P&IDs Notation, Construction, & Interpretation

By Peter Woolf University of Michigan Michigan Chemical Process Dynamics and Controls Open Textbook
version 1.0 Creative commons

Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs)

What it is not: Not an architectural diagram of a process. Positions in a P&ID do not correspond to a 3D position, but more a connectivity. Not to scale Not a diagram of the reaction kinetics Not a control diagram (block diagram), influence graph, incidence graph, Bayesian network, or correlation network.

Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs)

What it is: Shows relative location of process equipment, sensors, actuators in a process Conceptual outline of a chemical plant Provide common language for discussing a plant Show control connections between sensors and actuators

This P&ID does not imply: Supply and drain are at the same elevation. The tank is 3x larger than the valve Pressure relief is on the upper left side of the tank. V1 is within sight of S001

Does not imply that all tanks are of the same size Does not imply impeller type or location in CSTR

Example P&ID from design

Example P&ID from design with control relationships

Signal & Sensor Notation

Common line notation.. with lots of exceptions!

Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

Signal & Sensor Notation

Examples: DT1
density transmitter 1

TC1
Temperature control 1

MA1
Moisture alarm 1

LI1
Level indicator 1

Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

Signal & Sensor Notation

Aside: It is not uncommon to see just _C as an integrated alarm, controller, indicator and transmitter. Thus TC1 often, but not always implies it also senses and transmits. Can mean.. TC1 TA1 TI1

TC1

TT1

More valve notation!

Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

More valve notation!

Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

FC1

Flow sensors

Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

TC1

Temperature Sensors

Thermocouple schematic
Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

Example Problem: The output of a chromel-alumel thermocouple is used to regulate the temperature of a feed stream. When writing your control program for this regulator, you refer directly to the EMF of the thermocouple instead of temperature. You know that the stream has a temperature set point of 117C, so what is the EMF value you should set your controller set point?

We can extrapolate to a temperature of 117 to get an EMF of 4.79 mV.

Know Your Control Ranges

Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

AC1

Composition Sensors

Use composition sensors sparingly, as they are (1) specialized: not every composition can be measured easily (2) Expensive (3) Often slow (4) High maintenance Often you can infer composition more easily from physical properties (e.g. temperature in a distillation column or conductivity of a solution)
Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

CC1

Composition Sensors

Use composition sensors sparingly, as they are (1) specialized: not every composition can be measured easily (2) Expensive (3) Often slow (4) High maintenance Often you can infer composition more easily from physical properties (e.g. temperature in a distillation column or conductivity of a solution)
Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

Polagraphic sensor

Photometer

Process Equipment

Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

What is this? What is going on?

Notes: (1) Steam is generally controlled at the inlet, not outlet (steam traps) (2) Cascading T to steam pressure assumes steam pressure varies significantly Reactor or heat exchanger Temperature controls pressure, controls valve (example of cascade control)
Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

What is this? What is going on?

CSTR

Questions: (1) What do the flow controllers do? (2) How does the exit flow influence the temperature? Answer: This is a batch process. Moral: A P&ID alone only tells part of the story..
Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

P&ID Pitfalls

GOOD: Isolate equipment with valves to allow repair. BAD: Surround equipment with control valves that will compete

Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

P&ID Pitfalls

GOOD: Place control valves downstream of pumps to prevent starving the pump. (May also have a recycle to relieve pressure)

BAD: Place control valve upstream of pumps. Will starve the pump, causing damage to pump and wear on parts.

Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

BAD: Start agitator before blade is immersed in the fluid

GOOD: Operate agitator when the tank has sufficient liquid in it

Note: This may not be apparent from the P&ID, but does affect how you operate your system. Fill tank THEN turn on agitator, not the other way around!

Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

Name that design flaw! Safety valves

Where do these go?

Valve before pump Other possible issues: (1) Is pressure if E-1 the best metric, or might you also need temp? (2) How can you drain E-1 if liquid remains? (3) Should V7 be a control valve to control the pressure?
Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/

A much better example Example P&ID from design

Drawing P&IDs
Michigan P&ID templates can be used on: Visio (PC) OmniGraffle (Mac) (templates for both are on the wiki under supplementary information for lecture 10)

Example: Given a schematic of a process do the following: (1) Redraw the process as a formal P&ID using the template (2) Add valves with proper annotation (3) Add sensors with proper annotation (4) Show valve/sensor connections

1) Redrawn figure

2) Valves added and numbered

2) Valves added and numbered CW after exchanger

Valves after pumps

Valves after pumps

Redundant Steam feed controlled, not output

Why not?

3) Sensors added and numbered

3) Sensors added and numbered Dont care, cant change redundant FC TC PC PC

LC redundant

Slow, $$ FC PC TC Cant change Wrong Why not? redundant AC

LC PC TC FC

Might have one, but might not care

4) Connect valves and sensors

FC1: V1, V2, M1 FC2: V1, V2, M2 LC1: V1, V8, V2, M1 LC2: V1, V2, M2 TC2: V7

4) Connect valves and sensors

FC1: V1, V2, M1 FC2: V1, V2, M2 LC1: V1, V8, V2, M1 LC2: V1, V2, M2 TC2: V7

TC1: V5 PC1: V6, V7, V8 LC3: V1, V2, V3, SV1, M3, M4 FC3: V3, M3 FC4: SV1

4) Connect valves and sensors

FC1: V1, V2, M1 FC2: V1, V2, M2 LC1: V1, V8, V2, M1 LC2: V1, V2, M2 TC2: V7

TC1: V5 PC1: V6, V7, V8 LC3: V1, V2, V3, SV1, M3, M4 FC3: V3, M3 FC4: SV1

Challenge: A, B, and C react to form a product D and a flammable gas byproduct E. The reactor temperature is increased with steam and cooled by a cold water jacket. Mixing is achieved by an agitator and recirculation. For this system (1) Annotate valves and motors (2) Add and annotate sensors (3) Write out sensor valve connections.

Solution: (see figure) Note: may need to zoom in to the figure to read the annotation.

Take home messages

P&IDs provide a conceptual framework of your process and its control architecture Only measure the values that you can use and need Only control the things you have to