P-ID and ISA 5.1-The Basics of Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams

P&ID and ISA 5.
1: the basics of piping and

instrumentation diagrams
A P&ID (piping and instrumentation diagram) is a graphic representation
of the piping and system components in your process that uses standard
symbols and annotations. It plays a big role in the management of a physical
process. The ISA5.1 is a standard for P&ID symbols.
What’s a piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID)?

I remember my first day on an internship at a biotech company. They had
processes to treat wastewater and produce biogas. When I entered the
engineering department, I saw this huge whiteboard covered in symbols
and notations. And people looked at it a lot. I mean, a lot.
That’s because this whiteboard held the P&ID, or piping and

instrumentation diagram of the project we had to work on. And a few
weeks into the internship, I realized why people kept looking at it over and
over again. It gave you a detailed overview of the whole process. In the first
week, before I familiarized myself with the process, I found myself staring
at the P&ID several times a day.
In the planning stage, the P&ID shows you the whole process before
anyone installs a single storage tank or field instrument. And after the
process is running, it can help with maintenance, plant safety, and training.
It was my best friend in the first month of my internship. I came back to it
thousands of times so I could better understand the process and the field
devices used in it.
ISA 5.1 – the standard for P&ID

Not all P&ID elements are standardized, but the instrumentation symbols
follow a standard set by the International Society of Automation (ISA). The
ANSI/ISA’s S5.1-1984 (R 1992) standards help engineers communicate
instrumentation, control, and automation goals consistently. This
consistency makes it easier for other engineers or technicians to
understand the process and all its pieces without needing to talk to the
engineer.
ISA 5.1 Instrumentation Symbols
The ISA 5.1 instrumentation symbols belong to four categories, each

represented with a distinct shape:
 Discrete instruments: circle

 Shared control/display: circle in a square
 Computer function: hexagon
 Programmable logic controller: triangle in a square
Each shape will also have standardized letters to represent the devices.
The first letter tells you what kind of measuring device it is. The next letter
can either modify the first letter or tell you the function of the device.
You’ll probably find numbers with the letters too, to represent device tags.
No international standards exist for these, but they may follow company
standards.
For example, if you have a PT04 inside a circle, then you have a pressure
transmitter in that section of the plant, designated 04 for reference.
The letters make more sense than the symbols, so even if you don’t know
the standard, you can guess what things mean from context. This table will
help.
Courtesy of Edisciplinas
now we know about the devices. However, ISA 5.1 instrumentation
symbols go beyond that. They also tell you where the instruments are
installed.
In some of the shapes, you might see lines crossing them. If you don’t see a
line, then that device is installed locally in the field. If you see a solid line,
you’ll find the instrument on a main panel or screen. A double solid line
means this device is on a subpanel or remote location. And a dotted line
means this device is inaccessible, hidden, or installed behind a panel board.
Other ISA 5.1 symbols
In addition to measuring instruments, ISA 5.1 has standardized symbols for

other parts of your process. These symbols fall into six categories.
Equipment
These ISA 5.1 symbols represent a variety of hardware which won’t fit in
other categories, like compressors, conveyors, motors, turbines, and
vacuums.
Some Examples Symbols of Instrument-Courtesy of Lucidcart

Piping
These ISA 5.1 symbols will tell you what kind of fluid flows through those
pipes. You have different symbols for electrical, pneumatic, hydraulics, and
so on. You’ll also find pipe elements such as reducers, caps, and flanges.
Some Examples Symbols of Piping -Courtesy of Lucidcart
Vessels
Vessels store process material. There are many types of vessels such
as tanks, cylinders, columns, and bags.
Some Examples Symbols of Vessel -Courtesy of Lucidcart

Heat exchangers
In this category, you’ll find boilers, condensers, and other heat exchangers.
Some Examples Symbols of Heat Exchanger-Courtesy of Lucid cart

Pumps
Pumps control your process fluid flow. Depending on your installation or

even your process fluid, you’ll need a specific kind of pump. ISA 5.1 defines
a number of options for pumps and even some fans.
Some Examples Symbols of Pumps-Courtesy of Lucid cart
Reference:
- http://integrated.cc/cse/Instrumentation_Symbols_and_Identification

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P&ID and ISA 5.

1: the basics of piping and

What’s a piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID)?

That’s because this whiteboard held the P&ID, or piping and

ISA 5.1 – the standard for P&ID

The ISA 5.1 instrumentation symbols belong to four categories, each

 Discrete instruments: circle

Other ISA 5.1 symbols

In addition to measuring instruments, ISA 5.1 has standardized symbols for

Some Examples Symbols of Instrument-Courtesy of Lucidcart

Some Examples Symbols of Vessel -Courtesy of Lucidcart

Some Examples Symbols of Heat Exchanger-Courtesy of Lucid cart

Pumps control your process fluid flow. Depending on your installation or

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