Instrumentation

September 2008

What is it?
Definitions of Instrumentation from the Web:
The use of rods, screws, plates, hooks, wires,
bolts, etc. to correct and stabilize abnormalities
of the spine.
The art of composing, orchestrating, or
arranging for an instrumental ensemble.
An electrical or pneumatic device placed in the
field to provide measurement and/or control
capabilities for the system.

Objectives for this course

Learning the fundamentals of industrial
instrumentation
Terminology and Symbols
Measuring Means
Pressure, Temperature, Level, Flow

Controlling Means
Simple Closed Loop Control
PID Loop tuning

Resources
Text Book:
Industrial Control Electronics 3rd edition by Terry Bartelt,
Published by Thompson (Delmar Learning)
ISBN 1 4018 6292 6

ISA (Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society)

The International Society for Automation - Setting the
Standard for Automation
www.isatoronto.org

Other web links: see notes

Automation Technology
Instrumentation plays an important role in almost every
aspect of Automation Technology.

Industrial Automation
Manufacturing Automation
Process Automation
Building Automation
Everyone needs to measure and/or control something and
thats what instrumentation is all about.

Measurement
Things that are measured include:
Pressure, temperature, level, flow, humidity, speed,
motion, position, weight, density, conductivity, pH,
light, quality, quantity, and more.
Devices that process or do the measuring are called:
Sensors, transducers, transmitters, indicators,
displays, recorders, data loggers, and data
acquisition systems.

Controllers
These are the devices that do the controlling:
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)
Programmable Automation Controllers (PAC)
Distributed Control Systems (DCS)
Proportional, Integral, Derivative (PID)
Controllers
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA)
Building Automation Controllers (BAC)
Energy Management Systems (EMS)

Control Elements
These are the devices the controller
operates:
Pneumatic valves, solenoid valves,
rotary valves, motors, switches, relays,
variable frequency drives.

Overview of Process Automation

The process is that portion of an automation
operation which use energy measurable by some
quality such as pressure, temperature, level, flow,
(and many others) to produce changes in quality
or quantity of some material or energy.

Input
Energy
or
Material

PROCESS
Some Quality or
Quantity
of the
Material or Energy

Desired
Result

Example of a Temperature Process

The objective of this process is to maintain a constant water
bath temperature.
Water Bath
Temperature

Heating Element

Temperature Process Terminology

This is a Temperature Process
The measuring means is the thermometer. (Temperature Indicator- TI)
The process temperature is maintained at a desired point (Set Point SP)
Steam (Control Agent) is used to vary the temperature by opening and
closing the control valve (Final Control Element)
Water Bath
Temperature

Heating Element

Level Process
The control objective is to maintain a constant liquid level of oil
inside the tank (e.g. 100 gallons +/- 20 gallons). The hand valve is
opened and closed as required to maintain the desired tank level.

Oil Stock

Level Indicator

Oil Feed to
next
process

Terminology used to describe the process

PROCESS: Level
CONTROLLED VARIABLE: Head pressure at bottom of tank
CONTROL POINT: The level of oil in the tank (Set Point = 100 gallons)
MEASURING MEANS: Level Indicator (Head Pressure)
CONTROL AGENT: Volume of oil stock
MANIPULATED VARIABLE: Flow rate of oil (gpm)

Oil Stock

Level Indicator

Oil Feed to
next
process

Basic Model of a Process

The process is maintained at the desired point (SP)
by changing the FCE based on the value of the PV

Control
Agent

FINAL
CONTROL
ELELMENT
(valve)

Actuating
Input

Manipulated
Variable

Controlled
Variable
PROCESS

Desired
Result

(Temperature,
pressure, level, flow)

pH, conductivity, humidity,

density, consistency, etc.

Measuring
Means

(transmitter)

Process Variable (PV)

Process equilibrium (balance) is when the input energy maintains the output at a
constant desired point.

Basic Model of a Process

The measuring means provides the standardized signal
that represents the condition of the process, i.e. is the
process at the desired point?

Control
Agent

FINAL
CONTROL
ELELMENT
(valve)

Actuating
Input

Manipulated
Variable

Controlled
Variable
PROCESS

Desired
Result

(Temperature,
pressure, level, flow)

pH, conductivity, humidity,

density, consistency, etc.

Measuring
Means

(transmitter)

Process Variable (PV)

Measuring Means
Pressure

Level

Flow

Strain gauge
Piezo-electric
Capacitance
Bourdon Tube

Humidity

Mechanical Floats
Guided Wave
Weight (load cell)
Ultrasonic
Differential Pressure

Pressure Transmitter
Level Transmitter
Differential Pressure
Cell
Flow Transmitter

Head meters
(orifice, venturi)
Coriolis, velocity,
Mass,

Density
Speed

Pneumatic
3-15 PSI
Electrical

Temperature
pH

Transmitters

Thermocouples
RTDs / Thermistors
Filled Systems
Bi-metallic

Temperature
Transmitter

Current
4 20 mA
0 20 mA
10 50 mA
Voltage
05V

15V
0 10 V
Digital
ON/OFF
Field Bus
ModBus
ProfiBus
HART

Open Loop Control

Open loop (or manual control) is used when
very little change occurs in the Process
Variable (PV)
Control
Agent

FINAL
CONTROL
ELELMENT
(valve)

Actuating
Input

Manipulated
Variable

Controlled
Variable
PROCESS

Desired
Result

(Temperature,
pressure, level, flow)

pH, conductivity, humidity,

density, consistency, etc.

Measuring
Means

(transmitter)

Process Variable (PV)

Corrective action is provided by manual feedback

Closed Loop Control

Closed loop or feedback control provides a corrective action based on
the deviation between the PV and the SP

Control
Agent

Manipulated
Variable

FINAL
CONTROL
ELELMENT

Controlled
Variable
PROCESS

(valve)

pH, conductivity, humidity,

density, consistency, etc.

Automatic

Desired
Result

(Temperature,
pressure, level, flow)
Measuring
Means

(transmitter)

Manual

Controller Output

CONTROLLING
MEANS

Controller Input (PV)

(3-15psi, 4-20mA etc)

(3-15 psi, 4-20mA etc)

SP

Controlling Means
Controllers provide the required control
action to position the FCE at a point
necessary to maintain the PV at the
desired SP.
PID (single loop feedback controller)
DCS (distributed controllers)
PLC (programmable logic controllers)

Single Loop Feedback Control

The TT provides the signal (PV) that represents the condition of the
process being controlled. The TIC compares the PV to the SP and opens
and closes the FCE to maintain the process at equilibrium.
Temperature Controller and
Recorder

2
Temperature
Transmitter

1.
2.

3.
Sensing
Bulb

Steam
Pneumatic
Control Valve

Heat Exchanger

4.

Measuring
Means
Controlling
Means
Final Control
Element
Temperature
Process

Summary
Process automation makes use of instrumentation to
maintain the process at some desired condition.
Common instrumentation used in a process loop are the
measuring means (usually transmitters), the controlling
means (usually a PID controller), and the Final Control
Element (usually some type of valve)
The measuring means provides the feedback signal (PV)
used in the process loop. The controlling means
operates the FCE based on the difference between the
PV and the SP.
Process equilibrium is maintained when the difference
between the PV and SP is zero or constant (offset?)

NEXT?
What are
What is PID?
transmitters?

What are P&ID

symbols?

What types
of FCE are
there?

What am I
doing here?

What is a?

How do I
measure?
Pressure
Level
Temperature
Flow

How do I
tune a loop?

Check out
FIC
TT

What is
Integral
action?

LRC
PRV

Should I use
a 3-15 psi or
4-20 mA
valve?