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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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!
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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.
J. A. Bonnet, Jr., R. K. Osborn
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 43 | Number 1 | January 1971 | Pages 1-4
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE71-A21240
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A method for estimating the average void fraction in water-moderated power reactors is presented. The method might be useful to determine departure from normal boiling conditions or nucleate boiling in boiling and pressurized water reactors, respectively. A standing acoustic wave is introduced in the core and the neutron density is measured, squared, time-averaged, and compared with the same quantity without an acoustic wave. The ratio is inversely proportional to the sixth power of the acoustic velocity; and the acoustic velocity depends on the average void fraction in the core. Consequently, this ratio is very sensitive to the average void fraction in the core.
