Seemingly universal geometric forms unite the flow systems of engineering and nature. In this groundbreaking book, Adrian Bejan considers the design and optimization of engineered systems and discovers a relationship to the generation of geometric form in natural systems. The idea that shape and structure spring from the struggle for better performance in both engineering and nature is the basis of his new constructal theory: the objective and constraints principle in engineering is the same mechanism underlying the geometry in natural flow systems. From heat exchangers to river channels, Bejan draws many parallels between the engineered and natural worlds. Numerous illustrations, examples, and homework problems make this an ideal text for engineering design courses. Its provocative ideas will also appeal to a broad range of readers in engineering, natural sciences, economics, and business.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"[A] unique, path-breaking and thought-provoking book of wide readership..." International Journal of Applied Thermodynamics
"Shape and Structure makes for a very interesting reading for anyone with a minimum background in mathematics and physics. The books is well written in a lucid, enthusiastic style and meticulously copy edited and typeset by Cambridge. It contains plenty of illustrations including 15 color plates, all instructive as well as beautiful." Applied Mechanics Reviews
"...unusual and fascinating...Anyone concerned with optimization, including students taking a course on the subject, will derive inspiration and insight from this book, and anyone with an interest in engineering and nature will get a great deal of pleasure from it." Peter Bradshaw, Stanford University, AIAA Journal
"This fascinating book is recommended as a text or reference for innovative, advanced design courses in all branches of modern egineering, including biomedical, transportation, and environmental engineering, architecture and spatail economics. Further, I strongly recommend it as a must read to all engineers who are experimenting with origainal, radically different concepts and ideas and who are poised to make a lasting impact on society." Engineering Dimensions July- Aug 2001
"This book provides some intriguing insights into the workings of both the natural world and that of engineering design....extremely well written, and the discussion is supported by clear graphical illustrations and some delightful photographs....excellent book." Chemical Engineering Progress
"this delightful read conducts the reader through the marvelous world of optimal system...this is an outstanding book, highly recommended not only for physicists and engineers, but also for life scientist, physicians, architects, economists and in general, for any person interested in how natural and man-made systems are composed and perform the way they do. Reading the book is a joyful experience that further stimulates the reader's mind and contributes to the creative observation of our natural and ingenuous world." Pergamon
"...this is a useful book for a general course on efficiency in design, both on the undergraduate and graduate level." - Helmut Kirchner, Pageoph
"Shape and Structure makes for a very interesting reading for anyone with a minimum background in mathematics and physics. The books is well written in a lucid, enthusiastic style and meticulously copy edited and typeset by Cambridge. It contains plenty of illustrations including 15 color plates, all instructive as well as beautiful." Applied Mechanics Reviews
"...unusual and fascinating...Anyone concerned with optimization, including students taking a course on the subject, will derive inspiration and insight from this book, and anyone with an interest in engineering and nature will get a great deal of pleasure from it." Peter Bradshaw, Stanford University, AIAA Journal
"This fascinating book is recommended as a text or reference for innovative, advanced design courses in all branches of modern egineering, including biomedical, transportation, and environmental engineering, architecture and spatail economics. Further, I strongly recommend it as a must read to all engineers who are experimenting with origainal, radically different concepts and ideas and who are poised to make a lasting impact on society." Engineering Dimensions July- Aug 2001
"This book provides some intriguing insights into the workings of both the natural world and that of engineering design....extremely well written, and the discussion is supported by clear graphical illustrations and some delightful photographs....excellent book." Chemical Engineering Progress
"this delightful read conducts the reader through the marvelous world of optimal system...this is an outstanding book, highly recommended not only for physicists and engineers, but also for life scientist, physicians, architects, economists and in general, for any person interested in how natural and man-made systems are composed and perform the way they do. Reading the book is a joyful experience that further stimulates the reader's mind and contributes to the creative observation of our natural and ingenuous world." Pergamon
"...this is a useful book for a general course on efficiency in design, both on the undergraduate and graduate level." - Helmut Kirchner, Pageoph
Book Description
In this groundbreaking book, Adrian Bejan shows that shape and structure spring from the struggle for better performance in both engineering and nature. This idea is the basis of the new constructal theory, that is, the objective and constraints principle used in engineering is the same mechanism from which the geometry in natural flow systems emerges. From heat exchangers to river channels, many parallels are drawn between the engineered and the natural world. This provocative book will be a novel text for engineering design courses and will also appeal to a broad range of readers in engineering, the natural sciences, and economics.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
very interesting,
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This review is from: Shape and Structure, from Engineering to Nature (Paperback)
i'm just getting started with graduate research and picked up this book from the library. it is going to be very useful, and i really like how it starts with sort of traditional optimization of structures and over the course of the book, shows how optimization leads to familiar natural structures. plenty of equations, understandable diagrams, and extensive references (which i will definitely be investigating). i will probably buy my own copy of this book.
i think it will be very useful for me because i'm specifically interested in periodic fluid flow into a volume, and heat transfer from the volume to the fluid. i'm surprised there's only one review so far, this is a very interesting book and i consider it to be well-written and easy to read (relative to other engineering journals/books). some good fluid mechanics and heat transfer background will help you get the most out of the equations, but i think even without that background it's possible to understand the concepts presented in the book. it has inspired me to brush up my heat and fluids skill, that's for sure.
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Completely satisfied.,
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This review is from: Shape and Structure, from Engineering to Nature (Paperback)
I have wanted to purchase this book for a long time. I couldn't find a good bargain. So, I decided to go in for an used copy. I was initially a little apprehensive about the condition in which the book would reach me. But, this seller's offer was hard to resist. The book reached me today, and it's in great shape. It looks as good as new. It is a great book and I would strongly recommend it to everyone interested in Thermal and Fluid sciences. I look forward to shopping with bookchick3!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
This book is an invitation to think about a phenomenon that is so prevalent that it is being taken for granted: the macroscopic shapes and structures that generate themselves everywhere in nature. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
constructal theory, global thermal conductance, constructal design, constructal law, elemental fins, constructal tree networks, convective trees, constructal approach, constructal principle, constructal method, constructal trees, overall flow resistance, thermal insulation function, elemental channel, fluid trees, global conductance, geometric minimization, allometric law, resistance minimization, thermodynamic optimization, highest unit cost, staggered plates, geometric optimization, angle optimization, overall thermal conductance Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Heat Mass Transfer, Cambridge Univ, Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics, Boca Raton, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fluid Mecb, Princeton Univ, Fluid Mech, International Journal, Thermal Sciences, Edward Arnold, Englewood Cliffs, Fractal River Basins, Galileo Galilei, Life's Devices, Oxford Univ, South Africa New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
This book is an invitation to think about a phenomenon that is so prevalent that it is being taken for granted: the macroscopic shapes and structures that generate themselves everywhere in nature. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
constructal theory, global thermal conductance, constructal design, constructal law, elemental fins, constructal tree networks, convective trees, constructal approach, constructal principle, constructal method, constructal trees, overall flow resistance, thermal insulation function, elemental channel, fluid trees, global conductance, geometric minimization, allometric law, resistance minimization, thermodynamic optimization, highest unit cost, staggered plates, geometric optimization, angle optimization, overall thermal conductance Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Heat Mass Transfer, Cambridge Univ, Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics, Boca Raton, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fluid Mecb, Princeton Univ, Fluid Mech, International Journal, Thermal Sciences, Edward Arnold, Englewood Cliffs, Fractal River Basins, Galileo Galilei, Life's Devices, Oxford Univ, South Africa New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 32
books:
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9
books
cite this book:
See all 9 books citing this book
- Heat Transfer by Adrian Bejan on 19 pages
- Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics, 2nd Edition by Adrian Bejan on 10 pages
- Convection Heat Transfer by Adrian Bejan on 9 pages
- Entropy Generation Minimization: The Method of Thermodynamic Optimization of Finite-Size Systems and Finite-Time Processes (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Series) by Adrian Bejan on 5 pages
- Convection in Porous Media by D.A. Nield on 5 pages
See all 32 books this book cites
- Convection Heat Transfer by Adrian Bejan on 14 pages
- Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics by Adrian Bejan on 8 pages
- Porous and Complex Flow Structures in Modern Technologies by Adrian Bejan on page 168, page 169, and Back Matter
- Mathematics in Nature: Modeling Patterns in the Natural World by John A. Adam in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Shape and Structure, from Engineering to Nature by Adrian Bejan in Front Matter (1), and Front Matter (2)
See all 9 books citing this book
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