REFLECTOR: Fw: [Canards] Static discharge

[Lynn Gallup]

Ron,
Man! That was a REALLY interesting note about refueling. I have considered myself a fairly well informed engineer but I never knew that in a plastic airplane it was the static electricity building up on the fuel itself which was the source of the spark. I always thought it came off the wing surface.

So, if I am going to carry the aligator clip thing to bond the fuel nozzle to the braid attached to the cap, why can't I just carry a length of braid with a wire and clip attached. I could just drop this in the tank and connect it when I refuel.
Lynn
 

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ronnie Brown 
  To: reflector at tvbf.org 
  Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 2:16 PM
  Subject: REFLECTOR: Fw: [Canards] Static discharge


  The second note.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Alex Balic 
  To: Canards at tnstaafl.net 
  Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 1:26 PM
  Subject: [Canards] Static discharge


  I am interested in this thread- I am not sure how touching the fuel with a conductor will help any static discharge condition, the fuel is non conductive, the static problem that we are all familiar with is not a charge difference between the fuel and the filler nozzle, it is between the filler nozzle and a conductive part of the aircraft - like an aluminum fuel cap, or filler cap ring, which can store charge, and dissipate it to the nozzel at a very inopportune time. What needs to be done is to ground the cap and filler ring to the aircraft grounding system, not to the fuel.   As far as the screens go, their function is as a flame arrester, they function by not allowing the flame front  to pass through to the main fuel source (your tank) they do this by dissipating the energy from the flame front.  I have seen a demonstration of an osha gas can where the demonstrator held a burning propane torch right at the opening to a full can of gasoline, and no significant combustion occurred (I still think that guy was nuts).  For anyone that is looking for ball chain, home depot, lowes, and ace hardware sell it by the foot- it is the same stuff that is used for turning ceiling fans on and off- get the stainless steel.
  I would instruct and/or placard for the  fueling personnel to "touch here" the fuel nozzle or grounding cable from the truck to the gas cap before opening it to dissipate any built up charge.


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