The Eurotherm Committee was created in 1986 from member countries of the European Community. It has the purpose of organising and coordinating scientific events such as seminars and conferences in the thermal sciences. The series of Eurotherm Seminars established by the Committee has become a popular forum for high-level scientific and technical interchange of ideas in a wide range of specialist topics. While the presentation and publication of papers at the Seminars are encouraged the primary aim is to stimulate discussion and liaison between specialist groups. The present Chairman of Eurotherm is Professor C.J. Hoogendoorn of the Technical University Delft (Fax [NL] 15 783251). Information on Mure Seminars is available from the Secretary Keith Cornwell Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh (Fax [UK] 31 451 3129). This particular Seminar No. 18 on the Design and Operation of Heat Exchangers was the first one on this topic and was held at the Universitat der Bundeswehr Hamburg (University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg) from February 27 to March 1 in 1991. The seminar was an international event and was attended by more than 60 scientists not only from countries of the European Community such as Belgium France Germany Great Britain and the Netherlands but also from other countries such as Canada China India Israel Romania Soviet Union Sweden and the United States of America.