PIPING AND INSTRUMENTATION DIAGRAM

a. Introduction

Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) use specific symbols to show the
connectivity of equipment, sensors, and valves in a control system. A Piping &
Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) is a schematic layout of a plant that displays the
units to be used, the pipes connecting these units, and the sensors and control
valves. Standard structures located on a P&ID include storage tanks, surge tanks,
pumps, heat exchangers, reactors, and distillation columns. The latter three
comprise most of the chemical process industry single-unit control problems.
P&IDs have a number of important uses in the design and successful operation of
chemical process plants. Once a process flow diagram is made, P&IDs help engineers
develop control strategies that ensure production targets are met while meeting all
safety and environmental standards. These diagrams are also very important for
locating valves and process components during maintenance and troubleshooting.
When setting up a control system, it is useful to first focus on mass balance control,
which can be monitored by level and pressure control loops that use gas or liquid
flow rates. Additionally, a product control structure should be set up to ensure
efficient process operation. To prevent controls from conflicting with one another, a
final examination of the controlled streams should be performed.
Process equipment, valves, instruments and pipe lines are tagged with unique
identification codes, set up according to their size, material fluid contents, method of
connection (screwed, flanged, etc.) and the status These diagrams can be used to
connect the parameters with the control system to develop a complete working
process. The standard notation, varying from letters to figures, is important for
engineers to understand because it a common language used for discussing plants in
the industrial world.
P&IDs can be created by hand or computer. This section covers four main types of
nomenclature. The first section describes the use of lines to describe process
connectivity. The second section describes letters used to identify control devices in
a process. The third section describes actuators, which are devices that directly
control the process. The final section describes the sensors/transmitters that
measure parameters in a system.

b. Information Incorporated in P&IDs

The following information is given on a P&ID that is not explicit on a PFD:
 ALL valves and valve types
 Controllers present
 Controller architectures
 Pipe diameters, materials of construction, and insulation properties (including
minor piping systems)
 Equipment materials of construction
c. Uses of P&IDs
 Develop operational methodology
 Develop safety philosophy and safeguards
 Develop control philosophy
 Serve as a basis for control programming
 Serve as a communication document for how the process works
 Serve as a basis for equipment design, pipe design, estimating cost, purchasing
 Use for evaluation of construction process
 Train employees
 Serve as a conceptual layout of a chemical plant
 Provide a common language for discussing plant operations

d. Line Symbols and COMMON CONNECTING LINES

Line symbols are used to describe connectivity between different units in a
controlled system.

In Table 1, the "main process" refers to a pipe carrying a chemical. "Insulated"

is straightforward, showing that the pipe has insulation. "Trace heated" shows
that the pipe has wiring wrapped around it to keep the contents heated. "Lagged"
indicates on a P&ID that the pipe is wrapped in a cloth or fiberglass wrap as an
alternative to painting to improve the appearance of the pipe see here The last
column in Table 1 shows pipes that are controlled by a controller. "Electrical
impulse" shows that the manner in which information is sent from the controller
to the pipe is by an electrical signal, whereas "pneumatic impulse" indicates
information sent by a gas.
 In addition to line symbols, there are also line labels that are short codes that
convey further properties of that line. These short codes consist of: diameter of
pipe, service, material, and insulation. The diameter of the pipe is presented in
inches. The service is what is being carried in the pipe, and is usually the major
component in the stream. The material tells you what the section of pipe is made
out of. Examples are CS for carbon steel or SS for stainless steel. Finally a 'Y'
designates a line with insulation and an 'N' designates one without it. Examples of
line short codes on a P&ID are found below in Figure A.

This is useful for providing you more practical information on a given pipe
segment. For example in stream 39 in Figure A, the pipe has a 4" diameter,
services/carries the chemical denoted 'N', is made of carbon steel, and has no
insulation.
e. Identification Letters ( ISA standard)
The following letters are used to describe the control devices involved in a
process. Each device is labeled with two letters. The first letter describes the
parameter the device is intended to control. The second letter describes the
type of control device. For example, the symbol “PI,” is a “pressure indicator.”
Tag Numbers: Tag “numbers” are letters and numbers placed within or near the
instrument to identify the type and function of the device.
Tag Descriptors
 Valve Symbols
The following symbols are used to represent valves and valve actuators in a chemical engineering process.
Actuators are the mechanisms that activate process control equipment.
General Instrument or Function Symbols
 Discrete instruments are instruments separate or detached from other instruments in a process.
Shared display, shared control instruments share functions with other instruments. Instruments that are
controlled by computers are under the "computer function" category. Instruments that compute, relay,
or convert information from data gathered from other instruments are under the "Programmable logic
control" section.
For example, a discrete instrument for a certain process measures the flow through a pipe. The
discrete instrument, a flow transmitter, transmits the flow to a shared display shared control instrument
that indicates the flow to the operator. A computer function instrument would tell the valve to close or
open depending on the flow. An instrument under the "Programmable logic control" category would
control the valve in the field if it was pneumatically controlled, for instance. The instrument would
gather information from discrete instruments measuring the position of the actuator on the valve, and
would then adjust the valve accordingly.
In the chart above, it is necessary to know where the instrument is located and its function in order
to draw it correctly on a P&ID. A primary instrument is an instrument that functions by itself and
doesn't depend on another instrument. A field mounted instrument is an instrument that is physically in
the field, or the plant. Field mounted instruments are not accessible to an operator in a control room.
An auxiliary instrument is an instrument that aids another primary or auxiliary instrument. Primary and
auxiliary instruments are accessible to operators in a control room.
Transmitter Symbols
Transmitters play an important role in P&IDs by allowing the control objectives to be accomplished
in a process. The following are commonly used symbols to represent transmitters. Below are three
examples of flow transmitters. The first is using an orifice meter, the second is using a turbine meter,
and the third is using an undefined type of meter.
 The location of the transmitter depends on the application. The level transmitter in a storage tank is
a good example. For instance, if a company is interested in when a tank is full, it would be important for
the level transmitter to be placed at the top of the tank rather than the middle. If the transmitter was
misplaced in the middle because a P&ID was misinterpreted then the tank would not be properly filled.
If it is necessary for the transmitter to be in a specific location, then it will be clearly labeled.
Crafting a P&ID
In order to greatly simplify P&ID diagrams for the purposes of this class, a standard convention must
be employed. This convention simplifies the many control devices that need to be used. For the sake of
brevity, sensors, transmitters, indicators, and controllers will all be labeled on a P&ID as a controller.
The type of controller specified (i.e. temperature or level) will depend on the variable one wished to
control and not on the action needed to control it.
For instance, consider if one must control the temperature of fluid leaving a heat exchanger by
changing the flow rate of cooling water. The actual variable to be controlled in this case is temperature,
and the action taken to control this variable is changing a flow rate. In this case, a temperature
controller will be represented schematically on the P&ID, not a flow controller. Adding this temperature
controller to the P&ID also assumes that there is a temperature sensor, transmitter, and indicator also
included in the process.

As you can see on the P&ID above, these controllers are represented as circles. Furthermore, each
controller is defined by what it controls, which is listed within arrow boxes next to each controller. This
simplifies the P&ID by allowing everyone the ability interpret what each controller affects. Such P&IDs
can be constructed in Microsoft Office Visio.