Complete List of the Must Have References for the Thermal and Fluids PE Exam

The following references are recommended to be reviewed prior to the exam and should be used during the exam. When reviewing these references, make sure you first understand the content. These references do not go into depth on explaining the equations or concepts but are simply references. If you require more background information on any of the information in these references, then you may need to research the information on the internet. Secondly, you should be very familiar with the indices of these references and should be able to navigate the references to find information quickly. This may require you to insert tabs into the references. Once you have completed these two tasks then you should be ready to use these references during the exam. (Tip: It is helpful to have the indices of your references printed separately to allow you to have both the index and the reference material open at the same time, making for quicker searches.)

Please see the below link to the google spreadsheet. You can also read below about a majority of the different references. If you have any suggestions or questions on the list, please email Justin at contact@engproguides.com or you can comment on the spreadsheet or at the bottom of this page.

Link: Engineering Pro Guides Google Spreadsheet of the Complete List of References for the Thermal & Fluids PE Exam

Fluid Mechanics with Engineering Applications

This reference book contains information on a majority of the Fluids Mechanics topics on the exam. However, your old college fluids books should do just fine.

Topics Covered: Section 3.0 Fluid Mechanics

Link: Fluid Mechanics with Engineering Applications

Thermodynamics an Engineering Approach

This reference book contains information on a majority of the Thermodynamics topics on the exam including thermodynamic properties, brayton, otto, rankine, vapor-compression, combustion, combined cycles and energy balance. However, your old college thermodynamics books should do just fine.

Topics Covered: Sections 6.0 Thermodynamics, 13.0 Combined Cycles

Link: Thermodynamics an Engineering Approach

Hydraulics and Pneumatics - A Technician’s and Engineer’s Guide

This reference book contains information on the Hydraulic and Fluid Equipment section including pumps, compressors, control valves and piping.

Topics Covered: Sections 8.0 Hydraulic and Fluid Equipment, 9.0 Distribution Systems

Link: Hydraulics and Pneumatics - A Technician’s and Engineer’s Guide

Power Plant Engineering

This reference book covers the power plant equipment like turbines, boilers, combustion engines, heat exchangers, cooling towers, condensers, pumps and fans. This book also covers the cycles and the energy balances. The Energy/Power System Applications section primarily focuses on Power Plants, so it makes sense to get a Power Plant Engineering book.

Topics Covered: Sections 10.0 Energy Power Equipment, 11.0 Cooling/Heating, 12.0 Energy Recovery, 13.0 Combined Cycles

Link: Power Plant Engineering

ASHRAE Fundamentals 2017

You should use this book as a reference to solve problems on the exam. Certain problems may require you to simply lookup the solution in this book. You don’t need to read every single word, but just be aware of what is contained in this book. This book focuses on certain topics that overlap between HVAC and Thermal/Fluids like psychrometrics, fluids, heat transfer, pipe stresses, evaporations, mixing, dehumidification, incompressible flow, thermodynamic cycles and combustion.

Topics Covered: Sections 3.0 Fluid Mechanics, 4.0 Heat Transfer, 5.0 Mass Balance, 6.0 Thermodynamics, 7.0 Supportive Knowledge, 9.0 Distribution Systems, 11.0 Cooling/Heating

Link: ASHRAE Fundamentals 2017

ASHRAE Fundamentals 2017

You should use this book as a reference to solve problems on the exam. Certain problems may require you to simply lookup the solution in this book. You don’t need to read every single word, but just be aware of what is contained in this book. This book focuses on certain pieces of equipment that overlap between HVAC and Thermal/Fluids like pumps, fans, compressors, control valves, actuators, piping, ducts, boilers, cooling towers and heat exchangers.

Topics Covered: Sections 3.0 Fluid Mechanics, 4.0 Heat Transfer, 5.0 Mass Balance, 6.0 Thermodynamics, 7.0 Supportive Knowledge, 9.0 Distribution Systems, 11.0 Cooling/Heating

Link: ASHRAE Fundamentals 2017

Engineering Unit Conversions

The Engineering Unit Conversions book is a recommended book to use during the exam and while studying for the exam. You should tab the most commonly used conversions that you encounter while studying and doing practice problems.

Topics Covered: Section 2.0 – Basic Engineering Practice – Units & Conversions

Link: Engineering Unit Conversions