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From: "Ed Anderson" <eanderson@carolina.rr.com>
To: "'Rotary motors in aircraft'" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: RE: [FlyRotary] Re: hauling gas
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:39:45 -0500
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Chief, I, for one, have never attempted to use a volt ohm meter to measure
static charge.

However, I do not believe using the typical Volt ohm meter would prove or
disprove a charge existed.  The moment you touched the probe and completed a
circuit to ground any static build up would likely be dissipated in one very
quick burst or the current would be too low to register.  So it would
probably take something sophisticated like the gold leaf in a vacuum jar
indicator or something more advanced.  Perhaps grounding oneself and slowing
bring a finger closer to the vehicle metal frame might reveal static
electricity if a sufficiently high charge had accumulated.  But, since I
have not tried a volt ohm meter, perhaps someone would conduct that
experiment and give us a report  - but preferably not during a refueling
{:>)

Regarding the automobile, I suspect that the hose and nozzle are well
grounded at the pump end.  Since most people do not start pumping gas until
after the nozzle is in the tank opening, it is likely that if there is any
static charge on the car that it is then grounded through the tank opening,
nozzle and hose before gasoline starts to flow. 

 Now a gas can on the plastic liner of a truck bed may be fairly well
insulated from the steel body of the truck.  So any static charge that may
have accumulated from air flow over the can while the truck was traveling
may be slow to "leak" off.  Therefore a higher likelihood of a potential
spark between gas can and nozzle than say between nozzle and gas tank
opening.  Therefore the requirement to place the container on the ground.
At least, that is the way I see it.  

However, I can tell you from personal experience - having had to deal with a
very memorable refueling fire - that either static electricity exists under
those conditions OR there are invisible gremlins out there who should not be
trusted with matches {:>).   

Best Regards
Ed
Ed Anderson
Rv-6A N494BW Rotary Powered
Matthews, NC
eanderson@carolina.rr.com
http://www.andersonee.com
http://www.dmack.net/mazda/index.html
http://www.flyrotary.com/
http://members.cox.net/rogersda/rotary/configs.htm#N494BW
<http://members.cox.net/rogersda/rotary/configs.htm> 
 <http://www.dmack.net/mazda/index.html>  

From: Rotary motors in aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On
Behalf Of SHIPCHIEF@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 6:56 PM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: hauling gas

That's an interesting antecdotal story, and I believe it's true. And a
cracking tower would be a lot more likely to have fuel vapor around due to
the scale and nature of the operation.
But the question remains, in our application, has anyone EVER put a meter
between the aircraft and the fuel nozzle to see if any static voltage
exists?
Why is it not required for cars? Is there any significant difference? They
are both grounded thru the carbon black in the tires?
I'm not advocating unsafe operation here; I just want the facts so I know
where the potential danger is really coming from, not some armchair monday
morning quaterback, look over your shoulder whiner's dictum, like not
allowing you to fuel your own car in Oregon. Oregonians look just as smart
as anyone else to me?


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