000)

Procurement and Facilities recently completed astrategic sourcing plan ensuring that Sandia constructionprojects are procured and executed as quickly and safelyas possible. Through the recompetition, the ConstructionPartnership program team selected 17 constructionpartners, up from 10, to facilitate price competition toreduce customer costs and add more capacity to accom-modate variable fiscal requirements. All partners are pre-qualified for safety, quality, and capability, and 15 part-ners are small businesses. (10200, 10000, 4000)

The NW Workforce Planning Team was instrumentalin the development and use of a new tool/capability (TLETool) that is informing Sandia decision makers regardingfuture staffing gaps (surpluses or shortages) by year, cen-ter, and program as the NW modernization programsfluctuate. Through multiple interactive web-based sce-narios, decision makers and planners can anticipate theexpected and extreme possibilities that may occur overthe next five to seven years. (100, 200, 8100, 9500)

Virtual Tourof Sandia’s Z-Machine

To motivate current talent development, attract intellec-tually curious recruits, and accelerate new employee orien-tation and engagement, Div. 3000 designed and devel-oped Virtual Tours of Sandia’s high-impact facilities (e.g.,

MESA, Z machine, CINT, and Sandia/California). Thesetours offer clear depictions in a visually stunning mannerof the rich opportunities at Sandia and unique one-of-a-kind technical capabilities Sandia offers the nation. Those

tours, the result of a partnership between Centers 3600and 3500 with mission technology input, are accessibleon Sandia’s external website and recruiting pages as wellas internal webpages. (3500)

Sandia received an honorable mention in the C. EverettKoop National Health Awards from the HERO foundationin recognition of outstanding worksite health promotionand improvement programs, including Sandia’s onsitehealth clinics, the Health Action Plan program, the VirginPulse program, Energy Hubs, and more. The Koop Awardsare the most prestigious awards for health improvementprograms, requiring strong documentation of both healthimprovement and cost savings. Sandia was one of onlytwo awardees for 2016. (3300)

Deb Menke presents an overview of Sandia’s worksite healthpromotion and improvement programs at the 2016 HeroForum in Atlanta. Sandia was recognized as an honorable men-tion for the C. Everett Koop National Health Awards.

National Labs Career Day was held Oct. 20 at theAtlanta University Consortium Center. ParticipatingHistorically Black Colleges and Universities includedSpelman College, Morehouse College, and ClarkAtlanta University. All 17 national laboratoriesattended, along with representatives from DOE, includ-ing the Honorable LaDoris “Dot” Harris, director of theOffice of Economic Impact & Diversity, Dameone Fer-guson from DOE’s Diversity and Inclusion Program,and Annie Whatley, the DOE deputy director of Minor-ity Education and Community Development. Morethan 60 STEM students attended panel discussionsand a career fair. (3500)


Governance, leadership, & management

Gabrielle “Gabby” Holcomb, a quality assurancespecialist, excels as the first woman in Sandia’sWounded Warrior Career Development Program. Gabbyis a success. First, she succeeded as an Army civil affairs

sergeant in the Iraqwar and later sheworked in a combatrole out of Baghdad.Today she is a qualityassurance specialistwho received anEmployee RecognitionAward for her excep-tional work in thecounterfeit program.Sandia’s WoundedWarrior CareerDevelopment Programspecializes in hiringdisabled combatveterans into posi-tions at Sandia.GABRIELLE “GABBY” HOLCOMB

The American Indian Science and Engineering Soci-ety (AISES) honored Marie Capitan as the inauguralrecipient of the Blazing Flame Award at its national con-ference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in November 2016.

This award recog-nizes individualswith 10-plus yearsof professionalexperience with sig-nificant accom-plishments inadvancing STEMeducation and whoalso blaze a path forNative Americansin STEM careers.Sandia’s support ofnational diversityawards directlyaligns with its con-tinued commit-ment to foster aninclusive workenvironment.

Community involvement and public engagement

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Sandia enhanced its approach to achieving high-quality results through an in-depth discussion of itsmindful approach to achieving and sustaining opera-tional excellence. Leveraging insights from organiza-tions that achieved operational excellence, Sandia pub-lished the first addendum to Performing Work at Sandiathat explains to the workforce how a questioning atti-tude, critical thinking, and the application of five keyprinciples can result in operational excellence. (700)

Sandia strengthened Labs-wide awareness andunderstanding of quality-related principles through athree-year QMA that reviewed all divisions and pro-gram management units with regards to the 10 criteriaspecified in DOE Order 414.1.D, Quality Assurance.The QMA identified strengths and weaknesses to fur-ther continual improvement and emphasized applica-tion of the Plan-Do-Check-Act quality principles anddefect prevention methodologies needed to enableconsistent and predictable quality outcomes. (700)

A cross-functional team from Talent Managementand Organizational Effectiveness, Strategic Plan-ning and Laboratories’ Leadership, and Executive Pro-tocol redesigned and executed the National SecurityLeadership Development Program for the first timesince 2010-2011. Twenty-seven senior managers anddirectors participated in the 10-month programdesigned to engage, develop, and inspire senior lead-ers to empower others to lead. The program used self-reflection and experiential learning to instill values-based leadership skills, develop relationships, andenable collaboration. (100)

Ethics and business conductAn expanded Sandia Code of Ethics and Standards ofConduct was published. In addition to coveringSandia’s Vision, Mission, and Values, the handbookhelps employees understand expectations for maintain-ing personal and institutional integrity, includingresponsibilities ofbeing an employeeof a FederallyFunded Researchand DevelopmentCenter. This collab-orative effort, ledby Ethics, includedcontributions fromLegal, HumanResources & Com-munications, CFO& Business Opera-tions, Security,EnvironmentalSafety and Health,and the ExecutiveOffice. (800)

Sandia continued to increase awareness of the Labs’national security impact through its social media channels.In FY16, Sandia’s social media won the APEX Grand Awardfor the second consecutive year and for the first time wontwo awards in a single year — excellence for overall socialpresence and distinction for online advertising and market-ing — from the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts. San-dia social media was highlighted multiple times as mostengaged government content. Over the course of the year,Sandia saw an average 24 percent growth in audience. (3600)

The American Chemical Society awarded Sandia’s CSI:DogNapping Workshop the 2015 ChemLuminary Awardfor Outstanding Kids & Chemistry at its national meetingin Boston. The workshop, developed by Tim Boyle andBernadette Hernandez-Sanchez, reaches more than 400New Mexico 4th-graders annually from economically chal-lenged and under-represented minority schools and isdesigned to encourage interaction with scientists at theirplace of work. This prestigious outreach award is a first-of-a-kind for Sandia. The workshop is in its 12th year. (1800)

MARIE CAPITAN

My Brother’s Keeper (MBK)Day at the Lab, a WhiteHouse initiative, providedinspiration and workplaceexposure to 60 under-repre-sented boys at Sandia/NewMexico. The boys wereinvited to participate inlaboratory tours designedto connect students topotential careers and rolemodels. Sandia/Californiaparticipated in the LawrenceLivermore NationalLaboratory event. (3600,1500, 1700, 6800)

MBK Day gives students accessand visibility into what we doat Sandia and sparks studentinterest in pursuing a STEMcareer. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

Sandia achieved $155.9 million in FY16 cost savingsand cost avoidances, exceeding its efficiency goal of $85million. The cost savings were enabled by the launch of anew Operational Innovation application that is used tocollect, analyze, and share data about innovative projectsthat are improving efficiency and driving down costsacross the Labs. The application is available to all membersof the workforce and to the Sandia Field Office. (700)

Sandia/California celebrated its 60th anniversarywith two events. At the on-site workforce event inMarch, the current and six previous Div. 8000 VPsengaged in a lively history panel discussion. The sec-ond event was an open event in downtown Liver-more. Attended by 500-plus people, the first-of-its-kind event included remarks by Labs Director JillHruby and Div. 8000 VP Marianne Walck, elected offi-cial commendations, national security speakers, sci-ence activities for children, and technology demon-strations by staff, high school students, and a GirlScout troop. (8000)

Sparking interest in science, technology, engi-neering, and math (STEM) careers among youngwomen was the focus of Sandia’s first STEM Mentor-ing Café. The event included keynote remarks byLaDoris (Dot) Harris, director of DOE’s Office of Eco-nomic Impact and Development, and Sandia Presi-dent and Labs Director Jill Hruby, who shared theirpersonal stories about their career paths. The girlsexplored several careers through hands-on activitiesand discussions with Sandia employees, includingsome of the challenges faced. More than 60 middleand high school girls participated. (3600)

Sandia’s Strategic Planning and Laboratories’Leadership department and Quality Assurance ExcellenceGroup partnered to update the Laboratories’ approach toExecutive Management Review (EMR). The goal is to moreexplicitly focus on issues and risks with potential to impactthe highest-priority commitments of the Labs’ manage-ment entities. Since the re-designed EMR was imple-mented in FY16 Q1, it has elevated the executive dialogueand improved the leadership team’s ability to identify andaddress systemic issues and risks. (100)

march 2017 · michael lanigan• labs accomplishments design & production cover photographs by...

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