Case Study
National Ignition Facility (2010)
Scope
NIF is the world’s largest, most precise and most energetic laser system capable of create a miniature stars in the laboratory. The groundbreaking facility was designed to explore controlled nuclear fusion and has been responsible for advances in global security, sustainable clean energy and our understanding of the universe. The facility was designed to house 192 laser beams and standing at 85 feet tall. The laser area of the building is the size of 3 football fields. Inside are 2 parallel laser bays each containing 96 beam lines. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center about 50 miles east of San Francisco.
CLIENT
TBD
LOCATION
Livermore, California
Challenge
Dynamic Structures was selected to design and fabricate the groundbreaking research facility based on their history of precision in the academic community and deep understanding of science and engineering. Dynamic was responsible for detailing and fabricated over 1000 tonnes of tube steel to tight dimensional tolerances.
Solution
NIF is an engineering and science marvel. NIF is fully operational and the team is focused on applying NIF’s extraordinary capabilities to use in strategic defense, fundamental science and fusion energy missions. The main goal is to focus on achieving fusion ignition through exploring the physics of fusion for the first time at conditions needed for fusion to occur. The facility enabled the first successful
How National Ignition Facility works.
The National Ignition Facility, located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is the world’s largest laser system… 192 huge laser beams in a massive building, all focused down at the last moment at a 2 millimeter ball containing frozen hydrogen gas. The goal is to achieve fusion… getting more energy out than was used to create it. It’s never been done before under controlled conditions, just in nuclear weapons and in stars. The purpose is threefold: to create an almost limitless supply of safe, carbon-free, proliferation-free electricity; examine new regimes of astrophysics as well as basic science; and study the inner-workings of the U.S. stockpile of nuclear weapons to ensure they remain safe, secure and reliable without the need for underground testing.
Benefits
NIF has led to major advances in our understanding of science and technology.. The project was awarded the prestigious Project Management Institute Project of the Year award. PMI is an organization with 500k members in over 180 countries. The awards had 5000 members in attendance and the project beat out megaprojects like NFL stadiums and other megaprojects.