Equipment

Valves, actuators, and fail states

Read valve-body geometry, actuator context, position feedback, and fail intent without overloading one icon.
Reading time
7 min
Reviewed
2026-08-09
Affected packs
High Performance P&ID, P&ID Schematic

Body, actuator, and live position are separate ideas

The body shape identifies the valve type or drawing convention. The actuator identifies how it is operated. Live position and command agreement belong to the control-system state model.

Fail-open and fail-closed intent is an engineering property, not a substitute for live feedback. A display should not imply current position from design intent alone.

Valve display checks

QuestionWhy it matters
What does the project legend call this body?Similar geometry can have different local conventions.
Is position measured or inferred?Commanded state is not always actual state.
How are transition and disagreement shown?Intermediate or failed movement can be operationally important.
Where is fail intent documented?Fail action belongs in approved engineering documentation and detail context.

Sources and boundaries

KonnectSymbols is independently developed and is not endorsed by ISA, IEC, or ISO. These educational notes do not reproduce or replace current standards, project specifications, regulations, or an approved project legend.