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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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.
Fumito Okino, Laetitia Frances, David Demange, Ryuta Kasada, Satoshi Konishi
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 71 | Number 4 | May 2017 | Pages 575-583
Technical Note | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2017.1290972
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Quantitative feasibility analysis of the tritium recovery efficiency from multiple columns of liquid PbLi droplets was conducted. Then a case study based on the HCLL specification was performed. Main concern was whether the experimentally obtained recovery efficiency from a column of droplets is applicable for the efficiency estimation from the multiple columns of droplets without any mutual degrading effects. To maintaining a safe side assumption, the tritium once released and reabsorbed on another droplet was considered to be not re-emitted while falling. By the analogy with the thermal radiation theory, the view factor which expresses the intersection ratio of radiation on another surface was applied for the estimation. The dependences on nozzle design parameters, such as nozzle pitch, number of nozzles, chamber wall clearance, and exhaust port design, were investigated. Case study results suggest that, by choosing well-suited parameters approximately 40% to 60% of the single column recovery efficiency was secured for multiple columns even on the conservative condition. The release chamber exhaust port design had a major influence. Nozzle pitch and array design have less influences, but are not negligible. However, it has to be experimentally verified to the scale-size effects and experimental programs are currently underway.