The Department of Energy (DOE) maintains a list of "toolbox" codes that have been evaluated against DOE Safety Software Quality Assurance (SSQA) requirements of DOE O 414.1D, Quality Assurance and the safety software guidance in DOE G 414.1-4, Safety Software Guide, Appendix B, Procedure for Adding or Revising Software to or Deleting Software from the DOE Safety Software Central Registry and accepted as toolbox codes. The toolbox codes are used by DOE contractors to perform calculations and to develop data used to establish the safety basis for DOE nuclear facilities and their operation, and to support the variety of safety analyses and safety evaluations developed for these facilities. The following is a list of specific versions of toolbox codes that comprise the DOE Safety Software Central Registry.
| Code | Version | Year Approved | Owner/Developer |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALOHA | V5.4.4 | 2014 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) |
| CFAST | V7.1.1 | 2017 | National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). |
| EPIcode | V7.0 | 2004 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) |
| GENII | V2.10.1 | 2013 | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) |
| HotSpot | V2.07.01 | 2010 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) |
| IMBA | IMBA Expert ™ USDOE Edition V4.0.28 | 2006 | UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) |
| MACCS2 | V1.13.1 | 2004 | Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) |
| MELCOR | V1.8.5 | 2004 | Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) |
Prior to inclusion into the Central Registry an evaluation, sometimes referred to as a gap analysis, of each code is conducted to identify any "gaps" between the SSQA practices being followed and DOE's requirements and criteria for safety software. Code-specific guidance reports are developed where needed to identify applicable regimes in accident analysis, default inputs, and special conditions for using the toolbox codes for DOE applications. These documents as well as general information are available through the toolbox code links provided above.
The codes in the Central Registry were developed by other Federal Agencies (e.g., NOAA and NIST) or by DOE laboratories for other Federal Agencies (e.g., Nuclear Regulatory Commission). Access to the toolbox codes or their use is subject to agreements, conditions and restrictions established by the code owners or Federal agencies.
The Office of Quality Assurance and Nuclear Safety Management Programs (EHSS-32) is responsible for managing the Central Registry. However, the toolbox code owners are responsible for ensuring that the codes are maintained in accordance with established requirements. Newer versions of these toolbox codes representing major changes to codes are reviewed as necessary for inclusion in the Central Registry.
Use of the Central Registry toolbox codes is not mandatory. However, using the codes offers several advantages to the DOE and its contractors. Some of these advantages include: 1) the gap analysis evaluation performed provides valuable information on the code regarding application of SSQA requirements, 2) the evaluation extends beyond the DOE SSQA criteria to the review of the code's capability to produce verifiable and acceptable results, and 3) due to the established pedigree, further evaluation of the toolbox code by DOE and site contractors may be reduced in scope.
If other toolbox code versions are used, DOE sites should determine that the quality assurance level meets the DOE SSQA requirements and the applicable provisions of the site Quality Assurance Program (QAP).