Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.47, No.15, 4973-4987, 2008
Visualizing the Gibbs models
Images of thermodynamic fundamental and state functions for pure, binary, and ternary systems have been created using high-performance computer graphics. Results were obtained from integrations of the Peng-Robinson equation, using standard heat-capacity data and common mixing rules. The Legendre-transform basis of the various thermodynamic coordinate systems is demonstrated, and the agreement between those geometries and the relevant criteria for thermodynamic stability is noted. The capacity of the images to convey the nature and utility of complex thermodynamic quantities is used as an argument for greater emphasis on visualization.