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Grounding for vessel 5

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MATEGRITY2009

Petroleum
Oct 9, 2009
43
Hi anyone,

I have some question abot grounding for pressure vessel, I found that many vessel in my facility don't have grounding cable installed and in-service over 20 years without any issued.

What is the true reason to install Grounding for pressure vessel and should we have to install grounding? please share.

Thanks for any help.
 
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You could try API 2003 or NFPA 77, both on static protection or API 545 on lightning protection
 
The unwritten industrial credo for grounding is "ground everything"... it cant hurt.

Frequently, there are multiple grounding paths for power in a plant, ..... rarely will a piping system or vessel serve as the true ground for a system.... but it can happen.

Does it cost extra, yes...... are the consequences of ungrounded equipment severe....yes..

What does this mean ?

"I found that many vessel in my facility don't have grounding cable installed and in-service over 20 years without any issued."


MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer
 
What you probably have is that your vessels/tanks on concrete pads are being grounded via their piping; poor idea, as a lightning strike will probably start a fire. For your vessels on steel saddles, bolted to steel structure the ground path tends to be thru the saddle* and/or mounting bolts and into the structural steel. Grounding is like insurance; it is totally unneeded and a waste of money - right up until the day you need it.

*assumes that the paint is conductive - i.e. inorganic zinc without topcoat, or that the faying surface(s) was unpainted. Not very likely.
 
State of MA and Insurance companies require that storage tanks, carrying flammable and combustible liquids be grounded, whether these tanks are inside or outside.
 
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