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Europa-List: Static Charges and how to avoid them

Subject: Europa-List: Static Charges and how to avoid them
From: Graham Singleton <graham@gflight.f9.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 09:49:54

>   > I would go for the aluminium elbow at the bottom of the XS filler
>   > moulding, get some coarse mesh attached at the lower end, then
>   > ground the elbow with every other metal bit, including of course
>   > the filler cap.
>
>I'm unclear what problem this is solving.  Static generated in the fill
>pipe?  The Fiberglass Tank and Pipe Institute say that static charge in
>nonconductive pipe is all about velocity, with fuel flow of 12 ft/sec is
>a typical threshold.  In the Europa Mk 1 filler pipe, that requires 120
>gal/minute!  But such velocity can be created by whirlpooling fuel down
>a plastic funnel, and thus refiners say don't ever do that

Fred
My plan is to dissipate any static charge generated. We know it does arise, 
G-BWDP caught fire. I am reliant on the memories of two guys, one of whom 
got burnt on the arm, so their memory of the sequence of events  might have 
been diluted by the trauma at the time.
Considering the velocities involved, the worst case is the speed of the 
air/fluid flow through the breather tube, (which also slows down filling) 
eventually the breather lower end is submerged, it's fuel that has to flow 
then. DPs fire happened right at the end of refuelling  .
Graham 


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