CONSTRUCTAL DESIGN AND THERMODYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION

This is a review of the main features of current activity in engineering thermodynamics research. It starts with the fundamentals of why processes and devices are inefficient: irreversibility, entropy generation (as distinct from the property entropy), exergy destruction, and the Gouy - Stodola theorem. The main trend today is the use of these principles to optimize global performance and configuration. The emphasis is on design, that is, the generation of the configuration of the energy system. This is accomplished by balancing (distributing, spreading) the irreversibilities of the energy system. This trend is fueled not only by the need for innovation (design without bias), but also by the availability of increasingly more powerful computational tools. The examples illustrated in this paper are counterflow heat exchangers, tree-shaped flow structures, flight, and sizes of organs for complex flow systems. At the fundamental level, the generation of the optimal configuration for maximal thermodynamic performance is an opportunity for engineers to shed light on the basics of self-optimization in nature. This latest trend at the engineering-science interface is constructal theory and design.