Sankey diagram

Sankeysteam

JIE Sankey V5 Fig1

Minard

Earth heat balance Sankey diagram

Single Transferrable Vote example

Sankey diagram is a specific type of flow diagram, named after the Irish engineer Captain Matthew Henry Phineas Riall Sankey, who used this visual representation to demonstrate the energy efficiency of steam engines in 1898. Sankey diagrams are characterized by their ability to show the flow of materials, energy, or costs between different stages of a process or system. The width of the arrows or bands is proportional to the flow quantity they represent, making it easy to visualize transfers and distributions within a network and to identify dominant contributions to an overall flow.

Overview

Sankey diagrams are widely used in various fields such as thermodynamics, environmental engineering, and resource management, to visualize energy or material or cost transfers between processes. They help in identifying inefficiencies and optimizing processes by providing a clear and concise way to display how inputs are transformed into outputs in any system involving flows.

Applications

The versatility of Sankey diagrams allows them to be applied in numerous areas including:

• Energy Systems: Illustrating the energy inputs, useful output, and losses in power plants, buildings, and renewable energy systems.
• Process Engineering: Mapping the material flows within chemical processes to optimize resource use and minimize waste.
• Environmental Studies: Tracking the flow of pollutants, water usage, and waste in ecosystems and urban environments.
• Economics: Visualizing financial flows, such as budget allocations, expenditures, or supply chains.

Creating Sankey Diagrams

To create a Sankey diagram, one must first identify the quantities to be represented and the processes or stages involved. The next step involves calculating the flow quantities between these stages and then drawing bands or arrows with widths proportional to these quantities. Various software tools and libraries, such as d3.js for web-based visualization, can assist in generating Sankey diagrams.

Advantages and Limitations

Sankey diagrams offer a clear visualization of flow quantities, making it easier to identify major flows and potential areas for improvement. However, they can become cluttered and hard to interpret if too many flows or stages are included. Simplification and focusing on key flows are often necessary to maintain readability and effectiveness.

See Also

• Flow Diagram
• Energy Balance
• Material Flow Analysis

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