Industrial Instrumentation

Ms. Sobia Anwar

Course Learning Outcomes

Explain fundamental concepts;

selection criteria and significance of PLO01 Cognitive 2. Understand
CLO-1 instrumentation in the process
systems
Analyze the dynamic behavior;
stability and frequency response for
PLO03 Cognitive 4. Analyze
CLO-2 various controllers and process
control systems using transfer
functions
Apply various control configurations PLO02 Cognitive
CLO-3 3. Apply
to chemical process units
Course Outline

1) Fundamentals of electrical technology and digital logic

employed in measurement (2) Review of scientific
principles employed in instruments (3) Parts of
instruments: sensor, modifier, and recorder (4) Dynamic
and static properties of instruments (5) Selection and
calibration of instruments (6) Instrument identification
and line symbols

(7) Available technology of instrumentation for (a)

Temperature (b) Flow (c) Level (d) Weight (e) Load (f)
Pressure (g) Composition (8) Transducers (9) Advanced
measurement devices employing (a) piezoelectric current
(b) ultrasonic (c) laser (d) microwave (10) Installation
and installation costs (11) Instrumentation case studies
Recommended Books

 “Process Control: Instrumentation Technology”

by C. D. Johnson
 “Fundamentals of Industrial Instrumentation
and Process Control” by William Dunn
Instrumentation

➢ Instrumentation system is an assembly of

various instruments and components
interconnected to measure, analyze and
control.
OR
➢ Instruments are devices that are used in
measuring attributes of process systems.
Instrumentation & its Aim

 The primary purpose of the instrumentation in process industries and

industrial manufacturing is to aid in the economics of industrial
operations by improving the quality of product and efficiency of
production. For this purpose and for the maintenance of proper
operation, instrumentation is very necessary.

 It contributes heavily to plant safety, to good cost accounting and to

the success of pilot plants.

 According to ISA international society of

automation formerly known as instrument society
of America, the official definition of the
instrumentation is
“A collection of instruments and their application for
observation, measurement and control”
Importance of effective measurement in process industry

Importance of effective
measurement in process
industry

BP Texas Explosion
BP Texas Explosion

Failure to measure effectively the level of liquid

in bottom of the tower lead to

--- Fire

--- Explosion
Instrument

 Typical components of instrument

 A Sensor:
(measures a physical quantity and converts it into a
signal)

 A Modifier
(Change the type of signal)

 A Display unit
(transmitting arrangement )

Perhaps the best advice for engineering students is

that “instruments are always incorrect”!!!!.
Sensors

 Human natural observation capabilities are

generally not designed for process conditions.

 Instruments must have desired

capabilities to match process
conditions.

 Process Control has the role of a

decision makers (Like brain)

Sensors feel the condition and originate the signal

followed by modification and amplification for effective
display /transmission or control objectives.
Functional Elements of an Instrument

Process/
Measured medium

Primary Variable Variable

Sensing Conversion Manipulation
Element Element Element

Data Data
Transmission Presentation
Element Element

Observer
Functional Elements of an Instrument (Cont‘d)

Typical Example:
Functional Elements of an Instrument (Cont‘d)

Fluid
Temperature Temperature Tube Tubing
Measured
Quantity

Primary Variable Pressure Data

Process/ Sensing Conversion Transmission
Measured medium Element Element Element

Pressure

Variable Motion Variable Data

Motion
Conversion Manipulation Presentation
Element Element Element

Observer
Spiral Bourdon Linkage Gear Scale & Pointer
Tube
Performance Characteristics of Instruments

❖ Static characteristics: considered for instruments

used to measure an unvarying process
conditions

 Dynamic characteristics: for measuring quantities

that fluctuates with time.
Performance Characteristics of Instruments (Cont‘d)

❖ Static characteristics
Static characteristics of an instrument includes;

▪ Accuracy

▪ Precision

▪ Repeatability

▪ Range

▪ Resolution

▪ Others ( Sensitivity , Dead zone etc.)

Static Characteristics

Static characteristics of an instrument includes;

1. Accuracy

Accuracy is the degree of

conformity of the measured
value with the accepted
standard or ideal value, which
we can take as the true
physical variable.
Accuracy is usually expressed in engineering units or as a percentage
of the sensor range, for example:

❖ Thermocouple temperature sensor with accuracy of  1.5 K.

❖ Orifice flow meters with accuracy of 3% of maximum flow range

Static Characteristics

Static characteristics of an instrument includes;

2. Precision

❖ Precision is the degree of exactness

for which an instrument is designed
or intended to perform.

❖ It is composed of two
characteristics;
1. Conformity
2. Number of significant figures
Static Characteristics

Static characteristics of an instrument includes;

3. Repeatability

The closeness of agreement among a number of

consecutive measurements of the same variable
(value) under the same operating conditions,
approaching in the same direction.

The term “approaching

in the same direction”
means that the variable
is increasing
(decreasing) to the
value for all replications
of the experiment.
Static Characteristics

Static characteristics of an instrument includes;

4. Reproducibility

 The closeness of agreement among a number of

consecutive measurements of the same variable
(value) under the same operating conditions over a
period of time, approaching from both directions.

The period of time is “long”, so that changes occurring

over longer times of plant operation are included.

Reproducibility includes hysteresis, dead band, drift

and repeatability.
Drift

 Gradual change in instruments

measurements.
OR
 Measure of difference in repeatability.

 Under laboratory conditions drift of an

element can be determined by one of
two ways;
1. Point drift
2. Calibration drift
Point Drift

 By maintaining exact operating and load

conditions , monitoring of output variations
for a fixed input signals as a function of time
is called point drift.

 Used for stable process conditions

Calibration Drift

 By maintaining input
signals, operating
conditions, a load
approximately
constant comparison
of calibration curves
at the beginning and
at specified intervals
of time is called
Calibration drift.
 Used for varying
process conditions
Dead Zone

 Dead zone is the largest range of values of a

measured variable to which the instrument
does not respond.

 This is sometimes called dead spot and

hysteresis.

Backlash

 Backlash or mechanical hysteresis is defined as

that lost motion or free play which is inherent in
mechanical elements such as gears, linkages or
other mechanical transmission devices that are
not rigidly connected.
Static Characteristics

Static characteristics of an instrument includes;

5. Range/Span

 Range represents the minimum and maximum

values which can be determined by an instrument
or equipment.
 Difference between upper and lower range is
known as Span.
 Span can be the same for two different range
instruments.
If a chemical reactor typically operates at 300 C, the engineer might select a
range of 250-350 C.

Since the reactor will be started up from ambient temperature occasionally,

an additional sensor should be provided with a range of -50 to 400 C.
Static Characteristics

Static characteristics of an instrument includes;

6. Linearity

This is the closeness to a straight line of

the relationship between the true
process variable and the measurement.
Lack of linearity does not necessarily
degrade sensor performance. If the
nonlinearity can be modeled and an
appropriate correction applied to the
measurement before it is used for
monitoring and control, the effect of the
non-linearity can be eliminated.

Linearity is usually reported as non-linearity, which is the

maximum of the deviation between the calibration curve and a
straight line positioned so that the maximum deviation is
minimized
Static Characteristics

Static characteristics of an instrument includes;

7. Reliability

Reliability is the probability that a device will adequately perform (as

specified) for a period of time under specified operating conditions.
Some sensors are required for safety or product quality, and
therefore, they should be very reliable.

If sensor reliability is very important, the engineer can

provide duplicate sensors, so that a single failure does
not require a process shutdown
Calibration

Assigning standard
values to an
equipment is
calibration.
Static Error

 Numerical differences between true value of

a quantity and its value as obtained by
measurement.

 Static errors are generally of three types;

1. Mistake or gross error (human mistakes)

2. Systematic errors (instrumental or
environmental errors)
3. Random or accidental errors (unknown)
Performance Characteristics

❖ Dynamic characteristics

Dynamic Characteristics of an instrument includes;

1. Speed of response
is the rapidity with which an instrument responds to
the change in the measured quantity
2. Fidelity
degree to which an instrument indicate the changes
in the measured variables without dynamic
error.
3. Lag
is a retardation or delay in the response of an
instrument to the changes in the measured
quantity
Other Issues

1. Maintenance

2. Consistency with process environment

3. Safety

4. Cost
Other Issues

Consistency with process environment

Direct contact –
Sensors such as orifice plates and level floats have direct contact with process fluids.

Sheath protection –
Sensors such as thermocouples and pressure diaphragms have a sheath between the process
fluid and the sensor element

Sample extraction –
When the process environment is very hostile or the sensor is delicate and performs a
complex physiochemical transformation on the process material, a sample can be extracted.
Other Issues

Location of Measurement Displays

Local display

Local panel display

Centralized control room

Remote monitoring
The Smart Sensor Revolution

Digital conversion and transmission

Diagnostics

Signal conditioning

Configuration
Principle measurements desired in Industry

Principle measurements desired in industry

(a) Temperature

(b) Pressure

(c) Level

(d) Flow

(e) Others ( Composition, pH etc.)

Assignment

You have two challenges

What variables should be

measured?

What sensor should be

specified for each
measurement?

Reactor with feed-effluent heat exchange

Discussion & Questions?