STATIC ELECTRICITY

- ITS HAZARD &

CONTROL
S.K. Dutta

MEASURES
Adviser (Tech.), NSC
 STATIC ELECTRICITY
A surface phenomena involving High
Voltage and Low Current

Produced by separation and contact of

two dissimilar bodies
 EXAMPLE OF STATIC
ELECTRICITY
Automobile moving on road
Persons moving / walking on insulated
(carpet) flooring
Belt moving on Pulleys / Rollers
Air Craft flying in the air
Light petroleum products flowing in
pipe lines
 EXAMPLE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY (Contd)

Pneumatic transferring of dust

Filtering, crushing, grinding, sieving,
pouring, mixing / blending, pumping
Petrol / Naphtha, light solvent
Manufacture of cotton, silk, rayon,
woolen fabrics
Leakage of steam from pipe line
 HAZARDS OF STATIC
ELECTRICITY
SHOCK

FIRE

EXPLOSION
 TYPES OF INDUSTRY /
OPERATION PRONE TO FIRE /
EXPLOSION
Petroleum
Chemical
Explosive
Pharmaceutical
Dust processing
 Static Electricity poses danger
only under 3 conditions
An inflammable / explosive atmosphere
must be present
An electric charge must be generated
and accumulated on PLANT / PRODUCT /
OPERATOR and produced in electric field
greater than the breakdown field
strength of the surrounding atmosphere
to produce a SPARK
The resulting SPARK must have energy
greater than the minimum spark ignition
energy of the surrounding atmosphere
Fire or explosion cannot occur if any
one of the above 3 conditions is not
satisfied

Safety precaution therefore arises at

elimination of one or more of the
above conditions / factors (with
minimum interference to the
operation of the plant and process)
 CONTROL OF ELECTROSTATIC
HAZARD ACHIEVED BY -
CONTROL OF CHARGE GENERATION
CONTROL OF CHARGE
ACCUMULATION
ELIMINATION OF FLAMMABLE /
EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE
DESIGN OPERATING PROCEDURE TO
MINIMISE POSSIBILITY OF SPARK
Control of Charge Generation
Reduce unnecessary friction process /
operation
Control flow velocity
(Ensure streamline flow instead of
turbulence flow)
Avoid / reduce free fall
(Ensure subsurface filling)
Reduce Charge Accumulation
Do bonding and grounding (for
conducting bodies) (pictures)
Maintain relative humidity 60-70%
minimum
Use fairly conductive materials as
additive for non metallic bodies
Ionise surrounding atmosphere (with
proper care)
Use antistatic foot wears / flooring
 Eliminate flammable/explosive
atmosphere
Dilute the atmosphere with better ventilation

Reduce Stoichiometric Concentration to 50%

Stoichiometric Concentration, C = 100
4.85 x N
1.425 %
Where N = No. of O2 atom required for complete
combustion of one mol. of the vapour
Example :
CH4 + 2H2O = CO2 + 2H2O N for CH4 = 4
(1) (2) (1) (2)
C = 100 = 5.563% = 5.56%
4.85 x 4 1.425
Possibility of Combustion is reduced, if
Minimise possibility of Spark

Use intrinsically safe electric

equipment (with very low current and
voltage)
Use pressurisation
Use segregation