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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
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.
Zhiee Jhia Ooi, Thanh Hua, Ling Zou, Rui Hu
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 197 | Number 5 | May 2023 | Pages 840-867
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2022.2106726
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A two–dimensional ring model is developed with SAM to model the core of the High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF) at the system level. The ring model simplifies the complex structure of the HTTF core by converting the hexagonal rows of heaters and flow channels into layers of concentric annular rings. The ring model is first compared against a three–dimensional (3D)–one–dimensional (1D) model where the solid structures are fully resolved in three dimensions while the fluid structures are modeled as 1D flows. Comparison between the 3D–1D and the ring models shows that the latter can predict major parameters reasonably well under steady–state normal operating conditions, but the heater temperatures are under predicted. Adjustment is made to the effective thermal conductivity of the ceramic core of the ring model to improve the heater temperature predictions. The ring model is also used to simulate a transient pressurized conduction cooldown condition and is benchmarked with the experimental data from the HTTF Test PG–27. Good agreement is obtained between the experimental data and the predictions by the ring model.