[Land-speed] Fuel Lines

[23weldon]

There is a phenomena most technical folks are not familiar with.  It is 
electrostatic charge build-up in nonmetallic piping carrying hydrocarbon 
fuels and similar insulating liquids.  We had to address this issue in some 
of our semiconductor fabrication equipment at Applied Materials.  Some of 
our tests showed the ability of high flow rates through relatively small 
teflon lined piping runs of a few feet length to create discharges that 
would blow tiny pin holes in the pipe.
My recollection of the actual details of what I read on the subject is 
fuzzy; so I'm not going to recommend anything here.  A bit of Google 
searching using keywords like the phrase "electrostatic sparks non metallic 
fuel piping" would be informative for anyone interested in pursuing the 
subject.
IIRC the first observations of this problem came sometime in the last years 
of WWII, I think in England, where someone decided there were some good 
reasons to layout the refueling pipelines at a military airfield with 
newfangled plastic pipes for carrying avgas.  I think the results were a bit 
more spectacular than the builders expected.
Ed Weldon

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Yacoucci" <Turborick at Turborick.com>
To: "'Greg Meyers'" <advo at comcast.net>; <drmayf at mayfco.com>; "'landSpeed 
List'" <land-speed at autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 10:15 AM
Subject: Re: [Land-speed] Fuel Lines


> About SS braided hose.... how often do you guys change it out? How do you
> inspect it?
> I have seen perfectly good looking SS hose leak.
> Rick