262 Chapter Fifteen

15.3 Pipe and Identification Diagrams

15.3.1 Standardization
The electronics industry has standard symbols to represent circuit components
for use in circuit schematics and similarly the processing industry has devel-
oped standard symbols to represent the elements in a process control system.
Instead of a circuit schematic the processing industrial drawings are known as
pipe and identification diagrams (P and ID) (not to be confused with PID) and
represents how the components and elements in the processing plant are inter-
connected. Symbols have been developed to represent all of the components
used in industrial processing and have been standardized by ANSI and ISA. The
P and ID document is the ANSI/ISA S5.11984 (R 1992)Instrumentation
Symbols and Identification Standards. An overview of the symbols used is given
in this chapter but the list is not complete. The ISA should be contacted for a
complete list of standard symbols.
P and IDs or engineering flow diagrams were developed for the detailed design
of the processing plant. The diagrams show complete details of all the required
piping, instruments and location, signal lines, control loops, control systems, and
equipment in the facility. The process flow diagrams and plant control require-
ments are generated by a team from process engineering and control engineer-
ing. Changes to the P and ID are normally the responsibility of process engineering
and must be approved and signed off by the same. These engineering drawings
must be correct, current, up-to-date, and rigorously maintained. Every P and ID
change must be approved and recorded. If not, time is lost in maintenance, repair,
and modifications, not to mention the catastrophic errors that can be made by
using obsolete drawings.
P and ID typically show the following types of information:

1. Plant equipment and vessels showing location, capacity, pressure, liquid level
operating range, usage and so on
2. All interconnection lines distinguishing between the types of interconnection,
i.e., gas or electrical and operating range of line
3. All motors giving voltage and power and other relevant information
4. Instrumentation showing location of instrument, its major function, process
control loop number, and range
5. Control valves giving type of control, type of valve, type of valve action, fail
save features, and flow plus pressure information
6. The ranges for all safety valves, pressure regulators, temperatures, and oper-
ating ranges
7. All sensing devices, recorders, and transmitters with control loop numbers

15.3.2 Interconnections
The standard on interconnections specifies the type of symbols to be used to
represent the various types of connections in a processing plant (see Fig. 15.2).
 Documentation and Symbols 263

Figure 15.2 Symbols for instrument line interconnection.

The solid bold lines are used to represent the primary lines used for process prod-
uct flow and the plain solid lines are used to represent secondary flows such as
steam for heating. Abbreviations for secondary flow lines are given in Table 15.1.
The abbreviations are placed adjacent to the lines to indicate their function as
shown in Fig. 15.3.
In the list of assigned symbols for interconnect lines given in Fig. 15.2, one
symbol is undefined and can be assigned at the users discretion for a special con-
nection not covered by any of the assigned interconnection symbols. The binary
signals can be used for digital signals or pulses. It is also necessary to show on the
P and ID the signals content and range. For example, electrical interconnections
can be either signal current or voltage and would be marked as 4 to 20 mA or 0 to
5 V, examples of signal lines with the signals content and range marking are
shown in Fig. 15.3.

15.3.3 Instrument symbols

Figure 15.4 shows the symbols designated for instruments. Discrete instru-
ments are represented by circles, shared instruments by a circle in a rectangle,

TABLE 15.1 Abbreviations for Secondary Flow Lines

AS Air supply ES Electric supply GS Gas supply

HS Hydraulic supply NS Nitrogen supply SS Steam supply
WS Water supply
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Figure 15.3 Method of indicating the signal content of a line.

computer functions by hexagons, and PLC functions by a diamond in a rectan-

gle. A single horizontal line, no line, dashed line, or double line through the dis-
play is used to differentiate between location and accessibility to an operator,
i.e., a line through an instrument may indicate the instrument is in a panel in
the control room giving full access, no line could mean the instrument is in the
process area and off limits to the operator, a double line means the possibility
that the instrument is in a remote location but the operator can obtain access,
whereas a dashed line means not available by virtue of being located in a totally
inaccessible location.

15.3.4 Instrument identification

Instrument symbols should also contain letters and numbers. The letters are a
shorthand way of giving the type of instrument, its use in the system, and the
numbers identify the control loop. Usually 2 or 3 letters are used. The first letter
identifies the measured or initiating variable, the following is a modifier, and the
remaining letters identify the function. Table 15.2 shows some of the meaning
of the assigned instrument letters.

Figure 15.4 Standardized instrument symbols.

 Documentation and Symbols 265

TABLE 15.2 Instrument Identification Letters

First letter + Modifier Succeeding letters

Initiating or measured Readout or passive Output

variable Modifier function function Modifier

A Analysis Alarm
B Burner, Users choice Users choice Users choice
combustion
C Users choice Control
D Users choice Differential
E Voltage Sensor
F Flow rate Ratio
G Users choice Glass, viewing
device
H Hand High
I Current Indicate
J Power Scan
K Time Time rate Control station
of change
L Level Light Low
M Users choice Momentary Middle
N Users choice Users choice Users choice Users choice
O Users choice Orifice
P Pressure Test point
Q Quantity Integrate,
totalize
R Radiation Record
S Speed, frequency Safety Switch
T Temperature Transmit
U Multivariable Multifunction Multifunction Multifunction
V Vibration, mechanical Valve, damper,
analysis louver
W Weight, force Well
X Unclassified x-axis Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified
Y Event, state, y-axis Ready, compute,
or presence convert
Z Position, dimension z-axis Driver, actuator

Examples of instrument identification are shown in Fig. 15.5, by referring to

Figs. 15.2, 15.3, and Table 15.2, the instrument identification can be deter-
mined as follows:

a. The first letter T indicates that the instrument is in temperature loop number
178. The second letter Y denotes conversion, which from the line description
gives the conversion from a current of 4 to 20 mA to a pressure of 3 to 15 psi.
The instrument is a discrete instrument located in the field.
b. The designation of F indicates flow, R is for recorder, and C is a controller indi-
cating a recording flow controller in loop 97. This is an accessible computer
function.
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Figure 15.5 Examples of the letter and numbering codes.

c. The letter P denotes pressure, R is recorder, and the third letter T is trans-
mitter, giving a recording pressure transmitter in loop 89 which is located in
a secondary accessible location and is a PLC function.
d. The first letter L stands for level, A indicates alarm, and H is high, which is
an alarm for high liquid levels located in loop 222 and is not accessible.

15.4 Functional Symbols

A number of functional symbols or pictorial drawings are available for most P
and ID elements. A few examples are given here to acquaint the student with
these elements. They have been divided into actuators, primary elements, reg-
ulators, and math functions for clarity.

15.4.1 Actuators
The first row of examples and the last three drawings shown in Fig. 15.6 are
the basic sections used in some of the actuator diagrams. The other drawings
show how these basic sections can be combined to form families of actuators.
For instance, the hand actuator and the pneumatic actuator are shown com-
bined with the control valve symbol to give a representation of a hand oper-
ated valve and a pneumatic operated valve in the second row. Note should also
be taken of the arrows to represent the state of the valve under the system
fail conditions.

15.4.2 Primary elements

By far the largest numbers of elements used in P and ID are the primary ele-
ments; a sampling of these elements is given in Fig. 15.7. Lettering and num-
bers are included in the examples.
 Documentation and Symbols 267

Figure 15.6 Examples of basic and actuator symbols.

15.4.3 Regulators
Typical examples of regulators and safety valves are shown in Fig. 15.8.

15.4.4 Math functions

PLCs have a large number of math functions that can be implemented using soft-
ware. If these math functions are incorporated into a P and ID they will proba-
bly be executed using hardware, e.g., use of a square root to convert a pressure
measurement to flow data. These functions have been symbolized; an example
of the math symbols is shown in Fig. 15.9.

15.5 P and ID Drawings

All processing facilities will have a set of drawings using the standardized ISA
symbols to show the plumbing, material flow, instrumentation, and control lines.
The drawings normally consist of one or more main drawing depicting the facil-
ity on a functional basis with support drawings showing details of the individual
functions. In a large processing plant these could run into many tens of drawings.
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Figure 15.7 Examples of primary elements used in P and ID.

 Documentation and Symbols 269

Figure 15.8 Examples of regulators and safety valve symbols used in P and ID.

Each drawing should have a part list, should be numbered, and have an area
for revisions, notes, and approval signatures. It is imperative that these draw-
ings are kept up-to-date; a few minutes taken to update a drawing can save many
hours at a later date trying to figure out a problem on equipment that has been
modified but whose drawings have not been updated. Figure 15.10 shows an
example of a function block. The interconnection lines and instruments are
clearly marked and control loops numbered. A materials list is attached with
appropriate places for revisions and signatures.

Summary
This chapter introduced the documentation for alarm and trip systems, PLCs,
P and IDs, and the standards developed for the symbols used in P and ID draw-
ings.
Points of discussion in this chapter were as follows:

1. Alarm and trip systems and system documentation. The different types of
sensors used in alarm system and the use of redundancy in alarm systems
2. The documentation required in PLC systems
3. The development of standards for process control symbols and drawings by
ISA. The standards cover interconnection, supply lines, and the line symbols
to be used

Figure 15.9 Examples of math symbols used in P and ID.

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Figure 15.10 Illustration of a P and ID for a mixing station.

 Documentation and Symbols 271

4. Symbols used for instruments, their identification, and the functional letters
used with instruments and their meaning
5. Basic primary element symbols are shown and how they can be used make
more complex elements
6. Examples of P and ID facility drawings and the information that should be
contained in the drawings

Problems
15.1 What does the drawing in Fig. 15.11a represent?

15.2 Draw a steam supply line and attach the line indicator.

15.3 What do you understand by the symbol shown in Fig. 15.11b?

15.4 Draw a speed recorder symbol as a computer function in the field location.

15.5 Describe the symbol shown in Fig. 15.11c.

15.6 Draw an electrically operated three way valve.

15.7 What does the symbol in Fig. 15.11d represent?

15.8 Draw a solenoid operated butterfly valve which is open in the fail mode.

15.9 What does the symbol in Fig. 15.11e represent?

15.10 What does the symbol in Fig. 15.11f represent?

Figure 15.11 Diagrams and symbols for use with Probs. 15.1 through 15.10.
272 Chapter Fifteen

15.11 Why should documentation be kept up-to-date?

15.12 Who normally has the responsible for keeping P and ID drawings up-to-date?

15.13 Who normally has the responsibility for developing P and ID drawings?

15.14 List the information that should be contained in a P and ID drawing.

15.15 List the information that should be contained in PLC documentation.

15.16 List the information that should be contained in alarm and trip documentation.

15.17 What is the purpose of the SIS?

15.18 What are the differences between the type of sensors used in SIS and process
control?

15.19 Draw the symbol of an internal pressure loaded regulator.

15.20 Draw the symbol of a pneumatic operated butterfly valve.