Equipment Isolation and Control Valve Maintenance

NOTE 1: P&ID representations provided in this document have been simplified for clarity

NOTE 2: carefully consider drainage and/or venting when isolating equipment for maintenance.
E.g. a fail open valve requires only one drain/vent to empty the pipe section, a fail closed valve
requires 2. Think about how to render your system safe in every scenario.

In addition to the brief overview provided in the Ch 7 lecture (11 September 2017), below are some
additional details and design considerations related to isolation for online equipment and control
valve maintenance.

During online maintenance, the work area needs to be completely isolated from the live upstream
(and sometimes downstream) process. For safety reasons, no leakage into the section under
maintenance is allowed. Depending on the process, and the hazards and risks involved in taking a
particular equipment item out of service while the upstream process is live, there are several options
for isolation. It is also important to consider startup and shutdown situations, as well as how the
remaining online process will operate or run in an idle mode while the area under maintenance is
out of service (think about bypasses, vents, drain, purges, interim storage and maintenance recycle
streams).

1 Isolation valve + removable spool

The most reliable method of isolation is to physically remove a pipe section between the upstream
process and the section to be maintained a shown in Figure 1. This provides an air break between
the live process and the work area. The upstream isolation valve is closed and locked and tagged out
of service, a pipe spool is removed, and a blank flange plate attached to the open flange.

Figure 1: Example of removable spool (pipe section) isolation with valve positions shown

Blank flange plate not

Isolation valve from shown on P&ID
upstream process (2nd isolation layer)
(1st isolation layer)

Equipment to be
isolated

Drain / vent to ‘safe

location’ in case of Removable piping spool
isolation valve leak (3rd isolation layer)

Figure 2: Simplified P&ID representation of removable spool isolation

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The solution shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 works by locking closed and tagging the upstream
isolation valve, opening the drain/vent valve to empty the pipework between the isolation valve and
the equipment, installing the blank and removing the flanged piping spool to completely isolate the
equipment. The drain/vent is also locked open and tagged to ensure that any leaks from upstream
are directed to a safe location. There are three layers of protection in this scenario and it is the most
reliable method of isolation.

2 Spectacle blind
Having a removable spool for isolation is frequently impractical for various reasons, including the
size, weight and location of the piping and equipment. Therefore, other isolation methods, including
spectacle blinds and double block and bleed valves or valve arrangements are frequently used.

A spectacle blind is used as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4.

Figure 3: Example of isolation by valve + spectacle blind with valve position shown

Isolation valve from Spectacle blind

upstream process (2nd isolation layer)
(1st isolation layer)

Equipment to be
isolated

Drain / vent to ‘safe

location’ in case of
isolation valve leak

Figure 4: Simplified P&ID representation of isolation by valve + spectacle blind

Again, the isolation valve is closed and the interim pipe section emptied via the drain/vent valve. The
spectacle blind is moved into place and secured between the pipe flanges plates. No pipework is
removed, and there are two layers of isolation protection, plus contingency for upstream leaks.

3 Double block and bleed (DBB)

Double block and bleed is an arrangement of valves, or sometimes a single double-seated specialised
valve. Two inline isolation valves and a bleed valve (or a single double-seated valve with an internal
drain from the valve body cavity) are used to isolate a section of the plant. The isolation valves are
closed and the drain / vent valve left open to allow egress of leaked fluid from the potentially

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pressurised upstream sections feeding the isolated plant section. The DBB system protects
downstream processes from upstream leaks during maintenance even in high-pressure and high-
temperature situations. The DBB system is shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6. Here is an animation of
how a double block and bleed valve arrangement is used to block off and empty a section of
pipework: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmF43af__sc.

Figure 5: Example of a double block and bleed valve arrangement with valve positions shown

Isolation by double block and bleed:

Isolation valve from
upstream process Isolation valve to
(1st isolation layer) downstream process
(2nd isolation layer)

Equipment to be
isolated

Bleed valve to ‘safe

location’ in case of
upstream isolation
valve leak

Figure 6: Simplified P&ID representation of a double block and bleed valve arrangement

There is some debate about the safety of using DBB alone for isolation. DBB is typically less
expensive, not because of the cost of the DBB arrangement itself, but because it significantly
reduces turnaround time in a maintenance situation. Closing two valves and opening the drain/vent
is much quicker than physically installing blanks or spectacle blinds and removing sections of piping,
and vice versa for equipment reinstatement. DBB is therefore often used where routine access is
required, e.g., for cleaning. Additionally, as mentioned above, the size and rating of the pipework is a
significant factor in the choice of isolation technique. Blank flanges and spectacle blinds are often if
not typically installed by hand, and should be equal to the pipe rating (i.e. equivalent thickness), so
manual handling needs to be taken into consideration. DBB are therefore common in industry, but
the safety implications must still be carefully assessed.

4 Control valve bypass and maintenance

Control valve bypass and maintenance is required for maintenance of valves, pumps, etc. A control
valve is typically serviced during shutdowns only, but some or all of the process may also may also
need to bypass the control valve in certain process situations. In this type of arrangement, a control
valve is surrounded by a bypass line with a globe valve, which is closed during normal operation. The

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process line contains two gate valves with intermediate drainage (or venting) to a safe location to
allow the line segment containing the valve to be emptied and the valve to be changed out or
maintained without draining the surrounding pipework and process equipment. Note that this
arrangement does not isolate the downstream piping for maintenance because the globe valve in
the bypass line cannot be relied upon to seal completely. A simplified P&ID diagram and
photograph of a control valve bypass are shown in the lecture notes and in Figure 7 below.

Figure 7: Simplified P&ID and photograph of a control valve isolation arrangement showing which valve is which.

5 References:
http://blog.ognition.com/2016/05/positive-isolation-philosophy.html; accessed 11 Sept 2017
http://www.enggcyclopedia.com/2011/08/positive-isolation/; accessed 11 Sept 2017
http://www.enggcyclopedia.com/2011/04/control-valves-typical-pid-arrangement/; accessed 11
Sept 2017
http://www.globalspec.com/reference/13638/179909/chapter-10-23-control-valve-features-
evaluating-the-need-for-bypass-and-block-valves; accessed 11 Sept 2017

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