IN THE DOGHOUSE — Under the watchful eye of a health physics technician, the final target assembly is lowered into a CMT-designed shielded fixture (at left), nicknamed the “doghouse,” which protected workers during the welding operation.

`Recycled' IPNS target assembly cuts costs

By Dave Jacqué

The Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS) wasn't supposed to last this long.

One of the nation's most productive sources of neutrons for materials science research, IPNS was built more than 20 years ago from spare parts as a sort of "bench test" for a larger, more powerful facility.

Instead, the machine has chugged along for more than 20 years, building up an impressive track record of scientific discoveries and new instrumentation technologies -- and wearing out targets on a regular basis. The targets, which produce the neutrons, are unique items costing about $1 million each to fabricate.

Recently, the last target made during IPNS construction began to show its age. Facing a tight budget, former IPNS operations manager Bill Ruzicka (now director of the Advanced Photon Source Operations Division) came up with the idea of recycling.

"We had to get creative," said Richard Vitt (IPNS), who managed the target recycling project. "After 20 years of operation, we ran out of new targets, and our entire user program was in jeopardy."

Each target assembly contains a stack of eight disks of depleted uranium, each a little larger than a hockey puck. The disks are clad in zirconium alloy and packed into a stainless steel cylinder about the size of an oatmeal box. Cooling water flows through the cylinder, dissipating heat produced by the neutron production.

In operation, pulses of three trillion protons accelerated to 75 percent of the speed of light, at a beam energy of 450 million electron-volts, hit the target 30 times per second. The protons "spall" neutrons from the uranium atoms, producing the machine's namesake intense pulses. The neutrons are used in a variety of materials science experiments arrayed around the "monolith," a massive cube of concrete and steel radiation shielding surrounding the target.

Targets last about four years. Over time, the proton beam damages the uranium and causes the cladding to crack. The front two or three disks take most of the pounding, Vitt said, but the remaining disks are generally in good shape. Although new disks emit very low levels of radiation, used disks are "very hot" from the neutron bombardment and require careful handling. Before any work was done, Vitt contacted Al Justus (EQO), who developed radiation models needed to establish shielding requirements and safety protocols.

Chemical Engineering Division (CMT) Director David Lewis offered the use of the hot cells in his division. Under the direction of CMT's Jeff Emery, two previously used targets were taken to the Senior Cave Hot Cell Facility in Building 205, where a new target could be assembled. The operation included detailed visual and video microscope inspections by Mark Clark (CMT). After an ultrasonic cleaning and examination for surface radioactive contamination, the disks were "leach tested" in water to make sure the cladding was completely intact; the tiniest perforation in the zirconium cladding would allow fission products to leak into the cooling water, forcing IPNS operations to halt.

The final target assembly was completed in a CMT designed shielded fixture, in which the "can" containing the target disks was welded shut and the cooling hoses attached to the target assembly. A lead-brick "doghouse" kept radiation doses to near-background levels while Robin Reierson (PFS-CS) expertly performed the welding. A helium leak check was accomplished after the welding was completed.

IPNS began operating with the recycled target Feb. 10, and it has performed flawlessly so far. Vitt said there are plans to assemble another target from used disks to use as a spare.

Working with CMT was "a great fit," Vitt said. "CMT's unique resources saved us money and gave us a recycled target nearly as good as a new one. The project was successful due to the cooperation of many Argonne organizations, including IPNS, CMT, the Alpha Gamma Hot Cell Facility in Building 212, and Central Shops."

Safety mark revised to 1.9M hours

Due to a change in the classification of an incident that occurred during January, Argonne-East's safety record has been revised upward to 1.9 million hours without a lost-time injury.

No lost-time injuries were recorded between Oct 24, 2003 and Feb 19, 2004, for a total of 1,982,000 hours.

A celebration to mark this milestone will be held Monday, March 15, at noon in the Building 213 Cafeteria. Cake will be served by Argonne Director Hermann Grunder, Deputy Laboratory Director Don Joyce, Chief Operations Officer Mike Derbidge and EQO Director Adam Cohen.

Argonne's new safety slogan will be unveiled at the safety celebration. The slogan was chosen by a committee of representatives from programmatic and operations divisions from among the nearly 1,200 submissions by Argonne employees. The employee who submitted the winning slogan will win $250. A prize of $150 will be awarded to the employee with the second-place slogan, and the third-place entry will get $100.

Supervisors are key to
promoting workplace safety

By Adam Cohen, EQO Director

A job as a supervisor is a unique position of trust. Argonne relies on supervisors to be the direct representative of management and to apply its policies wisely and fairly. Supervisors are also entrusted to safeguard the well-being of the workers in their charge. No responsibility transcends this in importance.

Preventing on-the-job accidents calls for constant vigilance on the part of supervisors, who should care for their people at work as they would care for the people at home. Encouraging workers to discuss the hazards of their work and anticipating the risk that may arise from changes in equipment or methods are just a couple of management skills that supervisors should keep in mind.

Remember: good workers do good work for a good leader. By leading workers into "thinking safety" as well as working safely day by day, a supervisor will win their support and cooperation.

Supervisors can find a simple checklist on health and safety-related behaviors online.

Responsibility for safety extends to all lab employees

The first principle of Integrated Safety Management is "Line Management is Responsible for Safety." At Argonne, supervisors have the responsibility to:

Make the safety and health of all employees and the protection of the environment an integral part of the management function.

Assess the workplace for environment, safety and health concerns on a continual basis.

Ensure appropriate employee safety training is completed.

Provide personal protective equipment to employees, if needed for the jobs assigned.

Ensure employees follow safe work practices.

Report all incidents, accidents and injuries, and remind all employees to do the same.

Remind employees that they have the right to protection from discrimination or reprisal for reporting unsafe or unhealthy working conditions -- and that they can make reports anonymously.

All employees have the responsibility to:

Comply with Argonne Environment, Safety and Health rules and policies.

Participate in the safety process and program activities.

Work safely and responsibly.

Use and care for personal protective equipment properly.

Assess their work environment for environment, safety or health concerns.

Report unsafe and unhealthful work conditions, accidents and injuries immediately.

File forms in a timely manner.

Argonne Club plans March 18
St. Patrick's Day party

The Argonne Club is set to host a St. Patrick's Day party on Thursday, March 18, at 617 Lower Level from 4:30 - 8 p.m.

Prizes will be awarded to the person wearing the most green. There is a $3 cover charge, and adult beverages will be available.

All visitors must be badged by the Argonne Information Center prior to 4 p.m.

For more information, contact the Argonne Club at argonneclub@ anl.gov or visit the Web site.

Cafeteria seeking feedback
on food service needs

Guckenheimer Enterprises, Inc., which operates food services in Argonne-East's Building 213 Cafeteria, will conduct a week-long survey to gather the opinion of employees on the quality of food and service, the variety of food, and the price value, as well as an overall opinion of their operations.

Guckenheimer also may form a focus group to better understand Argonne food service needs. Employees can indicate their interest in volunteering for the focus group on the survey form.

The survey form will be distributed to all employees the week of March 8 and must be returned by Friday, March 12. Completed forms can be returned by interoffice mail or can be deposited in a survey box in the cafeteria lobby. Every employee returning the survey in the cafeteria will receive a free bag of popcorn.

ANL Information Management
system wins award

The Argonne Information Management (AIM) System has received a 2003 LiveLinkUp Award for "Best Library and Catalog Management Solution," a prize for applications that "enhance an organization's ability to protect and leverage its intellectual assets."

This is the second year in a row the Information and Publishing Division's (IPD) library information system has received a LiveLinkUp Award for a best-of-class customer solution using the Open Text family of content management products.

The AIM System was selected for this honor by a panel of independent experts in the collaboration and knowledge management industry, representing Gartner, Meta Group, Line56, KMWorld and Cohasset.  The AIM System "was designed with the end-user in mind," according to the judges.  The AIM System was created by IPD with support from Computing and Instrumention Solutions Division.

IPD's latest-generation
color copier is fast, flexible

A latest-generation color copier has been installed at the Information and Publishing Division (IPD) Print Shop which can digitally print documents, flyers and other print materials from electronic files.

Customers can pick a specific weight and type of paper stock and print up to 11 by 17 inches from edge to edge or double-sided.

Electronic files to be printed can be sent in PDF or Microsoft Word format as an e-mail attachment, or supplied on CD-ROM, Zip disk and other media.

IPD designers can assist with files needing extra attention, or those with embedded graphics or unusual fonts. Contact Mary Jo Koelbl at ext. 2-8820 for help.

The fast, inexpensive, high-quality printing system is automated. Color pages can be inserted automatically into the bulk of a black and white text document. This eliminates labor-intensive hand-insertion, saving time and money.

To tour IPD facilities, or for more information, contact Gary Weidner at ext. 2-7213 or Carole Szpunar at ext. 2-6063.

Hispanic Club plans seminar on retirement

The Argonne Hispanic/Latino Club will host a retirement seminar Thursday, March 11, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Argonne-East's Building 201, Room 190.

Claudia Gonzales, senior financial advisor with American Express Financial Advisors, Inc., will present "Making Your Retirement Money Work for You." She will discuss ways to fund retirement and still accomplish goals. An informational workbook will be distributed to help participants assess their financial situations.

LabVIEW class offered on-site

A five-day, intermediate-level course on LabVIEW software will be held at Argonne-East April 19-23. The course is designed for engineers who use LabVIEW for automation, testing, manufacturing and control applications.

The LabVIEW Intermediate course teaches structured practices to design, develop, test and deploy LabVIEW applications. Participants learn LabVIEW application development techniques, such as hierarchical VI development, state machines, appropriate user interface design, error handling strategies and effective documentation. Participants should have taken LabVIEW Basics I or have some programming experience with LabVIEW.

Classes will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Building 460, Conference Room A.

The cost is $2,241.00 per student. That price will be discounted if eight or more students register.

Registration deadline is Monday, March 15. To register, or for more information, contact William Pintor at (512) 683-6332 or will.pintor@ni.com.

Retirement vendors to visit ANL-E

The laboratory's retirement vendors will send representatives to Argonne-East during March to answer employees' questions about retirement plans and assets. To schedule an appointment, call the number listed.

Fidelity -- Tuesday, March 9, and Tuesday, March 23. Call the appointment desk at (800) 642-7131.

TIAA-CREF -- Thursday, March 25, and Friday, March 26. Call the appointment desk at (800) 842-2005.

Prudential -- Wednesday, March 17. Call Cheryl at (847) 619-3519.

McMaster-Carr products are
now available via AMOS

The McMaster-Carr catalog of more than 410,000 products is now available through the Argonne Materials Ordering System (AMOS).

McMaster-Carr products range from lighting and electrical supplies to janitorial equipment. Most items are shipped from stock, and same-day delivery is available for orders placed before 10 a.m.

More information is online.

Ask the Directorate

Q: On two occasions while parked at the Advanced Photon Source, I have found unsolicited religious pamphlets attached to my vehicle, as well as many others in the parking lot. Is this type of behavior condoned by the laboratory?

A: No. Laboratory policy provides very specific guidelines for all solicitations on property Argonne owns or leases.

Argonne sponsors several national and community organizations, and these are authorized to solicit contributions and distribute appropriate literature through established procedures.

Unless people are charged with coordinating sponsored activities, they are not permitted to solicit or distribute literature, including religious literature, on laboratory premises during anyone's work time. Persons not employed by Argonne are not permitted to solicit or distribute literature at the lab at any time. Further, literature may not be strewn or discarded on Argonne property.

Any unauthorized solicitation or distribution in your work area should be addressed promptly. Guidance and assistance are available from Human Resources.

"Ask the Directorate" lets employees ask senior Argonne management direct questions about the laboratory's operations, policy, strategy, mission, budget and goals. Employees should continue to refer job- or workplace-specific questions to their immediate supervisors.

Employees may submit questions to askthedirectorate@anl.gov or fax them to 2-5274. Only questions that include the name of the questioner and contact information, such as e-mail address, office extension or fax number, will be answered.

An appropriate member of the Argonne Directorate will answer each question, and the answer will be sent directly to the employee. In addition, the Argonne News will periodically print selected responses, and all answers will be posted on the Web at www.anl.gov/OPA/local/askthedirectorate/. Questioners will remain anonymous in the Argonne News and on the Web.

A link to the Ask-the-Directorate web site can be found on the Inside Argonne home page at www.inside.anl.gov/.

U.S. Bank card holders targeted
by e-mail scam

E-mail scammers are targeting U.S. Bank credit-card holders, which include many Argonne employees who have been issued credit cards for travel use.

Some cardholders have received e-mail that appears to come from U.S. Bank or Visa Corp. asking the recipient to send his or her account number and other personal information.

U.S. Bank will not contact cardholders directly by e-mail or telephone to verify account numbers or personal information. Cardholders should not respond to requests like this, or click the link in the e-mail.

The U.S. Bank Fraud Department asks that fraudulent e-mail requests for information be forwarded to fraud_help@usbank.com.