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Static Charge in a VOC Stream

Static Charge in a VOC Stream

Static Charge in a VOC Stream

(OP)
My fellow Engineers, please excuse my ignorance on this subject for I am a not but a lowly chemical engineer.  I have several questions relating to the grounding of hoses used to transfer flammable vapors from the headspace of a product tank to a treatment unit.  

Currently, we use several types of plactic or coated fabric hoses.  A grounding cable is wrapped around the outside the hose and grounded to dissipate any static charge.  Is this a usefull method of preventing any explosion due to a static charge created by the movement inside the hose???  If not what is a better method?  I inhereted this particular method from my predecessor and am not convinced it is adequate.  

My second question relates the hoses designed with a static discharge coil of copper built into the hose.  In this type of hose a copper coil is built into the plastic structure of the hose.  How does this disipate a static charge?  It seems to me the copper coil is insulated from any static charge generated on the inside of the hose.  

The treatment system is portable so building a permenant ducting system is not possible.

If it is relevent the VOC's range from o to >100% LEL.  Flow rate up to 1000 CFM in a 4-6" hose.  

Can anyone tell me how to properly ground my hoses??  Or point me to a proper reference.  I have tried several grounding/bonding books but have not been able to find this particular situation.  

Finding a proper grounding method is particularly important now because we are currently building a treatment system considerably bigger than our current one.  With a bigger unit higher LEL streams will be traveling through the hoses at a much faster rate.  I want to have a solid grounding plan in place before new hoses are specked out and ordered.  

Thanks in advance for the help!

Chris Derrick

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