Shape and Structure, from Engineering to Nature

This 2000 book explores the similarities between shape and structure in engineered and natural systems.

Adrian Bejan (Author)

9780521793889, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 16 October 2000

364 pages, 175 b/w illus. 15 colour illus. 12 tables
25.5 x 17.8 x 1.9 cm, 0.641 kg

'This is a most unusual and fascinating book … 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, AIAA Journal

Seemingly universal geometric forms unite the flow systems of engineering and nature. For example, tree-shaped flows can be seen in computers, lungs, dendritic crystals, urban street patterns, and communication links. In this groundbreaking book, first published in 2000, Adrian Bejan considers the design and optimization of engineered systems and discovers a deterministic principle of the generation of geometric form in natural systems. 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: 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, the book draws many parallels between the engineered and the natural world. Among the topics covered are mechanical structure, thermal structure, heat trees, ducts and rivers, turbulent structure, and structure in transportation and economics. The numerous illustrations, examples, and homework problems in every chapter 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.

1. Natural form, questioning, and theory
2. Mechanical structure
3. Thermal structure
4. Heat trees
5. Fluid trees
6. Ducts and rivers
7. Turbulent structure
8. Convective trees
9. Structure in power systems
10. Structure in time: rhythm
11. Transportation and economics structure
12. Shapes with constant resistance
About the author
Author index
Subject index.

Subject Areas: Mechanical engineering [TGB], Technical design [TBD], Zoology & animal sciences [PSV]