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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.
Robert C. Doerner, Theodore H. Bauer,Charles L. Fink, William F. Murphy, Arthur E. Wright
Nuclear Technology | Volume 58 | Number 3 | September 1982 | Pages 465-482
Technical Paper | Nuclear Fuel | doi.org/10.13182/NT82-A32981
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Received September 28, 1981 Accepted for Publication February 26, 1982 Issues related to the potential for a large-scale sodium vapor explosion in a carbide-fueled liquid-metal fast breeder reactor accident were addressed in the AX1 test in the Transient Reactor Test Facility. Test design and operating conditions were selected to meet the spontaneous nucleation temperature criterion for an energetic, explosive molten fuel-sodium interaction. Although that criterion appears to have been achieved, thermal and mechanical analyses of the test data indicate that the interaction was not especially energetic. Comparison to similar tests on oxide fuel indicates that, under the particular test conditions employed, the conversion of thermal energy to mechanical work is similar for the two fuel types. Transient bulk fuel motion was extensive, with axial fuel motion generally coinciding in time and space with the ejection of the coolant from the original fuel region. Posttest examination of the hardware revealed that nearly all of the fuel had mixed on a microscopic scale with the stainless steel cladding. Relative proportions of iron, chromium, and nickel in the mixture varied widely. The melting point of the mixture was apparently much lower than that of stainless steel.