Piping Network Creation Options for Drafting Designers

Users can create piping networks in AVEVA P&ID using the commands available in the Pipeline section of Home tab:

Piping networks are modelled by P&ID designers to create primary flow lines using the Draw Pipeline command, while selecting the pipeline styles that match their requirements. Piping networks are grouped in principle with a unique name defined in the Project Administrator. The application will use graphical groups and associations to maintain them.

Piping networks will contain primary flow lines identified in AVEVA P&ID as main pipe(s) and secondary flow lines identified as branch pipe(s).

Primary flow lines are created using the Draw Pipeline option in the Pipeline section of Home tab or by typing DRPIPE at command prompt:

By pressing the Return key the user will default to creating a primary flow line (main pipe):

Secondary flow lines can be represented using three methods, according to user requirements. If a user wants to include line records of a secondary lines in process line list report, they should use one of these methods.

Method 1

Start drafting by using the Draw Pipeline option from the ribbon or by typing DRPIPE at the command prompt, selecting a suitable pipeline style to represent a secondary flow line.

On the drawing canvas, select a primary flow line as the ‘owner’ of the secondary flow line.

A branch pipeline will then be created sharing the properties values defined for its piping network.

Properties that are shared with piping network will be disabled while editing secondary process line properties; these properties are only editable when editing the parent primary process line.

Method 2

This method is designed to quickly create secondary process line without prompting the user to manually select a parent primary process line. Additionally, a pre-configured option to draw the process lines with a fixed pipeline style might be used with this method.

Select the Process Link option from the ribbon or type DRLINK2 at the command prompt.

By default, arrowheads are not added to lines created using this method.

The application will create a record of the new line in the line list when this method is used. Secondary flow lines can be filtered out from line list using the ‘Type’ column of line list table.

Note: Pipeline attributes are editable by selecting the pipeline segment created using Process Link option.

Method 3

This method is designed to quickly create secondary process connection lines without creating a record in the line list table.

Select the Instrument Link option from the ribbon or type DRINSTRLINK at the command prompt.

Sometimes designers prefer to create process line connections to display tubing connectivity that does not need a "name" of its own in the line list but is still required to establish a process connection link between a primary process line with a device such as a measurement instrument or a piping component that is part of a drain or ventilation system.

When this type of process line is created, AVEVA P&ID will not create pipeline attributes or a name for these process lines. Piping components or instruments connected using Instrument Link Lines will inherit relevant process line data by reading from the process line data available at process line connection with a named primary or secondary process line. Some piping components or instrument properties inherited from these piping connections can be overwritten directly, such as size (bore) or specification code.

No record will be created in the line list for these types of process lines connections; it is assumed that they are unnamed tubing connections that do not "deserve" their own process line record, therefore simplifying the overall process design as a result.

Example

See below for an example of a piping network created with a primary process line (yellow), a secondary process line (bypass in blue) created using branch option. On the left side there is a drain valve connected to a process link line; this process line holds its own properties and is included in the line list. On the right side there is a process indicator connected to the primary process line using an instrument link line.

Instrument link lines are not recorded in the process line list table. However, a process indicator record will include references to connected primary process lines measured by the device found in the instrument index table.

Process Links versus Instrument Links - Recommendations

Below are design factors that may aid a designer to make the correct decision when choosing between Process Link and Instrument Lines:

Case 1

The customer is planning to export drawings to a schematic model database.

If customer decides as part of their workflow to export AVEVA P&ID drawing data to a schematic model database, then they should not use instrument link lines as the schematic model database does not support the concept of instrument process connection line or unnamed process line.

Case 2

The customer wants to generate a process line list report that only includes relevant process lines according to their process engineering design requirements.

In this case, customers should consider which process line they really need to include in line list table with the objective of maintaining and producing a manageable process line list. For branch connections or tubing where a line record is a surplus to requirements from process designer point of view, the user can choose to draw such process connections using instrument link connection line.

Tubing network design should be kept as simple as possible. For drafting scenarios where there are complex and multiple process line connections, we recommend a mixed approach, using process link and instrument link layouts, as creating multiple connections using instrument process links could prevent the application from detecting the intended process owner of an instrument or piping device, or could deliver ambiguous information when there are multiple connections to named primary or secondary process lines. Additionally, performance issues could arise while exporting data from target drawings to the project database if complex networks using process instrument connections are created in the target drawing.