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 TC1

density transmitter 1 Temperature control 1

MA1 LI1

Moisture alarm 1 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. TC1 TT1
Can mean..
TC1 TA1 TI1
 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 117°C, 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 Polagraphic sensor

Often you can infer

composition more easily
from physical properties
(e.g. temperature in a
distillation column or Photometer
conductivity of a
solution)
Figures from http://controls.engin.umich.edu/
 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 GOOD: Operate agitator
blade is immersed in the when the tank has
fluid 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!
Where do
these go?
Safety valves

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 Valves after
pumps pumps

Redundant
Steam feed
controlled,
Why not? not output
3) Sensors added and numbered
3)Don’t
Sensors
care,added and numbered
can’t change
FC redundant
TC PC LC
PC
redundant

Slow, $$
FC AC

PC TC redundant

Can’t change
LC
Wrong
PC FC
TC
Why not? 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 TC1: V5

FC2: V1, V2, M2 PC1: V6, V7, V8
LC1: V1, V8, V2, M1 LC3: V1, V2, V3, SV1, M3, M4
LC2: V1, V2, M2 FC3: V3, M3
TC2: V7 FC4: SV1
4) Connect valves and sensors

FC1: V1, V2, M1 TC1: V5

FC2: V1, V2, M2 PC1: V6, V7, V8
LC1: V1, V8, V2, M1 LC3: V1, V2, V3, SV1, M3, M4
LC2: V1, V2, M2 FC3: V3, M3
TC2: V7 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