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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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.
Y. M. Farawila, S. I. Abdel-Khalik
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 104 | Number 3 | March 1990 | Pages 288-295
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE90-A23728
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Conversion ratios reported for the Sandia National Laboratories intermediate-scale (FITS-B series) steam explosion experiments have been examined and recalculated. It is shown that these conversion ratios corresponding to the work done to compress the chamber air, ηD, may have been overestimated by as much as a factor of 8.3. The recalculated values of ηD range from 0.05 to 1.04% compared with reported values of 0.2 to 8.6%. The corresponding maximum value for the total fraction of melt thermal energy converted to both kinetic energy and compression work, ηtot = ηKE + ηD, is 2.34% compared to a reported value of 9.9%.
