Applied Process Control

2Instrumentation

Plant instrumentation constitutes 6–30% of the cost of all purchased equipment for the plant, and thus up to 5% of total project costs for new plants (Peters and Timmerhaus, 1980). A perusal of the instrumentation trade magazines shows what a fiercely competitive market this is. Suppliers are developing a never-ending range of measurement and actuation devices based on new technologies and materials. In order to understand the context of the control schemes and algorithms addressed in this book, one needs a basic appreciation of the devices available.

2.1 Piping and Instrumentation Diagram Notation

The piping and instrumentation diagram is the most important reference document in both the construction and functioning of a ...