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

MA1
Moisture alarm 1

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

TC1
Temperature control 1

LI1
Level indicator 1

Edited by Foxit Reader

Copyright(C) by Foxit Software Company,2005-2007
For Evaluation Only.

Signal & Sensor Notation

Aside:
thuong, him khi
It is not uncommon to see
ci dat san
just _C as an integrated
bo dng
alarm, controller,
indicator and transmitter.
Thus TC1 often,
but
ko theo
not always implies it
d
also senses and
transmits.

TC1

TT1

TA1

TI1

Can mean..
TC1

More valve notation!

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

Edited by Foxit Reader

Copyright(C) by Foxit Software Company,2005-2007
For Evaluation Only.

More valve notation!

dn dng

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

FC1

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

Flow sensors

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/

Edited by Foxit Reader

Copyright(C) by Foxit Software Company,2005-2007
For Evaluation Only.

P&ID Pitfalls

GOOD: Place control valves downstream of pumps to

can tro
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/

Edited by Foxit Reader

Copyright(C) by Foxit Software Company,2005-2007
For Evaluation Only.

Name that design flaw!

Safety valves

Where do
these go?

Valve before
pump
Other possible issues:
mt
(1) Is pressure if E-1 the best metric, or might you also
need temp? tht thot
du
(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/

Edited by Foxit Reader

Copyright(C) by Foxit Software Company,2005-2007
For Evaluation Only.

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

Edited by Foxit Reader

Copyright(C) by Foxit Software Company,2005-2007
For Evaluation Only.

CW after
exchanger

Valves
after
pumps

Valves after
pumps

Redundant

Why not?

Steam feed
controlled,
not output

3) Sensors added and numbered

Edited by Foxit Reader

Copyright(C) by Foxit Software Company,2005-2007
For Evaluation Only.

Edited by Foxit Reader

Copyright(C) by Foxit Software Company,2005-2007
For Evaluation Only.

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

LC
redundant

Slow, $$
FC
PC TC

AC

redundant

Cant change
Wrong

LC
PC

Why not?

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