P&IDs

PIPING & INSTRUMENTATION DIAGRAMS

Format & Layout

Title Block
Sheet Number
Revision Number
Date

Format & Layout

Layout Rules of Thumb
No Scale
Flow From Left to Right across page
Important Process Streams Heavy Dark
Less Important (utilities, instrumentation
lines lightweight)
Horizontal Lines break vertical Lines
Process Lines Break Instrumentation Lines
Pumps along bottom
Tanks above pumps

P&IDs - Symbology
Equipment Symbology
Instrumentation Symbology
See the document P&ID Symbols and
Photos.DOC

P&IDs - Equipment
Keep in mind the development of the P&IDs
is really developing the process
The way it will start-up / shut-down and
normally operate
Procedure
Start with the Simulation and Equipment
List
Draw Equipment (including spares)
Draw the major process Lines, then Utilities

P&IDs - Safety - ALWAYS!!!!!

ALWAYS Consider Safety!!
Think, what happens if the control valve doesnt
operate as intended?
What happens if the pump stops working?
How will the operators troubleshoot the problem?
What if the operators ignore an alarm
...

Consider the need for redundant controls and

equipment, but only if deemed necessary.
Redundant things are twice as likely to fail!

P&IDs - Simplicity Rules

The easiest process to operate and
understand is the simplest one
K.I.S.S.
Add indicators (flow, pressure,
temperature) for trouble shooting
Dont add controls unless they are
absolutely necessary
Only resort to complicated controls when
you have to... Consider the consequences
of operators not understanding them.

P&IDs - Rookie Mistakes

Dont put level control on Storage Tanks
Theyre there to take up variations in flow,
therefore the level is supposed to float
Let Pressures in the process float as much as
possible, try not to over control operating
pressures.
Dont try to control liquid flow at two points in
a pipe - remember conservation of mass
Dont look at one P&ID only - Look at the big
picture then consider the details

P&IDs - Rookie Mistakes

Draw the equipment the way its going to be
built - dont oversimplify its representation
more equipment/inst detail is better
Show Liquid levels / internals etc.
It helps you design the controls
It helps operators understand how it works
FIC Set@
1200 kg/hr
FT

FE

FV

Simplicity

Watch Out For Controls on Different Sheets

A
A

P&IDs - Costs Are Important

Goal: Lowest Capital costs and Lowest
Operating Costs.
Only build whats required
The Cheapest Process that meets the need of
all involved is the most profitable.
Its got to work! After that, make it cheap as
possible.

P&IDs - Control
The Flow that occurs in a pipe is a function of
the Pressure Drop.
Valves add or subtract from the natural
pressure drop of the pipe.
Valves change the pressure drop to give us
the flow rate we want

P&IDs
Control (Globe) Valves can have just about
any pressure drop and flow combination
50 gizillion psi

5 psi

20 m3/hr

On the other hand, pipes have very definite

flow/pressure relationship
2 pipe, 20 m long, 20 m3/hr P = 5 kPa

P&IDs
Piping Pressure Drop
System Curve
for 4 pipe,
length 100 ft

Resulting
Flow
Through
Pipe

Pressure Differential

P&IDs
Piping Pressure Drop
System Curve
for 4 pipe,
length 100 ft

Pressure
Differential

Resulting Flow Through Pipe

P&IDs
Piping Pressure Drop
System Curve
for 4 pipe,
length 100 ft
With a valve thats
50% closed

Pressure
Differential

Resulting Flow Through Pipe

P&IDs
In a Liquid System (non compressible flow)
two valves in series have the same flow rate
through them

DP = 3 bar

DP = 20 bar

Assume each segment of pipe has a DP of 1 bar

Press
7 bar(g)

P&IDs
Backing Up

Press
7 bar(g)

P&IDs
Pumps (Centrifugal)
System Curve
Pressure
Increase That
Pump Is Able
To Produce

Pump Curve

Flow Through Pump

P&IDs - Control Systems

First ask what controls the production rate of
the process?
How will we control this production rate

Flow control

P&IDs - Control Systems

Mentally take note of other critical things that
need to be controlled (flow, temperature,
pressure, level)
Feed - do we need flow control ?
Multiple feeds - do we need to ratio one
flow rate to another?
A
Flow of B
depends on A
B

Ratio Control
FIC

FT
Primary
Rate

FE

FV
FRIC

FT
Ratio
To
Primary

FE

FV

Pressure
To Decrease the Pressure of a Tank
allow material to be removed (at a faster
rate)
condense vapour faster
PIC

PIC
PT
PV
Control Downstream Pressure

PT
PV
Control Upstream Pressure

Temperature
Usually you increase the flow or pressure of
one stream. The effect of that change is to
cause another streams temperature to
change.

Level
To Decrease the Level of a Tank
allow material to be removed (at a faster
rate)
Tanks and Pumps
Always Provide a way of preventing your
pumps from running dry
Always Provide a way of preventing your
pumps from being dead headed
Recirc the pump discharge to the tank with a
minimum flow bypass

Controls
Failure Position of Valves
Most of the time its safer to bottle up the
process and prevent failure from
propagating downstream by making
control valves fail closed

Occasionally its better to fail open

ie. Cooling water