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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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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.
Yuan-Hsiang Chang, Mu-Ping Xu, Jyh-Tong Teng, Te-Chuan Wang, Ray-Feng Chiang, Huey-Ling Hwu, Wang-Chyuan Chen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 163 | Number 3 | September 2008 | Pages 435-443
Technical Paper | Nuclear Plant Operations and Control | doi.org/10.13182/NT08-A4001
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
While nuclear power has become the major source of electricity in many countries, its safety remains an important issue for many nuclear researchers and technologists. In this study, an advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) monitoring system is presented using the Modular Accident Analysis Program (MAAP) as a reactor simulator. The ABWR monitoring system was designed with a user-friendly graphical interface and computer processing that allows nuclear engineers and operators to "visualize" many MAAP parameters of the reactor and containment. Computer animations are also applied with respect to preselected MAAP parameters and six reactor scenarios that are of particular interest to nuclear technologists. Simulated results are presented to demonstrate the system using the six reactor/containment scenarios, and these six scenarios are typical as far as the progression of the events for the severe accidents is concerned. The preliminary results show that our ABWR monitoring system not only indicates if the reactor is under normal operations but also yields several warning messages if the reactor is under various conditions of concern. Therefore, our ABWR monitoring system could offer an effective and efficient display of plant data that helps nuclear engineers and operators maintain the steady state of the ABWR and provide plant data for the accident conditions, ultimately bringing the nuclear power plant to a safe-stable state.