Earth-Rite RTR allows personnel to safely load and unload road tankers containing large quantities of flammable liquids or powders, which can generate dangerous levels of electrostatic charge.
If left to accumulate, the electrostatic charge could ignite combustible gases, vapours and dusts. This can be prevented by ensuring the road tanker is verifiably earthed, ensuring that there can be no build of static electricity.
Using patented Tri-Mode electronics technology, the Earth-Rite RTR establishes three key inputs that must be in place before the loading / unloading operation can commence. Only when these inputs are verified will the Earth-Rite RTR energise its pair of volt-free changeover contacts to engage equipment interlocked with the system, controlling the flow of material into and out of the road tanker. Electrostatic charge generated by the loading operation is transferred from the road tanker via the Earth-Rite RTR to earth.
In its road tanker recognition phase, the Earth-Rite RTR detects the electrical characteristics of the road tanker, ensuring the operator has connected the grounding clamp to the main body of the road tanker. In its static ground verification phase, it then ensures that it has a connection to the general mass of the earth.
Finally, in its continuous ground loop monitoring phase, the Earth-Rite RTR ensures the resistance between the road tanker and the verified earthing point at the loading gantry never exceeds 10Ω . It determines this by monitoring the resistance between the RTR’s clamp connection and the road tanker and the RTR system’s connection to the verified grounding point.
The Earth-Rite RTR follows the key recommendations of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) regulation 60079-32-1, “Explosive atmospheres: electrostatic hazards, guidance” and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) regulation 77, “Recommended Practice on Static Electricity”.
