stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
(OP)
A few guys at our shop are going back and forth about which would be better to use as a return path to ground... about 5/8" braided either stainless or bronze about 15' long... there will be an insulated wire going through carrying the current and then it will return through the braided hose back to ground... anyone know if one will be better than the other? is there a way to measure which is better? our multimeter's lowest setting is a 200ohm scale.... do we need a better multimeter for things like this? Basically- is there something I can do to prove that one will be actually noticably better than the other? Thank you!






RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Rafiq Bulsara
http://www.srengineersct.com
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Good on ya,
Goober Dave
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Will it make a difference in practice? That depends on the application.
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
I think this is being planned because it seems that it is the way our competition is doing it... it is for a high energy spark rod for power plants... thanks a lot!
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
From your brief description it sounds like it is for a high voltage probe with a low current output in the milliamp range.
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Folks here are objecting to you using a grounding conductor as a neutral return, since ground is intended for faults rather than normal operation. What you are describing may be an exception, similar to an ignition system on stationary engine which uses the engine block as a return path.
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Alternatively you might consider using copper tubing. Just run your center conductor down it.
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
also can anyone see any safety hazard with doing things this way... I have a gut feeling something isnt safe about it, but I am a wannabe electrical guy... this hose is out in the open where people could touch it... I suppose the current will find its way to ground, but I worry about what happens if that one connection fails and also if a person grabing the line standing on a metal platform is a better conductor than the stainless steel? I dont know...
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
material properties;
http://www.eddy-current.com/condres.htm
meters;
http:
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Ever since the first posts... my new biggest concern is the safety/codes...
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
The NEC does not ALWAYS apply.
I don't think it makes a significant performance difference whether it's stainless steel or bronze. They normallly are supplied with the cable. I would go with what ever the manufacturer supplied (stainless)
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
A little bit of clarification on the intended use helps a lot. I also agree that in that case bronze/brass or steel would not make much of a difference.
Rafiq Bulsara
http://www.srengineersct.com
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Rafiq Bulsara
http://www.srengineersct.com
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
The outer body of most ignitors is in intimate contact with the machine frame, and that typically has a lot of both fortuitous paths to earth and bonds to the main earthing electrodes or grid. If the braid broke I can't imagine the casing rising above earth potential. I wholeheartedly agree that a failure mode which exposes someone to igniter potential must be avoided.
Some igniter cables are basically a high temperature co-ax with a fairly heavy inner conductor - maybe 4mm2 - and a tinned or nickel-plated braided copper screen as the current return. The whole lot is then protected by a braided stainless outer jacket for meachanical strength. The cable is probably a 'special' and when we've replaced them they are insanely expensive.
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Hint; Even at one ohm resistance the voltage drop will be 1 Volt per Amp. Then choose the material with the best mechanical specs.
Second hint; If you are going to measure the resistance directly, pass a known current through the braid and measure the voltage drop.
Bill
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"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Yes. The OP did not mention what you describe, however.
Braided "hose" as a raceway also seems tacky. Hoses go brittle after a while, braided or not. May be something is lost in translation.
Rafiq Bulsara
http://www.srengineersct.com
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter
RE: stainless steel vs bronze braided hose for a ground connection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistivity
Basically, the resistance is the resistivity times the length divided by the cross sectional area of the conductor.
Calculate the resistance of both types of conductors and then you can calculate the voltage drop difference. Since you'll likely ask that too, the voltage drop is the resistance times the current.