Hitesh BindraView profile
Associate Professor
Hitesh Bindra is an Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Chair in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Purdue University. His research focuses on nuclear reactor safety, thermal-fluid science, statistical learning, and energy storage systems. He leads studies on reactor core safety, thermal hydraulics in liquid metal reactors, and passive cooling mechanisms for small modular reactors. His work integrates computational modeling, experimental validation, and machine learning techniques. Education includes a Ph.D. (2010) and M.S. (2007) in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a B.E. (2002) in Chemical Engineering from Panjab University. His research emphasizes thermal stratification, air-ingress phenomena, and energy storage integration with nuclear systems. Recent articles highlight advancements in thermal-hydraulic modeling for liquid metal reactors, validation of mixing models in gallium test facilities, and development of data-driven emulators for turbulent flows. His work addresses critical safety challenges in high-temperature reactors and microreactors, with applications in hybrid energy systems and emergency core cooling. Dr. Bindra collaborates on experimental facilities like the Gallium Thermal-Hydraulic Experiment, focusing on reactor plenum dynamics, debris bed coolability, and packed bed thermal storage systems. His contributions bridge fundamental science and engineering applications in nuclear energy systems.
