Static electricity

Common ignition source – sparks due to static charge buildup and

sudden discharge.
Most elusive of ignition sources
Static charge buildup result of physically separating a poor conductor
from a good conductor or another poor conductor.
When different materials touch each other, electrons moves across the
interface from one surface to other.
Upon separation, more of electrons remain on one surface than the
other; one material becomes positively charged and the other
negatively charged.
If both materials are good conductors, charge buildup is small
( electrons are able to transfer between surfaces).
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If one or both materials are insulators or poor conductors, electrons
are not mobile and trapped on one surface.
Walking across a rug, removing a sweater, combing hair; pumping
nonconductive liquid through pipe, mixing immiscible liquids,
pneumatically conveying solids.
For industrial operations where flammable vapors may be present, any
charge accumulation exceeding 350 volts and 0.1 mJ is considered
dangerous.
Walking across a carpet – 20 mJ and several thousand volts.
A streaming current, Is, is the flow of electricity produced by
transferring electrons from one surface to another by a flowing fluid or
solid.

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Charge Accumulation
• Contact and frictional charging
• Double-layer charging
• Induction charging
• Charging by transport

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• When a fluid flows through a pipe there is uneven distribution of
electrons at the interface of fluid and pipe.
• A charged layer of liquid at the wall develops a voltage gradient,
double layer – distance from the wall ( x = 0) to a distance away from
the wall where velocity gradient is zero ( du / dx = 0)
• Is is obtained by integrating the product of this voltage gradient and
fluid velocity over the thickness of double layer
Is = [10 x 10-6amp/(m/s2)(m)2](ud)2[1-exp(-L/uτ)]
Is = streaming current, amp
u = velocity in pipe (m/s)
d=pipe diameter (m)
L= pipe length (m)
τ = liquid relaxation time (s)
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• The relaxation time is the time required for a charge to dissipate by leakage.
τ = εrε0/ϒc
ε0 = permittivity constant (charge2 / [force length2])
ε0 permittivity constant = 8.85*10^-12 coulomb2/Nm2
= 8.85*10^-14 s/ohm. Cm
εr = relative dielectric constant (unitless)
ϒc = specific conductivity (mho/cm)
Electrostatic Voltage Drops: Tank with a feed line, fluid flows through
feed line and drops into tank, streaming current builds-up a charge and
voltage in the feed line to vessel and in vessel itself. Voltage from
electrical ground in the metal line to the end of glass pipe
V = Is R
R = L/ ϒc A

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Energy of Charged Capacitor
Amount of work required to increase the charge on a capacitor from Q
to Q + dQ is
dJ = V dQ
V is potential difference
Q is charge
Since, V = Q/C
J = Q2/2C
J = CV2/2
J = QV/2
C = Farads
V = Volts
Q = Coulomb
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• Charges can accumulate as a result of streaming current dQ/dt = Is
• Assuming constant Is , Q = Is t
Determine the voltage developed between a charging nozzle and a
grounded tank. Also compute the energy stored in nozzle and the
energy accumulated in the liquid. Explain the potential hazards for this
process for a flow rate of
• a) 1 gpm b) 150 gpm
• Data: Hose length = 20 ft
Hose diameter = 2 in
Liquid conductivity = 10^ -8 mho/cm
Liquid diffusivity = 2.2* 10^-5 cm2/s
Dielectric constant εr = 25.7
Density = 0.88 g/cm3

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