Engineering Item

An Engineering Item (also known as a Valve) is the primary controllable component on a P&ID drawing. Engineering Items include valves, pumps, tanks, heat exchangers, and any other physical equipment that can be assigned States.

In a pharmaceutical process, Engineering Items are the workhorses — butterfly valves directing CIP flow, diaphragm valves isolating WFI loops, and pumps driving product through filling lines.

📋 Properties

🎯 State Assignment

Engineering Items are the components that receive State assignments. When you assign a state to an Engineering Item:

1. The item's color changes to the state's color on the P&ID

2. The state's fluid response determines how fluid flow is affected:

   • Allow — fluid passes through

   • Deny — fluid is blocked

   • Generate — a new fluid is created

   • Change Into — fluid is transformed

   • Unknown — no fluid effect

💊 Pharma example: A butterfly valve (V-102) on a CIP return line is assigned the "Open" state (green). Its fluid response is set to Allow, letting CIP Caustic flow through during the alkaline wash. In the next step, V-102 switches to "Closed" (red) with a Deny response, blocking flow so the line can be drained.

📊 Percentage Values

Engineering Items support a Value property (0–100 %) for modulating valves. When a state is percentual, the item's color is blended between the state color (at 100 %) and the zero-state color (at 0 %).

✅ State Compatibility (Usages)

Not all states are compatible with all Engineering Items. The state's Usages property defines which valve types can use that state. When assigning states through the Live Edit panel, only compatible states appear.

🔗 Control Valve Support

When Is Control Valve is enabled, the Engineering Item is linked to an Instrument as a Final Control Element (FCE). This allows:

• The instrument to reference the valve for control loop purposes

• The valve's Loop Number to match the instrument's loop

• Integration with Control Loops

🛢️ Tank Behavior

Engineering Items classified as tanks have special fluid flow behavior:

• Gas Leaves Through Top Only — when enabled, gaseous fluids can only exit through connection points at the top of the tank, simulating real-world gas behavior

• Tanks act as mixing points where multiple fluid streams converge

💊 Pharma example: A buffer preparation tank (T-401) receives WFI from the bottom inlet and nitrogen blanket gas from the top. With "Gas Leaves Through Top Only" enabled, the nitrogen can only exit through the top vent, while the WFI fills from below — matching real-world vessel physics.

🔌 Connection Points

Each Engineering Item has connection points (nozzles/ports) where piping connects. These are managed through the Connectors system and determine how fluid flows through the component.

🏭 Grouping into Equipment Modules

Engineering Items can be grouped into Equipment Modules, representing physical assemblies on the plant floor. For example, a CIP skid module might contain all the valves, pumps, and heat exchangers that belong to the skid.

📌 Example: Common Engineering Items

💊 Pharma Scenario: Butterfly Valve in a CIP Return Line

Imagine valve V-102 (Butterfly Valve) sitting on the CIP return header of a process vessel:

🛠️ How To: Assign a State to an Engineering Item

1. Open the module and navigate to the desired Step.

2. Click the Engineering Item on the P&ID drawing (or find it in the valve list).

3. In the Live Edit panel, select the desired State from the dropdown (only compatible states are shown).

4. If the state supports percentages, enter the Value (0–100 %).

5. The item changes color immediately. Run a Fluidstream Simulation to see the fluid flow effect.

🔗 Related Pages

• Connectors — Connection points on Engineering Items

• State — States assigned to Engineering Items

• Instrument — Instruments linked as control valve references

• Equipment Module — Grouping Engineering Items

• PID Shape Components — All shape component types

• Block Valve — Composite multi-port valve assemblies

• P&ID Components Classification — How components are classified