STATIC DISCHARGE IN OIL TANKER

THIS HAZARD EXIST MAINLY IN OIL TANKER. OTHER CASES MAY BE FOUND IN BULK CARRIER DURING
LOADING OF SULPHAR CARGO.ITS RISK IS DUST EXPLOSION.

DEVLOPMENT OF STATIC HAZARD:

AS PER GENRAL STATIC THEORY. THREE DEVELOPMENTS HAVE TO OCCUR FOR GENRATION OF STATIC
DISCHARGE:

1. TWO DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES (LIKE PLASTIC AND STEEL) NOT BOTH STEEL ARE BROUGHT INTO
CONTACT. LIKE YOUR COMB MADE OF PLASTIC AND YOUR HAIR MADE OF BIOLOGICAL
TISSUES.WHILE YOU ARE COMBING YOUR HAIR THE PLATIC COMB COMES INTO CONTACT WITH
DIFFERENT MATERIL IN THIS CASE HAIR, THEN NEW OBSERVE THAT THE COMB IS CHARGED SAY
POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY. SIMMILARLY THE HAIR ALSO GETS CHAGED BUT OPPOSITE. THIS
DEVELOPMENT IS CALLED CHARGE SEPARATION
2. NOW, IF BOTH THE MATERIAL ARE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE, THEN SEPARATED CHARGE
DISSIPITATES INTO ATMOSPHERE. BUT IF THE MATERIALS ARE NON CONDUCTIVE (EVEN ONE OF
THEM) THAN CHARGES WHICH ARE SPARATED THEY REMIANS AS ACCUMULATED CHARGE IN
THE MATERIAL FOR LONGER TIME. THIS DEVELOPMENT IS CALLED CHARGE ACCUMULATION
3. NOW IF YOU SEPARATE THE THE MATERIALS, WE OBSERVE THE CHARGE SEPARATION RATE IS
MUCH MORE INCREASED. AT ONE STAGE SEPARATED CHARGES ARE SO HIGH IN NUMBERS THAT
THE ELECTRIC FIELD CREATED BY POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHARGES IS SO HIGH THAT IT WILL
IONOZE THE AIR BETWEEN THE TWO SEPARATED MATERIAL AND WILL ALLOW POSITIVE AND
NEGATIVE CHARGES TO NEUTRALZE CAUSING STATIC DISCHARGE OR SPARK.

ON BOARD OIL TANKER, DUTING FOLLOWING OPERATION THE THREE STEPS OF GENERAL THEORY
MAY OCCUR:

1. DURING DISCHARGING OGF WHITE PRODUCT OIL, NOT CRUDE OIL ,BECAUSE CRUDE OIL HAS
MORE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY.
2. DURING INITIAL LOADING IN AN EMPTY CARGO TANK
3. FREE FALL LOADING I.E. LOADING THROUGH A HOSE SET ON TANK TOP, NOT USING THE
BOTTOM CARGO LINES
4. DURING TANK CLEANING AND CRUDE OIL WASHING
 1. CHARGE SEPARATION

SUBSTANCE

(A)

SUBSTANCE

(B)

(A)
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
INTERFACE

(B)

2. CHARGE ACCUMULATION: DEPENDING ON THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY THE SPARATED

CHARGE WILL BE ACCUMULATED IN A AND B FOR LONGER TIME

3. STATIC DISCHARGE

(A)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

AIR IONIZED DUE TO STRONG ELECTRIC FIELD

---------------------------------------------------------------------

(B)
PRECAUTIONS FOR AVOIDING STATIC DISCHARGE IN OIL TANKER:

1. MAKING SURE THE EQUIPMENTS (LIKE MEASURING TAPE, UTI, SAMPLING UNIT OR SOUNDING
DEVICE) ARE BONDED BY WIRE TO DECK STRUCURE.
2. INITIAL LOADING RATE IN AN EMPTY TANK TO BE SLOW
3. KEEPING THE TANK CLEAR OF ANY MEATAL GEARS, FLOATING CAN
4. KEEPING THE CARGO TANK INERTED TO NOT MORE THAN 8% OXYGEN CONCENTRATION