ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
Laila A. El-Guebaly
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 22 | Number 1 | August 1992 | Pages 124-134
Technical Paper | D-3He/Fusion Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A30062
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The implications of the D-3He fuel cycle on shielding design are investigated for tokamak power reactors of the ARIES/Apollo class. The prime function of the shield is to protect the superconducting magnets against radiation. A variety of shield options is examined, and the various shields are optimized for the D-3He neutron spectrum. The results demonstrate the relative merits of the various materials as a function of the shield thickness. In the first wall/shield, low-activation structural materials (such as Tenelon, modified HT-9, silicon carbide composites, and carbon-carbon composites) were employed to reduce the radioactive inventory and increase the safety margin in case of accidents. A comparison between the different shield options based on detailed neutronics, environmental/safety, and economic assessments has led to the selection of the reference shield design. The first-wall/shield structure is made of an elementally tailored ferritic steel (MHT-9), and the thermal energy is converted through an organic coolant at 44% efficiency. The safety features of the low-activation steel shield, along with the low neutron production in the D-3He fuel cycle, enable the ARIES-III/Apollo design to achieve acceptable environmental and safety characteristics.