Static electricity danger

[dcv]

Recently I had an experience with a static electric charge and a desel tank. The tank is about 100 gallons located about 10' off the ground on top of welded a metal frame with a hose and nossle at one end ,the problem was, every time someone tried to fuel their equipment a strong static charge would give 'em a shock ,I myself could hear this charge build up as the fuel was pumped.
After several different attempts to stop this,I ended up with a bare copper solid #10 wire attached to the tank wrapping the hose and attached to the nossle and another wire from the tank to a ground rod.
Has anyone else had a simular experience?

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Static electricity danger

What are you using for the fuel hose? Proper fuel dispensing hoses have a conductive element to help prevent this type of problem.
Don

 

[dcv]

Re: Static electricity danger

Not sure, this equipment is the typical set up on the commercial jobs I've been on,usually rented by the G.C.,Looks like a hose you would see at any gas station ,This is the only time I've ran in to this problem. Although I've read alot about this on the internet and discovered static electricity is the cause of alot of deaths in everyday things,like people fueling there car or fuel delivery trucks transferring fuel from tank to tank. By the way no power is supplied to this tank the fuel is gravity fed.

 

[kenjsil]

Re: Static electricity danger

The fuel trucks we use here have a retractable bonding jumper on a spring-loaded spool. It terminates in a large alligator clip which is attached to the vehicle being fueled before the nozzle is inserted, and removed after fueling is completed. Used correctly, it keeps the two vehicles at the same static potential. No sparks. Which is a good thing as lots of these trucks dispense gasoline as well as diesel.

 

[caosesvida]

Re: Static electricity danger

I belive the static is caused by the movement of the liquid as in friction,so power is not an issue.