Grounding and bonding for Ethanol transfer

[Neil]

Hi all, I could use some help on the whole grounding bonding issue in connection with transferring ethanol from 55 gallon drums. We are using a SS hand pump and pumping into a stainless steel pail. We know that the actual pump has to be grounded to prevent any static charge but we need some clarification on how to do this. Also, we saw some diagrams where the drum is also grounded. Not sure if we have to do this as well. And regarding the SS pail, I'm assuming that it has to be bonded to the pump?? If anyone can direct me where I can learn more about this or just explain how to go about it, I would greatly appreciate it. Safety is my number one concern here. I found this web site that has grounding and bonding wires: http://www.thecarycompany.com/containers/drums/drum_pumps/ground_wires.html Thanks so much - Neil

[Ursa Major]

When I worked in the refining industry, common practice was to bond everything to everything, and also to ground. So bond your drum to your pail, and both to a ground if possible. This could be a little overkill for a small operation (or not), I don't know.

As for how it was done, we had little brass knobs mounted on everything that was mobile, and you just hooked up a cable with a welding style electrode to the knobs. For drums, I'd just use wire and alligator clips if I were you.

Hope this helps!

[Ursa Major]

_{Just found this:}

_{http://bakersfield.asse.org/presentations/Static%20Electricity%20STC%20Inc.pdf}

_{Google API Grounding and Bonding for more info, or if the link doesn't work.}

[Neil]

Thank you very much for responding, I will do a bit more investigation on my own and let you know what I came up with.

[Donutboy]

Hey Neil- What did you come up with?

[Roger]

Fuel tanks at all airports have a retractable reel with aprox 20 gauge wire located beside the fuel hose reel. On the end of the wire is typically a decent sized alligator clamp that you clamp to your plane on for example the nose wheel strut. The other end is grounded through the reel to a ground rod. You are then free to fuel your plane. You just need to remember to unhook it before you taxi away

[Natrat]

Those grounding clamp reels are about $200.

You could wire a bunch of clamps to the end, and then just reel it out and clamp to everything. That would take care of it

We have two copper grounding rods driven into the floor, and we use cheap jumper cables (split into two) to ground stuff to the rod. Pump and tanks are most important. If you have spiral wound hose and it's got swaged ends, it should act as a grounding line as well.

[Dehner Distillery]

Cheap jumper cables. ????

Any thing is way better than nothing.