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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.
Hiroshi Nakagawa , Tatsutoshi Inagaki, Hirotaka Yoshimi , Keisho Shirakata, Yoshio Watari, Masao Suzuki, Kotaro Inoue, Takanobu Kamei
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 100 | Number 3 | November 1988 | Pages 283-295
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE88-A29042
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The current status of axial heterogeneous core (AHC) design development in Japan, which consists of an AHC core design in a pool-type demonstration fast breeder reactor (DFBR) and research and development activities supporting AHC core design, is presented. The DFBR core design objectives developed by The Japan Atomic Power Company include (a) favorable core seismic response, (b) core compactness, (c) high availability, and (d) lower fuel cycle cost. The AHC concept was selected as a reference pool-type DFBR core because it met these objectives more suitably than the homogeneous core (HOC). The AHC core layouts were optimized emphasizing the reduction of the burnup reactivity swing, peak fast fluence, and power peaking. The key performance parameters resulting from the AHC, such as flat axial power/flux distribution, lower peak fast fluence, lower burnup reactivity swing, etc., were evaluated in comparison with the HOC. The critical experiments at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute’s Fast Critical Assembly facility demonstrate the key AHC performance characteristics. The large AHC engineering benchmark experiments using the zero-power plutonium reactor and the AHC fuel pin irradiation test program using the JOYO reactor are also presented.