Design of an intelligent materials data base for the IFR

In the development of the integral fast reactor (IFR) concept, there is a consensus that materials considerations are an important part of the reactor design, operation, and maintenance and that materials performance is central to liquid-metal reactor reliability and safety. In the design of the IRF materials data base, artificial intelligence techniques are being used to ensure efficient control of information. Intelligent control will provide for the selection of menus to be displayed, efficient data-base searches, and application-dependent guidance through the data base. The development of the IRF data base has progressed to the point of (a) completing the design of the data-base architecture and tables, (b) installing computer hardware for storing large amounts of data, (c) outlining strategies for data transferal, and (d) identifying ways to validate and secure the integrity of data.