Every week we share crucial questions about grounding and lightning protection, the answers to which help designers and installers to solve their problems on such objects as industrial enterprises, residential buildings and single-family houses. But electrical equipment is used not only in stationary facilities, but also in mobile objects, such as special equipment for the transportation of gasoline and petroleum products. They should meet high demands of fire safety and durability. Let's find out whether there is a requirement on grounding and how it is arranged?
The thing is that static electricity occurs as the fuel flows through the pipeline, as well as due to friction on the walls of the tank when driving. This is due to the fact that the fuel and the pipe and act as dielectrics, and at the interaction they form electric charges that can cause sparks. To equalize the potentials and prevent the risk of fire, it is necessary to avoid the accumulation of charges and divert them from the machine body to the ground. Portable grounding is used for these purposes, which is regulated by the rules of fire safety arrangements in the Russian Federation.
Grounding a tanker at the fuel offload and filling
Grounding is used in two ways: during transportation or filling /offload:
- It is necessary to attach a chain to the metal case of the tank when transporting petroleum, the other end of which should drag on the ground, thereby draining the currents.
- When filling and offload of the petroleum, special equipment that monitors the grounding process, and authorizes or blocks the offload when it is violated is used. Typically, the equipment consists of an indicator, grounding conductor and power supply with an in-built relay. The operation principle is to connect the grounding conductor with the clamp with one end to the metal casing of the tank, and with the second to the indicator. Then resistance measurement is carried out. In case the parameters are valid, the LED lights up on the indicator and the relay is activated, which gives access to the fuel loadoff or filling.
Thus, for safe operation of equipment it is necessary to use means that allow to drain the accumulated charge into the ground and remove static electricity. Do you want to learn more about grounding? Please contact our Technical center ZandZ.
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