INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL

Title of the Module

Chapter 2: Instrumentation and control equipment, components, symbols and diagrams
Introduction
This chapter will introduce you to instrumentation, the various measurement units used and
the reason why process control relies extensively on instrumentation. It will help you become familiar
with instrumentation terminology and standards.

Learning Outcome

• Identify and categorize the instrumentation control equipment, components, symbols and
diagrams
• Assess the advantages of instrumentation control process
Learning Content
It contains readings, selection and discussion questions and sets of activities that students
can work on individually or by group.

Topic 1 Common Industrial Process Control Equipment

Depending on the particular industry, there are a plethora of instrumentation and control systems
which aid efficiency and productivity of production equipment.

Essential process control instrumentation systems include:

• Level Control & Monitoring
• Pressure Control & Monitoring
• Automated Control Systems
• Temperature Control & Monitoring
• Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA)
Level Control & Monitoring
Flow monitoring and control equipment monitor, detect and control the level of solids, fluid or
gases in tanks, vessels, and compartments using level-detecting sensors that relay the information
to a control panel or monitor operated by the control engineer. In response to an undesired flow
level, the engineer can activate an electrical or mechanical actuator remotely to adjust the flow rate.
Some industrial control pressure devices include Coriolis flow meters, Orifice flow meters, and
Turbine flow meters.
Pressure Control & Monitoring
Pressure control systems detect changes in process pressure and display the measurements
in Bar, KPa or other relevant units using the information obtained from pressure sensors. Pressure
monitoring and control devices can be mechanical or electrically-operated. They are essential tools
which ensure the safety of personnel and assets in industrial operations – particularly in industries
that handle pressurized fluids, liquids, and gases.
Automated Control Systems
Automated control systems help to manage industrial processes requiring a high degree of
accuracy or safety. A control engineer can intermittently monitor automated control processes but
does not need to intervene to return the variables to predefined values, as the system is programmed
to automatically adjust itself under divergent conditions.
Automated controls offer superior reliability for highly-repeatable industrial processes by
eliminating the human error factor. However, high-precision equipment must be used to safeguard
against catastrophic failure of equipment. IFS offer best-in-class automation and control systems to
the Oil & Gas, Power generation, and Air quality industries.
Temperature Control & Monitoring
Temperature monitoring and control devices detect variations in ambient temperature or
temperature within measured environments like compartments, vessels, tanks, pipes, and other
equipment. In modern Human-Machine Interfaces or (HMI) or P&ID systems, the control and
instrumentation engineer can usually view the temperature readings on a dashboard or monitor and
take any necessary actions to adjust one or more process variables or shut down devices or the
entire plant to prevent critical equipment failure or fire hazards.
Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA)
SCADA systems are employed in a wide range of industries like power generation, air purification,
wastewater treatment, and manufacturing plants to synergize multiple equipment and systems which
monitor and collect information about on-going processes at industrial plants. SCADA systems relay
information to the control engineer via feedback from sensors and Programmable Logic Controllers
(PLCs) and use HMIs for human interfacing and control.

Topic 2 ISA Symbology

The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society (ISA) is one of the leading process
control trade and standards organizations. The ISA has developed a set of symbols for use in
engineering drawings and designs of control loops (ISA S5.1 instrumentation symbol specification).
You should be familiar with ISA symbology so that you can demonstrate possible process control
loop solutions on paper to your customer. Figure 7.5 shows a control loop using ISA symbology.
Drawings of this kind are known as piping and instrumentation drawings (P&ID).
Symbols
In a P&ID, a circle represents individual measurement instruments, such as transmitters,
sensors, and detectors.

Discrete Instruments
A single horizontal line running across the center of the shape indicates that the instrument
or function is located in a primary location (e.g., a control room). A double line indicates that the
function is in an auxiliary location (e.g., an instrument rack). The absence of a line indicates that the
function is field mounted, and a dotted line indicates that the function or instrument is inaccessible
(e.g., located behind a panel board).
A square with a circle inside represents instruments that both display measurement readings
and perform some control function. Many modern transmitters are equipped with microprocessors
that perform control calculations and send control output signals to final control elements.

A hexagon represents computer functions, such as those carried out by a controller.

 A square with a diamond inside represents PLCs

Two triangles with their apexes contacting each other (a “bow tie” shape) represent a valve
in the piping. An actuator is always drawn above the valve.

Pumps
Directional arrows showing the flow direction represent a pump.

Piping and Connections

Piping and connections are represented with several different symbols:
• A heavy solid line represents piping
• A thin solid line represents process connections to instruments (e.g., impulse piping)
• A dashed line represents electrical signals (e.g., 4–20 mA connections)
• A slashed line represents pneumatic signal tubes
• A line with circles on it represents data links
Other connection symbols include capillary tubing for filled systems (e.g., remote diaphragm
seals), hydraulic signal lines, and guided electromagnetic or sonic signals.
IDENTIFICATION LETTERS
Identification letters on the ISA symbols (e.g., TT for temperature transmitter) indicate:
• The variable being measured (e.g., flow, pressure, temperature)
• The device’s function (e.g., transmitter, switch, valve, sensor, indicator) Some
modifiers (e.g., high, low, multifunction)
The initial letter indicates the measured variable. The second letter indicates a modifier, readout,
or device function. The third letter usually indicates either a device function or a modifier. For
example, “FIC” on an instrument tag represents a flow indicating controller. “PT” represents a
pressure transmitter. You can find identification letter symbology information on the ISA Web site at
http://www.isa.org.
TAG NUMBERS
Numbers on P&ID symbols represent instrument tag numbers. Often these numbers are
associated with a particular control loop (e.g., flow transmitter 123).

Example
The ISA Symbology used in a P&ID
Topic 3 The Importance of Process Control
Refining, combining, handling, and otherwise manipulating fluids to profitably produce end
products can be a precise, demanding, and potentially hazardous process. Small changes in a
process can have a large impact on the end result. Variations in proportions, temperature, flow,
turbulence, and many other factors must be carefully and consistently controlled to produce the
desired end product with a minimum of raw materials and energy. Process control technology is the
tool that enables manufacturers to keep their operations running within specified limits and to set
more precise limits to maximize profitability, ensure quality and safety.
PROCESS
Process as used in the terms process control and process industry, refers to the methods of
changing or refining raw materials to create end products. The raw materials, which either pass
through or remain in a liquid, gaseous, or slurry (a mix of solids and liquids) state during the process,
are transferred, measured, mixed, heated or cooled, filtered, stored, or handled in some other way
to produce the end product.
Process industries include the chemical industry, the oil and gas industry, the food and
beverage industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the water treatment industry, and the power
industry.
PROCESS CONTROL
Process control refers to the methods that are used to control process variables when
manufacturing a product. For example, factors such as the proportion of one ingredient to another,
the temperature of the materials, how well the ingredients are mixed, and the pressure under which
the materials are held can significantly impact the quality of an end product. Manufacturers control
the production process for three reasons:
1. Reduce variability
2. Increase efficiency
3. Ensure safety

1. Reduce Variability
Process control can reduce variability in the end product, which ensures a consistently high-
quality product. Manufacturers can also save money by reducing variability. For example, in a
gasoline blending process, as many as 12 or more different components may be blended to make
a specific grade of gasoline. If the refinery does not have precise control over the flow of the separate
components, the gasoline may get too much of the high-octane components. As a result, customers
would receive a higher grade and more expensive gasoline than they paid for, and the refinery would
lose money. The opposite situation would be customers receiving a lower grade at a higher price.

Reducing variability can also save money by reducing the need for product padding to meet
required product specifications. Padding refers to the process of making a product of higher-quality
than it needs to be to meet specifications. When there is variability in the end product (i.e., when
process control is poor), manufacturers are forced to pad the product to ensure that specifications
are met, which adds to the cost. With accurate, dependable process control, the setpoint (desired
or optimal point) can be moved closer to the actual product specification and thus save the
manufacturer money.
2. Increase Efficiency
Some processes need to be maintained at a specific point to maximize efficiency. For example,
a control point might be the temperature at which a chemical reaction takes place. Accurate control
of temperature ensures process efficiency. Manufacturers save money by minimizing the resources
required to produce the end product.
3. Ensure Safety
A run-away process, such as an out-of-control nuclear or chemical reaction, may result if
manufacturers do not maintain precise control of all of the process variables. The consequences of
a run-away process can be catastrophic. Precise process control may also be required to ensure
safety. For example, maintaining proper boiler pressure by controlling the inflow of air used in
combustion and the outflow of exhaust gases is crucial in preventing boiler implosions that can
clearly threaten the safety of workers.
Activity 2
1. What is a process?
2. What are the examples of the process industry?
3. What are the main reasons for manufacturers to control a process?
4. What does the acronym P&ID stand for?
5. What is the symbol of a transmitter in an auxiliary location?
6. What is the symbol of a field – mounted control/ display element?
7. What is a symbol for a controller located behind a panel?
8. What is a symbol of a pneumatic valve?
9. The initial letter on an ISA symbol indicates the ______?
10. What does the third letter on an ISA symbol indicate?
11. In the elements of ISA symbology used in a P&ID, what kind of signal is transmitted out from
the temperature transmitter?