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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.
Kazuo Hiramoto, Motoo Aoyama, Masaharu Sakagami, Renzo Takeda
Nuclear Technology | Volume 64 | Number 3 | March 1984 | Pages 243-248
Technical Paper | Nuclear Fuel | doi.org/10.13182/NT84-A33354
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Low density UO2 fuel pellets of an annular type are used to solve two problems related to high-discharge burnup: the enhancement of the pellet /cladding mechanical interaction, which increases cladding permanent strain, and the increase in average neutron energy due to high enrichment, which changes the core neutronic characteristics. As an example, the design concept is applied to boiling water reactor fuel rods having 57 effective full-power months (EFPMs). The fuel pellet density and the center hole diameter are determined to be 90% TD and 3.0 mm, respectively. The cladding permanent strain of the proposed fuel rod at EFPMs of 57 can be kept lower than the current fuel rod at 36 EFPMs. The EFPMs of 36 and 5 7 correspond respectively to the average discharge burnups of ∼30 and 50 GWd/ tonne U. With an enrichment of 4.5 wt%, the former rods provide the same neutronic characteristics as that of current rods with 2.8 wt% enrichment. Furthermore, power generation cost in the newly designed core is reduced by ∼10% from present cost levels.