The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation has completed remediation of critical computer systems that could have been affected by the Y2K bug. ANSTOs Y2K remediation program began in July, 1997, and has cost more than $1 million.
ANSTOs research reactor, HIFAR, was built in 1958. It is not reliant on computers for its operations. However, as part of its Y2K preparations, ANSTO has developed a series of contingency plans for the reactor. These would be used as the year 2000 begins if there is any failure of externally supplied electricity, water or telecommunications services.
HIFAR is scheduled to be operating at the change of the year. However, it is planned to shut it down for a few minutes just prior to midnight on December 31, primarily to test availability of external services.
The reactor will then be brought back to normal power if external water, power and communications services are available. If they are not, HIFAR will remain shut down until they are restored. ANSTO has a high level of self-sufficiency in power and water supplies.
It has quadruple redundancy in regard to electricity supply: it can draw power from Jannali or Engadine substations and has two large diesel generator sets, each backing up the other. If this quadruple redundancy was insufficient to maintain supplies to HIFAR, the reactor closes itself down within one second.
In regard to water, in addition to mains supplies, ANSTO has an independent supply sufficient to service its entire site for two days.
Mission critical aspects of ANSTOs operations checked under the Y2K program include: effluent controllers, ventilation and filtration systems, telecommunications systems, security systems, environmental monitoring systems, dosimetry, irradiated silicon production, nuclear medicine processes, nuclear data acquisition, nuclear analysis software, ANSTOs computer network, standby diesel electrical power sets, and process systems at the National Medical Cyclotron, Camperdown.
Published: 15/09/1999
Mission critical aspects of ANSTOs operations checked under the Y2K program include: effluent controllers, ventilation and filtration systems, telecommunications systems, security systems, environmental monitoring systems, dosimetry, irradiated silicon production, nuclear medicine processes, nuclear data acquisition, nuclear analysis software, ANSTOs computer network, standby diesel electrical power sets, and process systems at the National Medical Cyclotron, Camperdown.