School of Chemical Engineering

CEIC3005 Process Plant

Design: DD Module
Week 3 Lecture -
Supplementary Notes
P&ID Learning Objectives

The following document is designed to help undergraduate students with the following:

1. Understand what information is contained in a P&ID

2. Understand where P&ID’s are used in the design process
3. Understand how a P&ID is developed and the conventions/standards used in the
drawings
4. Develop basic P&ID’s for the following systems:
a. Chemical storage and handling
b. Heat exchangers
c. Distillation columns
d. Reactors

Basic Structure of P&ID’s

A P&ID can be divided into three levels:

Level 1. Process stream that contains the “Hardware” such as pipes, vessels, valves, pumps
and heaters. The P&ID’s reflect the “quantity” of the Hardware. That is; the number and types
of valves and pumps (duty and stand-by); the size and material for process lines (pipes and
tubes); the type of mechanical equipment

Level 2. “Sensors” that monitor, indicate and transmit information to the “Control System” and
Actuators that receive feedback from the “Control System” and regulate process variables on
the process stream hardware. The sensors can display information on process variables such
as temperature, pressure, flow and composition (pH, Conductivity & concentration) “locally” or
“remotely”. In order to send the information to a remote or centralized location it is necessary
to convert the process variables into an electrical signal (4-20 mA). This information can
remain in the analogue form or can be converted into a digital form. In either case the
transmitted information is used as the input data to the “process control loops” that control
and monitor the process.

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Level 3. A Control System that monitors, records, calculates, regulates and distributes data to
control the process. The control system can include devices such as “Programmable Logic
Controllers (PLC’s) associated with individual pieces of equipment or Distributed Control
Systems (DCS) covering sections of the plant containing multiple components. The operators
can access information contained in the PLC or the DCS via a computer or display that is
referred to as the Human Machine Interface. These components of the control system are
often referred to as the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) System for the
plant.

Where are P&ID’s used in the design process?

1. Cost Estimating
a. The equipment inventory (complete list of all the parts) is taken from the
completed P&ID’s because these drawings contain quantitative information on
the size and number of the key components and instruments
2. Reliability and Safety Analysis
a. P&ID’s are used to develop the logic for “Fault Tree Analysis” and other
techniques that are used to make rational decisions on the degree
(amount) of redundancy engineered into a system
b. HAZOP. The P&ID’s are used in the Hazard and Operability Studies because it
is possible to apply the various guide words (more of, less of, none of etc) to
each part of the process stream and assess possible consequences and
outcomes
3. Developing Process Control Systems
a. Control System Architecture Block Diagrams
b. Refining Process Control Tables (note; PCT’s can be used in the first instance
to develop the P&ID)
4. Electrical Line Diagrams
a. The P&ID’s will contain information on the number, size and type
(phase) of motors that will need to be powered from the Motor Control Centre
(MCC) room. The MCC room is where the signals that control the motors and
the power that drives the motors is regulated. The preference is to place the
MCC room as close as possible to the part of the plant that has a high power
draw to minimise the length of cable run to reduce cost and prevent harmonics
in the cable.
5. Construction
a. The P&ID’s are used as a check list to make sure that the contractors are
installing the correct type and number of components.
6. Commissioning
a. The P&ID’s are used to make sure that the commissioning team is familiar with
the equipment and that accurate standard operating protocols that reflect the
exact equipment identification (TAGS) are prepared so that the sequence and
timing of process steps can be rehearsed and implemented.

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How are P&ID’s Developed?

Read the overall process narrative for the plant 1 to make a preliminary estimate of the major
control variables (eg temperature, flow etc). It is important to identify the major control
variables later on so that you do not have conflicting controls on subsequent P&ID’s. Next
read then the functional description of the process 2 of for the particular unit process (also
called unit operations). Once you understand how the particular piece of equipment
associated with the unit operation/process is supposed to work the next task is to develop a
Process Control Table (PCT) for that piece of equipment. This will help you identify what
parameters you will monitor and how you will use that information (control, indication only
etc). The initial draft of the PCT will also give you an opportunity to identify preliminary
operating limits and control actions in the event the limits are exceeded.

Developing the firsts draft of the P&ID

Once you have developed an initial Process Control Table and have a list of performance
requirements for the piece of equipment you can begin to develop the detail for the three
levels contained in the P&ID.

The following steps are designed to help you assemble the drawing and use the information
developed in the process control table.

Step 1. Add the equipment. Look at the Process Flow Diagram and identify what piece of
equipment is needed to change the properties of the process stream (i.e flow, pressure,
temperature, composition). The equipment is likely to be a pump, mixer, reactor column.

Step 2. Insert items (Actuators) that will control the process stream under the following
situations:
1. Start up: How will that piece of equipment start?
2. Steady state operation: How does the equipment operate when the process is at
stead state (or during normal operation for a batch process)
3. Shut down: How does that piece of equipment stop?
4. Maintenance: How are you going to maintain that piece of equipment (This
normally relates to isolation valves added to allow maintenance staff to safely
remove equipment)

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The process narrative is the document describing briefly the stages from beginning to end as illustrated in the
Block Flow Diagram (BFD).
2
The functional description is the document that describes how each “unit process” or “unit operation” (the terms
can be used interchangeably) is supposed to work. Each “unit process” will be illustrated on the Process Flow
Diagram (PFD).

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Step 3. Insert items (Sensors) that monitor the process. That is, the instruments that will
record the important variables. Note, variables can fall into Two categories.
Category 1. Physical Properties (Flow, Temp, Pressure, Composition)
Category 2. Status of equipment (On-off, Valve Position, level)
The sensors that you install must cover all the situations that you listed in part 2.
Decide what variables you need to monitor under each condition.

Step 4. Decide what you want to do with the data on the variables. This includes;
1. Indicate (The data is simply indicated locally)
2. Transmit (The data is sent to a remote location for use in a PLC, DCS and HMI)
3. Control (The data is used to control an actuator (the device that controls the hardware)
4. Add alarms and interlocks

Step 5. Add equipment and features that ensures your design is compliant with relevant
standards. These include;
Isolation & Pressure relief valves
Containment and leak detection Audible alarms
Interlocks (Will be discussed in more detail)
Overflow lines and Chemical/Spill containment

The development of P&ID is an iterative process (Revision Numbers are critical)

The drawings will be reviewed during the design process and modified after activities such as
fault tree analysis and HAZOP depending on the outcome of these studies.

The drawings will be reviewed prior to construction to include (or remove) features that
improve the constructability (Any modifications will need to be checked for Safety).

The drawings will be updated after construction and marked “AS BUILT”. These drawings will
be used in the HAZOP prior to commissioning and in subsequent commissioning activities.

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What information is included on the P&ID?

Organisation of P&ID
• Originating and destination P&ID numbers.

Equipment & Hardware Level

• All tanks and process equipment, including details of any insulation (thickness and
type) and whether the equipment is traced or jacketed.
• All equipment tag numbers and description
• Interconnecting pipework including process stream identification, pipe dimensions (in
mm) and pipe material (eg; Enriched Gas-200-316SS)
• Valve type, size and tag number
• Reducers and special pipe fittings
• Major, minor and utility lines and services (Steam, Water, Air)
• Waste discharge and emission points

Instrument and Actuator Level

• Instrument tapping points and in-line instruments • Identification symbols for various
instrument types.
• Simplified representation of instrument loop
• Motor type (Fixed or variable speed)
• Actuator type (electrical, pneumatic)

Data acquisition and Control Level

• Control systems
• Instrument tag numbers
• Electrical equipment identification
• Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) inputs and outputs. • Emergency Shut Down
(ESD) system inputs and outputs
• Control loop interconnection.
• Signal interconnection line types, e.g. electrical, pneumatic, software. • Alarms &
Control interlocks
• Actuated valve failure mode.
• Settings of relief valves

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Instrumentation & Symbol Hierarchy

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