An overview of the process for conducting experiments at TREAT is covered in this section. A chronological sequencing of activities has been established to ensure effective control of Reactor experiments from inception through final disposition.
Coordinated control supports:
Efficient use of the Reactor and TREAT facilities,
Experiment acceptability with regard to the Reactor, personnel, and public safety,
Effective coordination and communication between all parties and supporting facilities,
Clearly understood responsibilities at each stage of the experiment, and
Experimental objectives are achieved.
Within the framework of the above objectives, coordinated communication and planning between the experimenter, INL, and TREAT staff will establish technical and program feasibility of an experiment, ensure availability of diagnostics and other ancillary support, and minimize potential schedule constraints. Final experiment review and programmatic approval will be provided at various steps to ensure the experiment achieves the above stated objectives.
Experimenters are encouraged to visit TREAT before and during the experiment, or send a representative as appropriate. There are certain notification timelines and requirements to be met for all visitors to INL. (Find INL visitor information here.) Once a visit is agreed upon, TREAT staff will assist with timely completion of required documentation.
Figure 6 below provides an overview of the experiment process from initial contact between experimenter and INL/TREAT staff regarding the experiment and ends with final disposition of an experiment. Careful adherence to each activity requirement avoids delayed approvals and ensures the experiment objectives are met. The following sections in this Guide define in detail the requirements of each step depicted in Figure 6.
Figure 6. TREAT experiment process.
