Grounding Plastic Gasoline Can to Avoid Spark
Grounding Plastic Gasoline Can to Avoid Spark
(OP)
I know you are supposed to remove a gas can from a truck bed (plastic lined) before you fill it; but lets say you have a big container which would be difficult to lift once it is full and on the ground.
To keep this in the truck bed and fill it, there should be a way a grounding clip can be used. Presumably, the pump nozzle and hose is already grounded. Would you ground the can to the nozzle, to a nearby structure, or other? Is it even possible to ground a plastic container?
Any help will be appreciated.
To keep this in the truck bed and fill it, there should be a way a grounding clip can be used. Presumably, the pump nozzle and hose is already grounded. Would you ground the can to the nozzle, to a nearby structure, or other? Is it even possible to ground a plastic container?
Any help will be appreciated.





RE: Grounding Plastic Gasoline Can to Avoid Spark
If of course, I'm wrong and you immolate yourself, please disregard this statement!
RE: Grounding Plastic Gasoline Can to Avoid Spark
Then just leave the nozzle in contact with the metal during filling since moving liquids can and do carry electrical charge and can build up a static charge that could again jump from the can to the nozzle. When you are filling your vehicle the nozzle is of course wedged in the fill spout touching metal.
Now filling a plastic container should be no different. If there is a large surface charge on the container from say, the plastic container sliding around back on top of a different type of plastic the same technique described before should still work essentially the same way. The major difference is that the static charge on a plastic container is a *surface* charge which tends to hang out where it is applied because it is harder for the charge to "distribute". This means most the charge from sliding around the back will be on the bottom where it originates.
RE: Grounding Plastic Gasoline Can to Avoid Spark
I went to woek on an EDM machine and the customer had modified the pumping system that basically used keroscene. I kept hearing the cracking of an arc. I liiked in the back and they had installed a metal T in the rubber hose. When the pump was running, a 1 1/2 inch spark would jump to the frame.
RE: Grounding Plastic Gasoline Can to Avoid Spark
I believe the spark you are referring to (once incorrectly attributed to cell phones) is from static build-up of the operator, not the equipment itself. I watched many a surveillance camera video where the person starts the pump, gets back into their vehicle and shifts around on the carpeted seats, then gets out again and touches the nozzle. It's at this point the charge on the operator jumps to the nozzle, igniting the nearby fumes. The really crazy people try to remove the nozzle, which only makes it worse (think flamethrower).
Dan
Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Grounding Plastic Gasoline Can to Avoid Spark
RE: Grounding Plastic Gasoline Can to Avoid Spark
The other issue (which was slowly discovered by the introduction of plastic blow-molded tanks on vehicles) is static buildup inside the tank caused by the sloshing of fuel inside the tank. A static charge would build-up with the inside of the tank itself acting as a huge Leyden Jar static accumulator. When someone went to fill the tank, the static charge inside the tank would jump to the gas nozzle (a ground path) and ignite the vapor inside the tank.
More modern plastic vehicular fuel tanks have plastics selected to elimiate this effect, and have vent and fuel lines wired to prevent accumulation of a static charge.
Make sure your large plastic container is properly rated for fuel storage. Check for information on proper use of a large plastic fuel tank.
RE: Grounding Plastic Gasoline Can to Avoid Spark
RE: Grounding Plastic Gasoline Can to Avoid Spark
The charge does bleed-off with time. The thing to keep in mind is that charged liquid is mobile and so the charge can move in an electric field. Charges on a plastic surface are not mobile. So the best proceedure for filling a plastic container (or any container) is to fill it using a grounded pipe that reaches to the bottom. Charges in the vapor space can be neutralized with inductive neutralizers like Ion Cord which is made from carbon fiber and is therefore very chemical resistant.