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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Latest News
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.
Young S. Park, Xiaorui Zhao, Pawel Dworzanski, Zachary T. Gima, Richard B. Vilim
Nuclear Technology | Volume 191 | Number 3 | September 2015 | Pages 223-233
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT14-108
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A prototype virtual reality simulator for mechanical operations in a sodium-cooled fast reactor is described. Developing simulation capabilities for fuel-handling operations and component inspection are of particular emphasis. Building on the first prototype, the objective is to provide multimodal (visual and haptic) sensing functionality, improve component models, and implement select scenarios for demonstration. RoboticsLab, a robotics software development framework, enables the necessary integration and development for mechanical operations simulation, supporting the capabilities for the construction of the virtual reality environment, fast robot prototyping, dynamics simulation, and customized sensing. Special emphasis was given to the simulation of the fuel-handling system and under-sodium viewing operation, which is one of the bottlenecks in the sodium-cooled fast reactor technology roadmap. By providing computer-based visualization, the virtual reality simulator can facilitate better reactor operation training and more comprehensive understanding and development of new concepts in integral mechanical operations.