Visualizing the Flow: An Unveiling of Sankey Chart’s Secret Power
In an era where complex systems and dynamic processes are becoming increasingly common, the ability to efficiently convey the essence of mass, energy, or material flow becomes invaluable. Enter the Sankey diagram, a chart that has been gaining attention for its unique ability to reveal the interconnections and flows within a system at a glance. This article delves into the creation of Sankey charts and their diverse applications across various fields.
Understanding the Sankey Diagram
Sankey diagrams are named after their inventor, Irish engineer and inventor, Matthew Sankey. They are a type of flow diagram where arrows indicate the flow of quantities such as electricity, water, or materials; the width of the arrows represents the quantity of flow, making it possible to detect areas where the flow is concentrated or reduced.
Sankey diagrams are unlike more commonly used pie charts and bar graphs because they are designed to show the flow and relationships between quantities in a process, rather than to compare quantities or display distribution patterns.
The Creation of Sankey Diagrams
Creating a Sankey chart requires several steps to ensure an accurate and informative visualization:
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Define the System: Clearly outline the system you want to analyze. This could be a manufacturing process, a transportation network, or an energy system.
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Identify the Inputs and Outputs: Identify all the inputs and outputs in the system that are relevant to the flow you want to examine. These will form the nodes or points in the Sankey diagram.
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Determine Flow Quantities: Use available data to measure the quantities flowing from inputs to outputs. Be sure to include the units used in your calculations.
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Assign Arrow Widths: Based on the flow quantities, draw arrows from the input nodes to the output nodes, with the width of the arrow corresponding to the quantity of flow. Be consistent with the scale used throughout the entire diagram.
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Label Nodes and Arrows: Label each node with the name of the process or system component it represents. Label the arrows with the quantity values they represent.
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Finalize the Design: Choose an appropriate software that supports Sankey diagram creation. Consider the style, color, and layout to ensure the diagram is both informative and aesthetic.
The Power of Sankey Diagrams in Applications
Sankey charts can be applied across a multitude of disciplines. Here are some notable areas where Sankey diagrams excel:
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Energy Usage Analysis: In sustainability efforts and energy audits, Sankey diagrams can clearly illustrate energy flows in a building or industry, making it easier to identify inefficiencies.
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Financial Investment Flows: Economic analysts use Sankey diagrams to visualize the flow of money, showing how capital flows among companies, assets, and financial instruments.
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Material and Resource Flows: In manufacturing and supply chain management, these diagrams can illustrate the flow of materials and resources from supplier to finished product, revealing areas where waste or inefficiencies occur.
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Transportation Systems: Sankey diagrams can help designers and engineers visualize traffic flows, energy use in public transportation, or emissions from different transportation modes.
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Ecosystem Dynamics: Sankey diagrams can provide a visual representation of carbon flows within ecosystems, showing where carbon enters and leaves the system.
Utilizing Sankey Diagram Software
Creating Sankey diagrams by hand is labor-intensive and prone to errors. Thanks to modern software, creating Sankey charts has become more accessible. Various tools and software exist that allow for the easy creation of Sankey diagrams, including the following:
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Tableau: Known for its data visualization capabilities, Tableau includes built-in features to create Sankey diagrams.
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Microsoft Excel: Adding Sankey diagrams to Excel requires knowledge of custom shapes and formula, but it is feasible for more technical users.
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Sankey Diagrams Online: Online tools like Sankey Flow or SankeyMatic provide easy-to-use interfaces to create Sankey diagrams.
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Power BI: This powerful business intelligence tool by Microsoft also offers options for creating Sankey diagrams and is particularly useful for corporate analysis.
Conclusion
Sankey diagrams are a powerful data visualization tool that can simplify complex data into readable models of flow. By unraveling their potential, Sankey charts allow professionals from various fields to gain insights into their systems, identify opportunities to improve efficiency, and make informed decisions. As the complexity of the systems we work with continues to grow, the secret power of Sankey charts will undoubtedly become ever more valuable.
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