Saya Lee is an assistant professor in the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering. Lee earned his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University and his M.S. in mechanical engineering and B.S. in mechanical and electrical engineering with a minor in computer science from Handong University in South Korea. Lee has expertise in experimental nuclear thermal hydraulics for both light water reactors and advanced reactors and is developing advanced measurement techniques.

• BS, Double Major in Mechanical Engineering & Electrical Engineering, Handong Global University, 2003
• MS, Mechanical Engineering, Handong Global University, 2009
• Ph D, Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2014

Journal Articles

Saya Lee, Zhengting Quan, Congshan Mao and Yue Jin, 2026, "Numerical Investigation and Optimization of Liquid Gallium Cooled Mini-channel Designs", Nuclear Engineering and Design

Saya Lee, Hyungjin Kim, Nonna Sorokina and Darshana Sunoj, 2026, "Sociotechnical Readiness Level and Natural Language Processing: Tools for Measuring and Managing Societal Acceptance of Nuclear Energy", Nuclear Technology

Saya Lee, John Acierno, Maximiliano Dalinger, Casey Emler, Elia Merzari, Tri Nguyen, Haomin Yuan and Paul Fischer, 2025, "Development and Application of Reduced-Order Models for Thermal-Fluid Dynamics in Molten Salt Reactors", Nuclear Technology

Saya Lee, Christopher Balbier, Scout Bucks and Federico Scurti, 2025, "High-Temperature Fiber Optic Sensor Performance for Heat Pipe Instrumentation", IEEE Sensors Journal

Saya Lee and Yassin A Hassan, 2022, "Flow structures of the cross-flow over a five-layer helically coiled steam generator geometry", International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 95, (108950), pp. 22

Joseph Seo, Saya Lee, Se Ro Yang and Yassin A Hassan, 2021, "Experimental investigation of the annular flow caused by convective boiling in a heated annular channel", Nuclear Engineering and Design, 376, pp. 111088

Michael S. Gorman, Marilyn Delgado, Saya Lee and Yassin A. Hassan, 2019, "Analysis of Velocity Distributions Across a Model Helical Coil Steam Generator", Nuclear Technology, 205, (7), pp. 881-890

Elia Merzari, H. Yuan, A. Kraus, A. Obabko, P. Fischer, J. Solberg, Saya Lee, J. Lai, M. Delgado and Y. Hassan, 2019, "High-Fidelity Simulation of Flow-Induced Vibrations in Helical Steam Generators for Small Modular Reactors", Nuclear Technology, 205, (1-2), pp. 33-47

Samuel J. Lee, Saya Lee and Yassin A. Hassan, 2018, "Numerical investigation of turbulent flow in an annular sector channel with staggered semi-circular ribs using large eddy simulation", International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 123, pp. 705-717

Saya Lee and Yassin A Hassan, 2018, "Experimental study of flow structures near the merging point of two parallel plane jets using PIV and POD", International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 116, pp. 871-888

Marylin M Delgado, Saya Lee, Yassin A Hassan and NK Anand, 2018, "Flow visualization study at the interface of alternating pitch tube bundles in a model helical coil steam generator using particle image velocimetry", International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 122, pp. 614--628

Rodolfo Vaghetto, Philip Jones, Nolan Goth, Mason Childs, Saye Lee, Duy Thien Nguyen and Yassin A Hassan, 2018, "Pressure measurements in a wire-wrapped 61-pin hexagonal fuel bundle", Journal of Fluids Engineering, 140, (3)

Thien Nguyen, Nolan Goth, Philip Jones, Saya Lee, Rodolfo Vaghetto and Yassin Hassan, 2017, "PIV measurements of turbulent flows in a 61-pin wire-wrapped hexagonal fuel bundle", International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 65, pp. 47--59

Huhu Wang, Saya Lee, Yassin A Hassan and Arthur E Ruggles, 2016, "Laser-Doppler measurements of the turbulent mixing of two rectangular water jets impinging on a stationary pool", International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 92, pp. 206--227

Huhu Wang, Saya Lee and Yassin A Hassan, 2016, "Particle image velocimetry measurements of the flow in the converging region of two parallel jets", Nuclear Engineering and Design, 306, pp. 89--97

Yassin A Hassan, Serdar Osturk and Saya Lee, 2015, "Rheological characterization of buffered boric acid aqueous solutions in light water reactors", Progress in Nuclear Energy, 85, pp. 239-253

Saya Lee, Suhaeb S Abdulsattar, Rodolfo Vaghetto and Yassin A Hassan, 2015, "Permeability and compression of fibrous porous media generated from dilute suspensions of fiberglass debris during a loss of coolant accident", Nuclear Engineering and Design, 291, pp. 244--260

Saya Lee, Yassin A. Hassan, Suhaeb S. Abdulsattar and Rodolfo Vaghetto, 2014, "Experimental study of head loss through an LOCA-generated fibrous debris bed deposited on a sump strainer for Generic Safety Issue 191", Progress in Nuclear Energy, 74, pp. 166-175

Jae-Young Lee and Saya Lee, 2009, "Flow visualization in the scaled up pebble bed of high temperature gas-cooled reactor using particle image velocimetry method", Journal of engineering for gas turbines and power, 131, (6)

Conference Proceedings

Saya Lee, Scout Bucks and Christopher Balbier, 2025, "Composite Wick Heat Pipe Design for High Power Experiments with Comparison to Past Experiments", 21st International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-21)

Saya Lee, Scout Bucks, Ama Dahanayake, Erik Hisahara, Martin Nieto-Perez, Sola Talabi and Sathish Krishnamoorthy, 2025, "Design study to develop an experimental facility for a microreactor process heat application: cement calcination", 21st International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-21)

Saya Lee, Maximiliano Dalinger, Elia Merzari and Casey Emler, 2025, "High-Fidelity Modelling of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor", 21st International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-21)

Saya Lee, Oscar Felegy, Scout Bucks and Christopher Balbier, 2025, "Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor Performance in Thin Metallic Capillary Tubing", American Nuclear Society Transactions, 133, (1), pp. 130-132

Saya Lee, Hyungjin Kim, Nonna Sorokina and Darshana Sunoj, 2025, "Sustainable Energy Marketplace and Societal Readiness", American Nuclear Society Transactions, 133, (1), pp. 200-203

Saya Lee, Christopher Balbier, Scout Bucks, Matthew Leoschke and Federico Scurti, 2024, "High Temperature Gas Velocity Profile Measurement Using Fiber Optic Hot-Wire Velocimetry", 31st International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-31), ICONE31-136503, (V006T07A105), pp. 6

Saya Lee, Casey Emler, Elia Merzari and William Walters, 2024, "Neutronics and Thermal Hydraulics Analysis of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor", American Nuclear Society Transactions, 130, (1), pp. pp1278-1281

Saya Lee, Christopher Balbier and Scout Bucks, 2024, "High Temperature Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor Performance", American Nuclear Society Transactions, 130, (1), pp. pp1238-1241

Saya Lee, Maximiliano Dalinger, Elia Merzari and William Walters, 2024, "Uncertainty Propagation for the Fission Matrix Method for the Molten Salt Fast Reactor", American Nuclear Society Transactions, 130, (1), pp. pp1034-1037

Saya Lee, Christopher Balbier, Erik Hisahara, Rohan Biwalkar and Sola Talabi, 2024, "Preliminary Parametric Study of Microreactor EPZ", American Nuclear Society Transactions, 130, (1), pp. pp857-860

Saya Lee, Erik Hisahara, Berke Yesilada, Mahmoud Eltawila, William Walters and Amanda M. Johnsen, 2023, "Molten Salt Cask Design Using MOOSE Framework for High-Temperature Irradiation Experiment", American Nuclear Society Transactions, 129, (1), pp. 1130-1133

Saya Lee, Mahmoud Eltawila, Erik Hisahara, Berke Yesilada, William Walters and Amanda M. Johnsen, 2023, "The Design of High-Temperature Molten Salt Irradiation Test Apparatus", American Nuclear Society Transactions, 129, (1), pp. 390-393

Saya Lee, Marcus Braatz and Erik Hisahara, 2023, "Design Exploration of a Cold-Spray Additive Manufactured Pin-Fin Heat Sinks for Heat Pipe for Microreactors", American Nuclear Society Transactions, 129, (1), pp. 1158-1161

Saya Lee, Christopher Balbier, Nathan Smith and Hojong Kim, 2023, "Feasibility Test of Fiber Optic Temperature Sensors in Sodium Heat Pipes", American Nuclear Society Transactions, 129, (1), pp. 1152-1155

Saya Lee, Matthew Leoschke, Christopher Balbier and Federico Scurti, 2023, "Fiber-Optic Flow Meter for High-Temperature, Corrosive Nuclear Environments", 20th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-20), pp. 1601-1610

Saya Lee, David Reger, Elia Merzari, Paolo Balestra and Yassin A Hassan, 2023, "High-fidelity simulation of pebble beds: Toward an improved understanding of the wall channeling effect", 20th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-20), pp. 3140-3154

Saya Lee, Christopher Balbier and Scout Bucks, , "Optical Fiber Temperature Sensor Performance Test in a Metallic Capillary Tube at High Temperatures ", 14th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics, Operation and Safety (NUTHOS-14)

Saya Lee, Christopher Balbier, Erik Hisahara, Rohan Biwalkar and Sola Talabi, , "Preliminary Study of Microreactor Emergency Planning Zone", 14th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics, Operation and Safety (NUTHOS-14)

Saya Lee, Matthew Leoschke, Christopher Balbier, Scout Bucks and Federico Scurti, , "Advancements in High-Temperature Measurement Techniques to Aid Development and Enhance Monitoring of Advanced Reactors", 14th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics, Operation and Safety (NUTHOS-14)

• August 2024 - September 2027, "Feasibility Study of Micro-Nuclear Reactor Thermal Output for Air Rotary Kilns in the High-Temperature Manufacturing of Portland Cement Clinker," (Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy).

• October 2023 - September 2026, "Development of the Technical Bases to Support Flexible Siting of Microreactors based on Right-Sized Emergency Planning Zones," (Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy).

• October 2023 - September 2025, "High-Speed X-Ray Imaging System under a Chemically Protected Environment for Advanced High-Temperature Non-Water-Cooled Reactor Experiments," (Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy).

• October 2021 - November 2024, "High-Temperature Molten Salt Irradiation and Examination Capability for the Penn State Breazeale Reactor," (Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy).

Service to Penn State:

Service to External Organizations: