Energy Voi. 21, No. 5, pp. 433.

--434, 1996
Pergamon Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd
S0360-5442(96)00012-6 Printed in Great Britain. All rights reaerved
0360-5442196 $15.00+0.00

BOOK REVIEW
A. Bejan, G. Tsatsaronis, and M. Moran, Thermal Design and Optimization,
Wiley Interscience, John Wiley Sons Inc., New York (1996).
reviewed by

K. Seshadri
Center for Energy and Combustion Research, Department of Applied Mechanics and
Engineering Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0411

(Received 28 December 1995)

The book by A. Bejan, G. Tsatsaronis and M. Moran provides a comprehensive and rigorous

introduction to thermal system design. Thermal systems are defined as systems that experience

significant work with thermal interactions. Thermal interactions include heat transfer and/or the

flow of hot or cold streams of matter. Thermal system design is presumed to have two branches:

system design and component design. The first refers to overall thermal systems and the second

to individual components such as compressors, turbines, reactors, etc. that make up the overall

system. Unlike traditional books which deal with component and design analysis, this book

emphasizes system-oriented design.

The presentation is based on the assumption that the reader has introduclory knowledge

of engineering thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics. Some background in

engineering economics is also desirable. For completeness of exposition, reviews of these topics

are provided in Chapters 2, 4 and 7. The authors make a concerted effort to include material

drawn from the best of contemporary thinking about design and design methodology. Thc book

includes current developments in engineering thermodynamics and heat transfer. A major topic

addressed throughout the text is the use of exergy analysis for optimization of system design.

The book shows that design requires synthesis: selecting and putting together components to

form a smoothly and efficiently working whole. To illustrate that design requires principles from

different disciplines applied to a single problem, a case study is considered throughout the book.

This case study is the design of a cogeneration system.

Chapter 1 provides a summary of the distinct stages of thermal system design. Chapter 3

provides a discussion of design guidelines evolving from reasoning using the second law of

thermodynamics and, in particular, the exergy concept. In Chapter 4, applications of design

433
434 Book review

principles to heat transfer are described. The presentation continues with discussion.~ ~1'

applications of design principles with heat transfer and fluid flows. In Chapter 6, applications with

thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid mechanics are developed. The presentations clearly

illuminate design principles by introducing notions such as degrees of freedom, design

constraints, and thermodynamic optimization.

Chapter 8 is a presentation of the powerful principles of "thermoeconomics", which is

defined as the branch of engineering that combines exergy analysis and economic principles for

design and operation of a cost-effective system. Exergy-costing methods are imroduced and

applied in this chapter. These methods identify the real cost sources at the component level.

The presentation in the book is appropriate for engineering students at the senior level.

The book is suitable for use as the primary text in an elective course. This is one of the best new

sources currently available for meeting the recommendations of the U. S. Accreditation Board for

Engineering and Technology for more design emphasis in engineering curricula. The book is

generally suitable for use as a reference text in courses on thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and

heat transfer.

Theoretical Design and Optimization represents a milestone in engineering education

through synthesis of the many disciplines that must be mastered in order to accomplish a

scientifically and economically optimal system design. The authors richly deserve a

commendation for an outstanding original contribution to engineering education.