Impulse Piping standards for Field instruments

What is Impulse Piping?

The impulse piping is the one which connects the process outputs to the transmitter.

It must convey the process pressure accurately. If for example, the gas collects in a liquid-filled impulse line, or the drain of a gas-filled impulse line becomes plugged, it will not convey the pressure accurately. Since this will cause errors in measurement output, selecting the proper piping method for the process fluid (gas, liquid or steam) is very important. We discuss below some of the most common routing principles for impulse piping.

Impulse Piping standards for Field instruments

Differential Pressure Transmitters

In differential pressure transmitters, there is a chance that process fluid (liquid, gas or vapors) may accumulate inside the impulse piping that can cause inaccurate reading of pressures. There are three cases as depicted by the figure.

1. Liquid

If the process fluid is liquid, the transmitter should be placed lower than the taps.

2. Gas

If the process fluid is gas, the transmitter should be placed higher than the taps.

3. Steam

If the process fluid is steam, it has more chances to vaporize, so we should use condensate pot and the transmitter should be placed at lower level than the taps.

Impulse Piping Connections

DP Transmitters for Open Tank/Closed Tank

Process Piping Connections