Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj's

Karmaveer Adv. Baburao Ganpatrao Thakare College of Engineering

Udoji Maratha Boarding Campus, Near Pumping Station, Gangapur Road, Nashik
Permanently Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University and Approved by AICTE, New Delhi.
Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering

Topic : Transmitters and SMART Transmiiter

By
Dr.B.J.Parvat
 Contents

1. Need of transmitter
(concept of field area & control room area)

2. Need for standardization of signals,

3. Current, voltage, and pneumatic signal standards

4. Concept of live & dead zero

1. Need of transmitter
1. Need of transmitter
 1. Need of transmitter

• Transmitter: In the world of process control, a Transmitter is a device that

converts the signal produced by a sensor into a standard instrumentation
signal representing a process variable being measured and controlled..

• In the early days of process control, the standard instrumentation signal was
pneumatic while today it is more likely to be an electrical signal.
 2. Need for standardization of signals

• The standard pneumatic signal is 3 to 15 psi.

• The standard electrical signals are 1 to 5 volts or 4 to 20 mA.
• The  most  popular  form of signal transmission  used in modern  industrial
 instrumentation  systems is the 4 to 20 milliamp DC standard.
• This is an analog signal standard, meaning that the electric current is used 
to proportionately represent measurements or command  signals.
• Typically,  a 4 milliamp  current value represents 0%%% of scale, a 20
milliamp  current value represents 100%% of scale
 3. Concept of live & dead zero

• Both 3-15 PSI  and  4-20 mA signal standards are referred  to as live zero
because their ranges begin with a non-zero value.  This “live”  zero
provides  a simple means  of discriminating between  a valid 0%% signal
value  and  a failed signal (e.g.  leaking tube or damaged cable).
3. Concept of live & dead zero
Ex. Temperature Transmitter
Types of transmitters
 Types of transmitters

Electronic Transmitter : 4 to 20 mA output

Pneumatic Transmitter : 3 to 15 psi output

Electronic Transmitter- Two wire transmitter
 Electronic Transmitter- Two wire transmitter

• The main advantage of a two-wire loop is that it minimizes the number of wires needed to run
both power and signal.

• The use of a current loop to send the signal also has the advantages of reduced sensitivity to
electrical noise and to loading effects.

• The electrical noise is reduced because the two wires are run as a twisted pair, ensuring that
each of the two wires receives the same vector of energy from noise sources, such as
electromagnetic fields due to a changing current in a nearby conductor or electric motor.

• Since the receiving electronics connected to the transmitter is designed to ignore common-
mode signals, the resulting common-mode electrical noise is ignored.

• The sensitivity to loading effects is reduced because the current in the twisted pair is not
affected by the added resistance of long cable runs.
 Electronic Transmitter- Two wire transmitter

• The typical power supply for industrial transmitters is 24 VDC. If 6 volts, for example, are
needed to power the transmitter and its output circuit, then 18 volts of compliance remain to
allow for wire resistance, load resistance, voltage drops across intrinsic safety (IS) barriers and
remote displays, etc.

• Where the current loop signal is connected to the main receiving equipment or data
acquisition system, a precision load resistor of 250 ohms is normally connected. This converts
the 4- to 20-mA current signal into a 1- to 5-volt signal, since it is standard practice to
configure the analog-to-digital converter of the receiving equipment as a voltage-sensing input.
Electronic Transmitter- Four wire transmitter
 Electronic Transmitter- Four wire transmitter

• These are not loop powered and therefore have a separate means for providing power by
adding one or two more wires.

• In a four-wire configuration, the current-loop wires can be a twisted pair, and the power supply
wires a separate twisted pair. This preserves the ability to reject electrical and magnetic
common-mode interference.
 Pneumatic Transmitter

• A pneumatic transmitter is a device that senses some process variable and translates the measured
value into an air pressure that is transmitted to various receiver devices for indication, recording,
alarm, and control.

• Pneumatic transmitters were first developed as an alternative to expensive explosion-proof

electric transmitters for use in medium-range signal transmission systems in refineries and
chemical plants.

• The circuit consists of a restriction, detecting nozzle, connecting chamber, and baffle.
Pneumatic Transmitter
Electronic Capacitive Differential Pressure Transmitter
 Electronic Capacitive Differential Pressure Transmitter

• The most common and useful industrial pressure measuring instrument

• The transmitter measures the process pressure and transmits an output signal proportional to the
measured variable over a 4 to 20 milliampere, two-wire loop.

• The industrial differential pressure transmitters are made of two housings. Pressure sensing
element is housed in the meter body (bottom half), and the electronic housing at the top half.

• It will have two pressure ports marked as “High” and “Low”.

Electronic Capacitive Differential Pressure Transmitter

DP Cell or δ-Cell
Electronic Capacitive Differential Pressure Transmitter
 Applications- Differential Pressure Transmitter

1. Flow transmitter

2. Level transmitter

3. Pressure transmitter
Installation-Differential Pressure Transmitter (Flow)

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.
Installation-Differential Pressure Transmitter (Flow)
Installation-Differential Pressure Transmitter (Flow)
Installation-Differential Pressure Transmitter (Flow)
3-valve manifold
3-valve manifold

• A three-valve manifold is a device that is used

to ensure that the capsule will not be over-
ranged.
• It also allows isolation of the transmitter from
the process loop.
• It consists of two block valves- high pressure
and low pressure block valve and an equalizing
valve.
• During normal operation, the equalizing valve
is closed and the two block valves are open.
When the transmitter is put into or removed
from service, the valves must be operated in
such a manner that very high pressure is never
applied to only one side of the DP capsule.
 Operational Sequences of Three-Valve Manifold
Valving Transmitter into Service

To valve a DP transmitter into service an operator would perform the following steps:
1. Check all valves closed.
2. Open the equalizing valve . this ensures that the same pressure will be applied to both sides of the
transmitter, i.e., zero differential pressure.
3. Open the High Pressure block valve slowly, check for leakage from both the high pressure and low-
pressure side of the transmitter.
4. Close the equalizing valve . this locks the pressure on both sides of the transmitter
5. Open the low-pressure block valve to apply process pressure to the low-pressure side of the transmitter
and establish the working differential pressure.
6. The transmitter is now in service.
Note it may be necessary to bleed any trapped air from the capsule housing.
 Removing Transmitter from Service

Reversal of the above steps allows the DP transmitter to be removed from service.

1. Close the low-pressure block valve.

2. Open the equalizing valve.

3. Close the high-pressure block valve.

4. The transmitter is now out of service.

Note the transmitter capsule housing still contains process pressure; this will require
bleeding.
Removing Transmitter from Service
Calibration setup
 Calibration Procedure

1. Set up the differential pressure transmitter, power supply, hand pump, and the multimeter as shown in
setup.
2. Make sure the equalizing valve manifold is closed.
3. Apply a pressure to the transmitter equal to a lower range pressure usually it correspond to 4 mA in the
transmitter output). For example we have 0 to 100 mBar calibrated range, then the lower range pressure is
0, or let’s say we have -2 psig to 5 psig then we have lower range pressure equal to -2 psig.
4. Read the mA output of the transmitter by using a multimeter. Adjust zero adjustment so that the output of
the transmitter (on multimeter) is 4 mA.
5. Apply a pressure to the transmitter equal to an upper range pressure usually it correspond to 20 mA in the
transmitter output).
6. Read the mA output of the transmitter by using a multimeter. Adjust span adjustment so that the output
of the transmitter (on multimeter) is 20 mA.
 DPT for Level measurement

• The simplest application is the fluid level in an open tank.

• If the tank is open to atmosphere, the-pressure side of

the level transmitter will be connected to the base of the
tank while the low-pressure side will be vented to
atmosphere.

• In this manner, the level transmitter acts as a simple

pressure transmitter.

Phigh = Patm + SH
Plow = Patm
Differential pressure ΔP = Phigh - Plow = SH Fig. Open Tank Level Measurement

• The level transmitter can be calibrated to output 4 mA

when the tank is at 0% level and 20 mA when the tank is
at 100% level.
 DPT for Level measurement

• A change in the gas pressure will cause a change in

transmitter output. Moreover, the pressure exerted by the
gas phase may be so high that the hydrostatic pressure of
the liquid column becomes insignificant.

• Compensation can be achieved by applying the gas pressure

to both the high and low-pressure sides of the level
transmitter. This cover gas pressure is thus used as a back
pressure or reference pressure on the LP side of the DP cell.
One can also immediately see the need for the three-valve
manifold to protect the DP cell against these pressures.

Phigh = Pgas + SH Fig. Closed Tank Level Measurement

Plow = Pgas
ΔP = Phigh - Plow = SH
 DPT for Level measurement

Phigh = Pgas + SH

Plow = Pgas

ΔP = Phigh - Plow = SH

• The effect of the gas pressure is cancelled and only the

pressure due to the hydrostatic head of the liquid is sensed.
When the low-pressure impulse line is connected directly to
the gas phase above the liquid level, it is called a dry leg. Fig. Closed Tank Level Measurement
Full dry leg installation with three-valve manifold

• If the gas phase is condensable, say steam,

condensate will form in the low pressure
impulse line resulting in a column of liquid,
which exerts extra pressure on the low-pressure
side of the transmitter.

• A technique to solve this problem is to add a

knockout pot below the transmitter in the low
pressure side as shown in Figure.

• Periodic draining of the condensate in the

knockout pot will ensure that the impulse line
is free of liquid.
Wet leg installation with three-valve manifold

• In a wet leg system, the low-pressure impulse line

is completely filled with liquid (usually the same
liquid as the process) and hence the name wet leg.
• A level transmitter, with the associated three-
valve manifold, is used in an identical manner to
the dry leg system..
• At the top of the low pressure impulse line is a
small catch tank. The gas phase or vapour will
condense in the wet leg and the catch tank. The
catch tank, with the inclined interconnecting line,
maintains a constant hydrostatic pressure on the
low-pressure side of the level transmitter. This
pressure, being a constant, can easily be
compensated for by calibration.
Wet leg installation with three-valve manifold

• If the tank is located outdoors, trace heating of the

wet leg might be necessary to prevent it from freezing.
Steam lines or an electric heating element can be
wound around the wet leg to keep the temperature of
the condensate above its freezing point.
• Note the two sets of drain valves. The transmitter
drain valves would be used to drain (bleed) the
transmitter only. The two drain valves located
immediately above the three-valve manifold are used
for impulse and wet leg draining and filling.
• In addition to the three-valve manifold most
transmitter installations have valves where the impulse
lines connect to the process. These isolating valves,
sometimes referred to as the root valves, are used to
isolate the transmitter for maintenance.
 Level Compensation

• It would be idealistic to say that the DP cell can always be located at the exact the bottom of the
vessel we are measuring fluid level in. Hence, the measuring system has to consider the
hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the sensing lines themselves.

• This leads to two compensations required..

1. Zero suppression

2. Zero elevation
 Zero Suppression
Fig. Level Transmitter with Zero Suppression
• When the liquid level is at H meters, pressure on the high-
pressure side of the transmitter will be:
Phigh = S H ⋅ + S X ⋅ + Patm and Plow = Patm
ΔP = Phigh - Plow = S H ⋅ + S X ⋅
• That is, the pressure on the high-pressure side is always
higher than the actual pressure exerted by the liquid column
in the tank (by a value of S X).
• This constant pressure would cause an output signal that is
higher than 4 mA when the tank is empty and above 20 mA
when it is full.
• The transmitter has to be negatively biased by a value of -S
X⋅ so that the output of the transmitter is proportional to
the tank level (S H ⋅ ) only.
• This procedure is called Zero Suppression and it can be
done during calibration of the transmitter. A zero
suppression kit can be installed in the transmitter for this
purpose.
 Zero Elevation

• When a wet leg installation is used, the low-pressure side of

the level transmitter will always experience a higher pressure
than the high-pressure side. This is due to the fact that the
height of the wet leg (X) is always equal to or greater than
the maximum height of the liquid column (H) inside the
tank..
• When the liquid level is at H meters, we have:
Phigh = Pgas + S H ⋅
Plow = Pgas + S X ⋅
ΔP = Phigh - Plow = S H ⋅ - S X ⋅
= - S (X - H)
• The differential pressure ΔP sensed by the transmitter is
always a negative number (i.e., low pressure side is at a higher
Fig. Level Transmitter with Zero Elevation
pressure than high pressure side). ΔP increases from P = -S X
⋅ to P = -S (X-H) as the tank level rises from 0% to 100%.
 Zero Elevation

• If the transmitter were not calibrated for this constant

negative error (-SX), the transmitter output would read
low at all times.

• To properly calibrate the transmitter, a positive bias (+S

X) is needed to elevate the transmitter output..

• This positive biasing technique is called zero elevation.

Fig. Level Transmitter with Zero Elevation

 Square root extractor

• Square root extractors are usually current

operated devices so they can be connected
directly in the 4-20 mA current loop of a flow
transmitter. The output of the square root
extractor is again a 4-20 mA signal. This signal
is directly proportional to the flow-rate in the
pipe-work..

Fig. Square root extractor

 SMART Transmitters

• A smart transmitter 12 is a microprocessor-based transmitter that can be programmed; has a memory; can
perform calculations; can perform self-diagnostics; reports faults; and can be communicated with from a
remote location.
• Smart transmitters can convert analog signals to digital signals, making communication swift and easy, and
can even send analog and digital signals at the same time.
• A smart transmitter has a number of other capabilities as well. For instance, inputs can be varied, as
denoted by A/D. If a temperature transmitter 5 is a smart transmitter, it will accept millivolt signals from
thermocouples, and resistance signals from RTDs and thermistors.
• Components of the smart transmitter
 Features of SMART Transmitters

• The controller takes the output signal from the transmitter and sends it back to the final control element.
The communicator is shown on the right. The communicator is a hand-held interface device that allows
digital “instructions” to be delivered to the smart transmitter.
• Testing, configuring, and supplying or acquiring data are all accomplished through the communicator. The
communicator has a display that lets the technician see the input or output information. The
communicator can be connected directly to the smart transmitter, or in parallel anywhere on the loop.
 Features of SMART Transmitters

Ref. control.com
Ref. Instrumentationtools.com

Ref. Instrumentationtoolbox.com
 Features of SMART Transmitters

• A smart transmitter is a microprocessor-based

transmitter which includes a signal processing system.
• The smart transmitter has one extra inbuilt sensor, the
purpose of this sensor is to measure the atmospheric
parameter which gives the compensate for,
environmental disturbances.
• There is two output provided, the 4-20mA analog
signal and digital value through HART modem. HART
Ref. Instrumentationtools.com
signal is used during calibration. The communication
standard used by smart transmitters is the Hart
protocol, which employs frequency shift keying (FSK).
• The microprocessor/microcontroller is available with
memory where we can write our settings in. Long
range communication is possible with 4-20mA signal,
thus twisted pair wire is used.
 Features of SMART Transmitters

• CONFIGURATION
Smart transmitters can be configured to meet the demands of the process in which they are used. For example, the
same transmitter can be set up to read almost any range or type of thermocouple, RTD, or thermistor; reducing the
need for a large number of specific replacement devices.
• RE-RANGING
The range that the smart transmitter functions under can be easily changed from a remote location, for example, by
the technician in a control room. The technician or the operator has access to any smart device in the loop, and
does not even have to be at the transmitter to perform the change. The operator does need to use a communicator,
however.
A communicator allows the operator to interface with the smart transmitter. The communicator could be a PC, a
programmable logic controller (PLC), or a hand-held device. The type of communicator depends on the
manufacturer.
Re-ranging is simple with the smart transmitter; using a communicator, the operator can change from a 100 ohm
RTD to a type-J thermocouple just by reprogramming the transmitter. The transmitter responds immediately and
changes from measuring resistance to measuring millivoltage.
A smart transmitter will accept a wide range of inputs; for instance, with pressure units, the operator can determine
ahead of time whether to use inches of water, inches of mercury, psi, bars, millibars, pascals, or kilopascals.
 Features of SMART Transmitters

• CHARACTERISTICS
Another characteristic of a smart transmitter is its ability to act as a stand-alone transmitter. In such a capacity, it
sends the output signal to a distributed control system or a PLC.

• SIGNAL CONDITIONING
Smart transmitters can also perform signal conditioning, scanning the average signal and eliminating any noise spikes.
Signals can be delayed (dampened) so that the response does not fluctuate. This is especially useful with a rapidly
changing process.

• SELF-DIAGNOSIS
Finally, a smart transmitter can diagnose itself and report on any problems in the process. For example, it can report
on a circuit board that is not working properly.
Multidrop Configuration

The multidrop mode of operation requires only a

single pair of wires and, if applicable, safety
barriers and an auxiliary power supply for up to
15 field devices. All process values are
transmitted digitally. In multidrop mode, all field
device polling addresses are >0, and the current
through each device is fixed to a minimum value
(typically 4 mA).
 Advantages of smart transmitter

• Long term stability

• High accuarcy

• Allowing remote recalibration or re-alignment by sending them a digital signal

• Capacity to store the last calibration date and indicate when it will require the next
calibration.

• Capacity to store data in order to assess the output of the plant and instrument
Difference
 Difference

• Conventional Transmitters:
A conventional transmitter is a set of electronic elements that are used for transmitting the signal in the form of
electromagnetic waves. In these transmitters, the operator can only deal with process variable signals, since a 4-20 mA range
of transmitter regulates a limited loop current.

• Smart Transmitters:
Smart transmitters work on the function of microprocessors for signal transmission. It works on the HART protocol due to
which atmospheric readings are compensated during digital communication. Unlike a conventional transmitter, it can take
zero span reading and also offers frequency shift keying (FSK).
 Difference

It is certain that the smart transmitters ace the conventional transmitters in a significant manner, as they are taking the industrial place over conventional ones.
The key factors that differentiate smart transmitters from conventional transmitters are detailed as follows:
Digital Communication:
The smart transmitters work on the Highway Address Remote Transducer (HART) protocol. HART protocol is a digital communication protocol that allows
smart transmitters to superimpose the analog signals. Whereas, the conventional transmitters work on basic loop current generated electromagnetism principle
that does not allow digital reading. Smart transmitters can also communicate via Foundation Fieldbus, Fieldbus, and Profibus.
Accuracy:
The zero span adjustment is not a convenient option in conventional transmitters due to its analog nature. Therefore, the readings on conventional
transmitters deflect by 2-3% of the fixed reading value. In smart transducers, self-instrumental loop identification is performed in signal processing, therefore,
zero value is added in the reading. This increases the accuracy of smart transmitters.
Rangeability:
The rangeability of the conventional transmitter is 5:1 where the smart transmitter offers over 100:1 rangeability, this makes smart transmitters highly accurate
without any calibration.
Remote Access:
Internet-enabled integration in the smart transmitters allow remote installation and access. This makes them suited for the petroleum industry and other
challenging industries where regular conventional transmitters fail.
Local Operator Interface (LOI):
Unlike conventional transmitters, the smart transmitters have a feature of local operator interface (LOI) that allows changing the device configurations. This
feature is helpful when the smart transmitters are set in the calibration devices. This Local Operator Interface (LOI) is a screen on the transmitter which allows
the operator to commission the device depending on the application. This interface is secured from dust and debris.
 Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj's
Karmaveer Adv. Baburao Ganpatrao Thakare College of Engineering
Udoji Maratha Boarding Campus, Near Pumping Station, Gangapur Road, Nashik
Permanently Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University and Approved by AICTE, New Delhi.
Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering

Thank You................