Abstract
The mission of U.S. Department of Energy’s Pu-238 Supply Project is to rebuild capability to produce Pu-238 at the kilogram scale in the United States. This isotope is used by NASA to power space probes, and supply is dwindling. It was last produced in the U.S. in 1988. A conceptual design of a Pu-238 supply process is described that utilizes existing processes and facilities. The design is analyzed from an industrial engineering perspective using discrete-event system simulation to determine expected production rates, bottlenecks, and the effect of process variability on the production rate. Process alternatives are generated based on Lean Manufacturing principles, and those are examined by discrete-event system simulation and compared to the baseline operating sequence to identify better process solutions.