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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.
Mohy Sabry, Neveen S. Abed, Ahmed Omar, Moamen G. El-Samrah, Mohamed Y. M. Mohsen
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 198 | Number 10 | October 2024 | Pages 1998-2012
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2023.2284441
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This study examines the feasibility of utilizing mixed-oxide fuel [(U0.9, rgPu0.1) O2] instead of traditional UO2 in nuclear reactors. The utilization of (U0.9, rgPu0.1) O2 is particularly significant as it represents an effective approach to nuclear fuel recycling by combining reactor-grade plutonium extracted from partially used nuclear fuel and depleted uranium obtained through the enrichment process. The fundamental neutronic characteristics, such as the radial power distribution, were investigated using the MCNPX 2.7 algorithm to identify the specific channel for subsequent thermal-hydraulic (TH) analysis. The TH analysis was conducted using COMSOL-Multiphysics, allowing for the estimation of the fuel rod’s axial and radial temperature profiles, as well as the determination of the departure from the nucleate boiling ratio. Furthermore, the coupling between heat transfer and solid structure (SS) was achieved using the Multiphysics tool in COMSOL-Multiphysics. This coupling facilitated the simulation of key SS parameters, including von Mises stress, volumetric strain, and displacement, while considering the influence of heat transfer. The results demonstrate significant improvements and enhanced safety margins when utilizing (U0.9, rgPu0.1) O2.
