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Airports with 91 octane fuel


Jim Ragain

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  • 3 years later...
10 hours ago, Batjac said:

Okay, going back to a previous question I had.  How do I ground the plane and pump on a CTLS?

 

Mark

Mark,

Bonding is easy and grounding not so much.  I bond with a cable quite like in the upper right of the photo below.  When I see the fuel truck in action seems they do the same, bond tail pipe to tail pipe most of the time.

Zoro Select Insulated Coiled Grounding Wire, 10 ft, 3/16 in Dia, Hand Clamp & Terminal, Orange RAC-10

 

 

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Hi Eddie.  As an aside, I just moved from Portland to Tulsa not long ago.

 

Anyway, my question was in reference to the video posted just above my post.  If fueling from fuel cans, how do I ground the fuel can, plastic in my case, to the plane?  I assume the tanks are electrically and statically isolated from the engine?

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Hi Batjac,

You would bond the fuel can to the plane, that isn't a ground but it still provides protection from an igniting spark when you begin fueling as the static charges on plane and tank equalize.  Bonding is harder and is done to ground like if your airport has grounding cables runing under the tarmac.  If the plane has a static charge from flying through weather then the liklyhood of a spark is much higher.  You can touch the nozzle to the fuel port before you begin pouring as a good practice so if there is a equalizeing spark fuel isn't flowing yet.

Did you move to Tulsa so you could fly more?  

 

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With a slow transfer of only 5 gal at a time, I think the discussion of grounding is a bit of overkill.  The really cool battery pump might be a different story.   At any rate, I place my 5 gal can on a foil wrapped pad (used to be a sunscreen) which sits on the wing.  Electrically, the plastic can (not conductive) is connected to the wing.  Any charge that might build on the plastic can is wicked away through the pad and wing to be electrically the same potential as the plane; thus, no spark could occur.  When fueling from an FBO fuel truck, they attach to the exhaust pipe so truck and plane are at the same potential.  

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The main problem is not to ignite the gasoline vapors at the fuel cap. Whether you go fast or slow, the problem remains the same. After that, on the video, it seems to be only plastic, and if it's antistatically treated (like the Mr Funnel) there's no particular risk of sparking.
On the other hand, it's by closing the cap and touching it with bare hands that you can create the spark in question, as I don't think the tank opening is connected to the aircraft's ground, even though it's made of metal.

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3 hours ago, Ulmo133 said:

The main problem is not to ignite the gasoline vapors at the fuel cap. Whether you go fast or slow, the problem remains the same. After that, on the video, it seems to be only plastic, and if it's antistatically treated (like the Mr Funnel) there's no particular risk of sparking.
On the other hand, it's by closing the cap and touching it with bare hands that you can create the spark in question, as I don't think the tank opening is connected to the aircraft's ground, even though it's made of metal.

I know the aircraft has a ground but I don't think its grounded because it sits on rubber tires.  A little new reading and it seems the ground carries no charge and only the bonding matters.

"A better way to deal with the whole problem is simply to connect the truck and the airplane together with a bonding wire."

 

 

 

 

 

The practice in the USA has been to bond and ground but recent tests have proven that if the aircraft and the truck are bonded, a grounding wire carries no charge at all. This is why NFPA 407 0 longer specifies grounding for safety during aircraft fueling.

https://trustedfuel.com/categories/gamgram-collection/posts/no-40-bonding-vs-grounding-may-1992

GAMGRAM%2040%20BONDING.png

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The bonding cable with the alligator clip on the tailpipe is the way to go.  Test for continuity from the gas fill to the gas container.

Bonding (Optional but Recommended): When the aircraft is fueled and has a meaningful static charge, you probably should not trust antistatically treated or materials to keep you safe.  They  reduce risk but its not zero.  

The bonding is optional because when aircaft's static charge is gone it's not needed.

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