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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: Fri, 23 May 2003 09:42:05

>There's no possibility a static inside the vent tubing. Fuel vapor flow
>does not cause static.  Any fuel flowing in the vent line requires
>bubbling or sufficient velocity for turbulent flow to cause any static
>at all.  In any case, the tiny I.D. of the tube should should be
>insufficient surface area to store enough spark energy for ignition.
>Bonding the outside metal tube to the filler cap will do no harm but
>accomplish nothing that I can see.

However, the metal tube will conduct any stored energy, and the flow of air 
and eventually fuel is very rapid. You can hear the hiss as it comes out, 
also see the convection of the dense vapour.
I can't remember where the energy is stored in a capacitor, is it the metal 
or is it in the dielectric? I am looking for an understanding of what was 
observed, not trying to prove it can't happen. It did happen.

Bonding the tube to the filler cap flange may well be a very good thing to do.

Graham  


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