A comprehensive assessment of the methodologies of thermodynamic optimization, exergy analysis and thermoeconomics, and their application to the design of efficient and environmentally sound energy systems. The chapters are organized in a sequence that begins with pure thermodynamics and progresses towards the blending of thermodynamics with other disciplines, such as heat transfer and cost accounting. Three methods of analysis stand out: entropy generation minimization, exergy (or availability) analysis, and thermoeconomics.
The book reviews current directions in a field that is both extremely important and intellectually alive. Additionally, new directions for research on thermodynamics and optimization are revealed.

Zusammenfassung
Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute, on Thermodynamics and the Optimization of Complex Energy Systems, Neptun, Romania, 13-24 July, 1998

Inhalt
Presentation of the Foundations of Thermodynamics in about Twelve One-Hour Lectures.- Pictorial Visualization of The Entropy of Thermodynamics.- Thermodynamic Optimization of Inanimate and Animate Flow Systems.- Constructal Flow Geometry Optimization.- Fundamentals of Exergy Analysis and Exergy-Aided Thermal Systems Design.- Strengths and Limitations of Exergy Analysis.- Design Optimization Using Exergoeconomics.- On-Line Thermoeconomic Diagnosis of Thermal Power Plants.- Exergy in Thermal Systems Analysis.- Allocation of Finite Energetic Resources Via an Exergetic Costing Method.- Optimisation of Turbomachinary Components by Constrained Minimisation of the Local Entropy Production Rate.- Available Energy Versus Entropy.- Exergy Analysis in the Process Industry.- Exergetic Life Cycle Analysis of Components in a System.- The Intimate Connection Between Exergy and the Environment.- Effect of Variation of Environmental Conditions on Exergy and on Power Conversion.- Bond Graphs and Influence Coefficients Applications.- Repowering Options for Existing Power Plants.- Cogeneration Based on Gas Turbines, Gas Engines and Fuel Cells.- Gas Dynamics Cycles of Thermal and Refrigerating Machines.- Energy Saving Techniques in Distillation Thermodynamic Efficiency and Energy Conservation.- Second Law Based Optimization of Systems with Thermomechanialdissipative Processes.- Solar Energy Conversion into Work: Simple Upper Bound Efficiencies.- Thermodynamic Approach to the Optimization of Central Solar Energy Systems.- Thermodynamic optimization in ocean thermal energy conversion.- How to unify solar energy conveters and Carnot engines.- Optimal Control for Multistage Endoreversible Engines with Heat and Mass Transfer.- Thermodynamics and Optimization of Reverse Cycle Machines.- Synthesison Stirling Engine Optimization.- Minimizing LossesTools of Finite-Time Thermodynamics.- Physics Versus Engineering of Finite-Time Thermodynamic Models and Optimizations.- Optimization and Simulation of Time Dependent Heat Driven Refrigerators with Continuous Temperature Control.- Intelligent Computer-Aided Design, Analysis, Optimization and Improvement of Thermodynamic Systems.- A Study of the Large Oscillations of the Thermodynamic Pendullum by the Method of Cubication.- Author Index.