Unit I

Chapter 2

Process
Instrumentation

Suchitra B
Asst. Professor
ANITS, 2018 -19
 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

Recording Instruments
A recording instrument should be employed when a permanent record of the
variable is required.

There are three uses of a record

1. The process operator may refer to the instrument to observe the trend of
the variable as a guide to process operation
2. The record may be useful in locating trouble on the job
3. The record may be required for reference to the past performance

When there is no need for maintaining a record, a simple indicating

instrument should be used, because, when compared with indicating
instruments recording instruments are
1. More expensive
2. Require more maintenance

Recording instruments should have a recording chart that is generally of two

types
1. Circular recording chart
2. Strip recording chart

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 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI
Circular Recording Chart
A circular chart is used in industrial recording instrument for recording
1. Flow
2. Pressure
3. Temperature
4. Level

Circular recording charts are made in two sizes

1. 8 – in diameter (for recording ambient temperature and humidity)
2. 12 – in diameter (most commonly used in industry)

Construction
1. The circular chart is clamped at the geometric centre and rotates around
the centre
2. Time lines are curved arcs
3. Zero is not located at the geometric centre
4. Period of rotation of the circular chart is 8 hour, 24 hour or 7 days
5. Electrically rotating charts or mechanical clocks are used to indicate time

Circular charts are printed in carefully controlled temperature and humidity

conditions on high – grade paper.
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 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

Electronically operated circular chart Mechanically operated circular chart

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 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI
Strip Recording Chart
The strip recording charts are used with
1. Potentiometer – type instrument
2. Resistance thermometer
3. Galvanometer – type instrument
Construction
1. The chart is driven from the supply roll to the reroll by a synchronous
motor
2. The speed of movement of paper is 1 inch/hour, 2 inch/hour, 4 inch/hour
or 20 inch/hour
3. The strips are generally rectangular with widths of 6 inch or 10 inch
4. The time lines are arc segments as the pen moves in an arc
Advantages
1. It doesn’t require frequent changing
2. Long process periods are easily recorded
3. Readability is the same at all values of the scale span
Disadvantages
1. Only a limited length of the chart is visible
2. Difficult to file and not easy for reference

Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

Electronically operated strip recording chart

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 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

Indicating Instrument
It is used when only the present value of the
variable is to be known and the past values are not
required.
Indicating scales are of three types
1. The concentric scale – The concentric scale is
used in almost all instruments. The scale length
is 25 inch in precision – type instruments to 3
inch in thermometers or simple pressure
gauges. It gives the largest scale in the smallest
available area.
2. The eccentric scale – The eccentric scale is used
on mechanical instruments such as pressure
thermometers, flowmeters and pressure gauges.
The scale length is 8 inch.
3. The linear scale – The linear scale is used only on
the potentiometer/resistance thermometer type
instruments. This indicator is made by excluding
strip chart, chart drive and pen.
Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI
 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI
Signalling instruments
 These are required when the variable needs to be indicated only within the
desired range or limit.
 Signalling instruments use electric contacts or switches connected to a
measuring element like a thermometer, float or pyrometer.
 Within the desired range, the signal is given in terms of changing lights or
sounds (horn or siren).

A signalling system is positive i.e. a system should require an operator to look

for a specific combination of signals to indicate the outcome of operation.
Ex. In an on/off system, the off might sometimes result from power outage. So
an on/off system is not effective.

The common signalling systems are of the following types

1. Hi - Low system - which indicates one point before and after which the
signal is indicated
2. Hi - Low - Neutral system - where the process should start only when the
amber light is on
3. 5 - position system - where a combination or a single light indicates the
need to start the process

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 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI
Transmission of instrument readings
Since many instruments have receiving element and indicating elements at a
large distance apart, accurate transmission of instrument readings is required.
Types of transmission
1. Mechanical transmission – For mechanical instruments transmission is
needed for a distance more than 50 ft. The lag and ambient temperature
errors increase with increase in the distance of transmission. Example
a) Connecting lines of manometer should not exceed 50 ft. as they
introduce errors due to liquid heads.
b) Capillary tube of pressure spring thermometers should not be more
than 150 ft. as the material cost is expensive.
c) Connecting lines of pressure gauges should be short to reduce damping
effects.
2. Pneumatic transmission – it is operated on transmitted pressures of 0 to 20
psig. The only disadvantage of pneumatic transmission is the lag caused by
the resistance and volume of the connecting tube.
a) Pneumatic transmission can be done up to 2000 ft. by establishing
boosters at every 200 ft or 500 ft because lag of transmission is small
until 500 ft.
b) Copper tubing of 3/8 – inch or ¼ - inch outside diameters are used for
transmission.
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 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI
3. Electric transmission – there is no limit of transmission when electrical
instruments are used. The following are the limitations of electric
transmission
I. For long electric transmission lines, additional resistances may reduce
the sensitiveness of the measurement.
II. In case of temperature measurement, ambient temperature
compensation might be difficult over longer lines.
III. Electric transmission can be done on thermocouple pyrometers,
resistance thermometers, etc.
IV. The differential – pressure transmitter, specific gravity meter,
rotameter transmitter, area – meter transmitter and viscosity meter
used inductance – bridge for electric transmission
V. Operation of an electric transmitter
a. The electric pulse system uses a constantly rotating cam at the
transmitter to operate a switch.
b. The transmitter pen determines the time for which the switch is in
a certain position.
c. The receiving element operated the cam and controls its rotation,
thereby controlling the transmitter pen.
d. The pulse generated by the cam mechanism using an
electromagnet is used to signal the operation of the switch.
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 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

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The Control Centre
The instrumentation equipment (instruments and automatic controllers) that
are grouped at one location near the processing or manufacturing unit for the
ease of controlling the process are together called control centre.
The control centre may include one single instrument or a group of instruments
and controllers arranged in a separate enclosure or room to provide clean, dry
and ambient conditions for the operation of process equipment.
A control centre must have
1. Clean dry atmosphere
2. Relatively constant temperature and humidity
3. No vibrations
4. Adequate light
5. Unfailing power source
6. Unfailing air conditioning source
A control centre should be located near the processing unit or plant that is being
controlled by it by considering the following types of plant and instrumentation
layout
1. The central layout
2. The unit layout

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 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

Control centre of an open hearth furnace

The diagram shows the control centre
for controlling
1. Furnace draft pressure
2. Furnace temperature
3. Fuel flow rate
4. Process timing, etc.
The centre is located adjacent to the
furnace so that the operator in – charge
can readily maintain the desired
operating conditions.

A steel panel board encases the

different controllers and
instrumentation that measure and
control the process flow parameters.
A clock is provided to time each process
and measure/control each process
variable.

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 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI

 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI
Central Layout for the control centre
1. In this layout there is a common control centre for all the plant operations
an it is called the operations centre (that has about 50 to 500 instruments).
2. The instrumentation for all the plant operations (material storage, material
treatment, refining, separation and storage)is included in the control centre.
3. At the control centre the instrumentation equipment is grouped on panel
boards and the control centre room is enclosed, air conditioned, properly lit
and clean.
Advantages
1. Coordination of all the plant
operations at one place is
easy
2. Service and maintenance of
instruments is quick
Disadvantages
1. Some operating units may
be located faraway from the
control centre
2. Coordination between
operating unit and operator
may be delayed
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 Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI
Unit layout of control centre
Separate control centre for each operation may be used because
1. Physical size of the whole plant is very large to have one single control
centre
2. All the operations need not be coordinated
Individual control centres may be located near to the controlled unit/plant.
Example – In steel industry, unit layout is used and each unit like the blast
furnace, coke oven batteries, smelting plant, etc. will have their individual
control centre.
Advantages
1. Changes in plant
variables can be readily
done as the control
centre is near the unit.
2. Operator errors can be
minimised and damage
control can be done.
Disadvantages
Servicing each centre is
time consuming.

Suchitra B, ANITS, 2018 – 19, PI