Static Electricity

Yes, there are many manufacturers of static electricity. Static charge may be localized and hence it is often scanned. You can also have a warning system.

Let me know you exact requirement. I think your should have a budget of US$20000 for a very good static electricity scanner. I am not sure if that is what you want. You can contact me at the following address and I can make one proper design for your application.

Shyam Sunder Tiwari Ph.D.
Managing Director
Sensors Technology Private Limited
AM-51, Deen Dayal Nagar, Gwalior, MP 474020, India
Tel: 0091-751-2470680 Fax: 0091-751-4065716
Mobile: 0091-9300781887

Mr Shyam,

Thank you very much for the information.As an electrical engineer I am interested firstly to know the principle of their operation and governing engineering standards.

In the chemical and hydrocarbon processing industry,these can be in high demand. At these locations the hazardous liquids and vapors are present in the environment almost continuously. Static electricity can provide source of ignition to cause fires and explosions.Considering the huge property losses consequent to such unfortunate catostraphy, providing static detectors / warning systems can be very useful.Investment on such static detectors / warning systems therefore is amply justified.

Request you to inform the list of manufacturers of such systems,their contact information,budgetary cost,time schedule etc. Also shall appreciate to receive the information where such systems are already in use.

Are these instruments certified and approved for use in classified hazardous locations?

Regards

There are many types of electrostatic meters.... one of the most elegant designs I've seen and use was patented by Xerox and is in widespread use by their technicians to service their range of photocopiers and laser printers....

the instrument is not available to buy, but it works superbly.... the sensing head is held roughly 5mm from the target which you need to measure the static voltage of.... in Xerox's case a photo drum etc... the sensor has a vibrating shutter which provides an ac signal from the sensed dc static voltage.... this ac signal is used to stabilise the dc amplifier to provide an excellent zero as well as an accurcy of voltage measurement of +/- 1% or better over the voltage range of 0 to +/- 1200 Volts.

With no contact this instrument is quite incredible..... if you want the patent details please email me at john@marchdesigns.com

John.

It looks to me the query was for sensing static electricity from long distance and not proximity. Scanners for distance require highly directional capability and very high sensitivity. These designes are chopper based electric field sensors and can sense for up to few 100s of meters.

I was answering the part of the query regarding a portable device for static measurements.

Many do use chopper stabilised amplifiers but this Xerox design doesn't, it relies on the sensor to provide a signal needed to pull the dc amplifier to zero.

The module can be mounted many metres from the monitoring instrumentation as the output is low impedance and high voltage.

John.

As a preventive measure, basic need, as explained in my question, is to detect static electricity before it becomes a calamity!! 'What should be the system' can be decided only after knowing available technology options,and cost economics.

To start with, it will be useful if you can please inform the details as requested in my question,without which available options for system design are not known. You may also advise whether only remote scanning is feasible, or sensing through 'Proximity instrument' also can be designed etc. Kindly advise.

Dear Mr. Mani,

As I have stated earlier, static electricity can be sensed from far distances using sensitive devices. These are highly specialized instruments designed for a purpose.

If you specify the distance and minimum-maximum of the sensing static electric filed then the instrument is supposed to excatly that. There is no general instrument for all conditions. You do get 3 decades of ranges in one instrument.

That means you can sense static electricity from 0.1% to 100% of the range. If you exceed the range, then you get an over flow warning and if you are below the range then under range or ZERO reading.

I think in your application the distance is known and hence it is easier to build a system for the application. You can also have a wireless link to get information where you like within few km range.

This is not a topic for half knowledge people. When we talk of femto amp sensitive charge amplifiers then it is an specilized technology and only companies like Keathley etc make such sensitive charge amplfiers. They also do not make complete instrument for you and you need to take help of an specilist in this expertize.

Unless you have a plan for about Rs.10 Lacs investment for such device, you may not get some right thing. It is possible to sense large amount of static electricity in nearby zone using US$100 device. That is not what you are looking for. You need fail proof industrial instrument that by itself will not fail under static electrocity even though it is very sensitive instrument. It takes many years research to get to such designs and in India, I am only one doing to this level. I build import substitute products. Perhaps, you can try to look into journal of static electricity and may find some other research scientists who may be working on similar line.

Design of the measuring instrument on paper is not complecated. However to produce an instrument that can reach the level is. For example, I manufacture charge sensitive amplifier for 1fC charge in 1us pulse and if any one else can make one for e0.1fC charge for 1us pulse can get US$5000 paid from me. It is not easy to move one step down in designs.

Hwllo sir,

i m an engg. student form kolhapur i need basic information about proximity detector, bcoz i hav diliver a seminar on it so if u can help me?

Dear Mr. Mani

Yes, it is possible to sense the charge localized on material positive or negative charge from few 100s of meters and in real time as and when it is generated. You can also neutralize the charge with charge neutralizer.

Sensing device is highly specilized electronics design with almost femto amp current level charge amplifier as static electric field sensors and at lowest possible noise level. I specialize in charge and static field sensors and charge amplifier instruments.

Excessive static charge can cause accidents very easily.

Dear Sirs,

I'm very interested in a commercially available device for this purpose. My company specializes in analytical equipment for the processing industries. In my first job I experienced several fires caused by inadequate grounding and inappropriate materials for handling especially, nonpolar compounds/hyrocarbons, etc.

Thanks. Brian.

PVC is known for generating lots of tribo-electricity. If you rub a comp on your hair, you can easily pull small pieces or paper. Amount of charge a nozel or conveyer can generate can exceed 50000V and can easily spark. Once ignited, the material itself becomes fuel.

As there is not much sale for these products, they are actually custom built on order. Some parts such as sensor for static electricity are available as tool for integration.

Some of you may not be knowing even water jet can generate huge static electricity and while you clean using water jet, there may be heavy blast exploding everything around. People consider water safe for cleaning. Physics is far different from common knowledge.

I build specilized instrument for the Government of India and rarely for public. My clients are scientists and they very well know their requirement and I only have to provide them solution. This is not so with private industries where ideas are only limited and also one finds hard to understand the value of the technology development. I prefer not to talk too much there. This may be true with others also who are in such business and you don't find any commercial items. People who need such things must have money and should be willing to take help of an expert or do it on their own.

Charge, ions, ion beam knowldege is only with nuclear scientists and engineers. These people often do not disclose their identity. Nuclear technology is not freely sold in the world and some may be too sensitive and must not reach the evil minds.

I will say, you need to make friend with experienced person and get help from some one near you who is nuclear technology expert. Any one exploring static electricity generators should also be in static electricity sensor business. These two things go hand in glove. Talk to such company. Companies who need such products, can also pay the instrument cost which may run from US$20k to US$100k range. I don't think you can ever get cheap good device. Cheap will be only a toy and not an instrument.

Dear Mr Shyam,

Potential customers,especially public sector refineries,Onshore and Offshore petroleum installations,Gas processing plants etc who give top priority to safety will surely invest in such static detectors / sensors, if they are convinced that installing such systems will prevent major fires and explosions, with associated huge financial losses, loss to human lives etc, if caused due to static electricity.

Unfortunately the availability of such systems,that too capabilities within India,is not probably known to customers. Financial loss, during fires,explosions, is in the order of crores of rupees and your proposed budget of Rs 10 lakhs is practically too insignificant, when compared to the value of loss.

Therefore,the concern should be meeting of available manufacturers / vendors and customers knowing each other's requirement for promoting SAFETY of property and human lives,and educating customer is a part of marketing strategy. Need for a product /service is to be created in customer.

Dear Mr. Mani,

While I was a nuclear scientist, I visited Madras Refinery (MRL) Plant and also visited Badodara IPCL Refinery. I agree that this amount may be insignificant for them.

I have technology for them in many areas. NH3 leakage which was common at many places require gas sensor, static electricity snesor and perhaps identification of other sources of fire as a complete solution with multiple sensors placed around the refinery and gas bottling plant. If they have predefined requirement then I can provide exact solution that may be optimum in terms of risk assessment and energency handling. They can get information from all sensors in control room as well as on inspection vehicles while they are on survey. It is all wireless and no physical transfer of information required.

Some one from their should be serious about and willing to invest funds. I usually do not go looking for business as I get enough from the Department of Atomic Energy, Air force, Defense Research. I spend my remaining time in educating engineers, arrange many national conferences and help who find no help otherwise. This may sound strenge for a business, but this what makes me Shyam and you find no other man like me in India. I am unique for the entire nationa in my own way. Business or no business, it is my day in day out work.

Hence if you are in business and want to gain and need my help in the process then tell them there is a man to help them and ask them to come in touch with me. I will come for a day and talk with them. I do visit Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant once a while in conference or meeting with senior engineers. You are also most welcome to my place at Gwalior. Actually I am here at this small place because I want to work undisturbed. I can spare little time even though my each minute is heavily booked.

Let me know if you require further help. We are not adding much to discussion, hence, we can limit information here only to general use ideas and useful to all.

Dear Mr Shyam,

I am very glad to know about you and about your dedication to profession. It is only worrying me that it was not possible to utilise your expertise much earlier. I had the opportunity to serve Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) - Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas-Govt.of India,as its Additional Director (Engineering) for 7 years.In one of the national and international seminars organised by OISD, we could have invited you to make a presentation on the subject which would have greatly benefited us. Also,as head of Electrical and Instrumentation sections in subsequent assignments of an Oil refinery,I could have taken your help had we known about you then.

At least now,with your permission,I shall inform concerned persons in the Oil Industry,to take guidance and help from you.After that, I shall be glad to contact you.Kindly spare some time at your convenience.

Thanking you & Best regards,

N.V.Mani

Dear Mr. Mani,

You are from good background and perhaps can help the industry. MRL people are very good and they were reprocessing the purchased sewage water of Chennai city and making it drinking water. They were also having a bio-fertilizer reactors for generating bacterial fertilizer. They were also good at many byproducts. I was happy to see the entire plant and I did spend a day at that place. I could get a good look at the plant and their good work. I will be very happy to make it safe.

I have recently visited some of the Tea processing plants in Darjeeling and Siliguri near Calcutta (kolkata) where they use static electricity to remove fiber from the processed tea. These people generate tribo-electricity. I also did-research in the area called tribo-luminescence which is tribo-electricity caused luminescence.

Tribo-electricity means friction generated static charge leading to electric current or voltage.

This area is not taken all that seriously and accidents go un-noticed. Static electricity is more in dry conditions and in greater use of plastic material, piping, ducts, nozels, containers. Trucks are oftem insulated from Ground may have lots of static charge generated when they cause friction on road. They can blow a plant if they pass near by.

There are good number of ways to remove static electricity. This is to be done after instruments detect the static charge. If a network of such instruments is placed in the zone then you can get continuous information along with warning. Easily several km zone can be covered by the sensors for safety.

I was also trained in fire fighting technology and did undergo practical training. That was very informative. There are many types of fire fighting instruments and people do not know, which one is to be used and which one not. There is DCP or dry chemical powder foam used in oil fire and actually DCP can cause static fire by itself.

I am trained and certified Radiological Physicist and to help local cancer hospital I was called to see if they have everything OK in the radiation therapy zone. I found one DCP firefighting instrument inside the radiation therapy closed room where if that was ever used then it will easily fill the zone with powder and no one can breath. They never know that it should not be there at all and is not meant for electrical fires.

People may be very good in their professions and at the same time they may be totally ignorent of other problems. I have developed many wireless gas and radiation sensing instruments that are placed around a plant in 10km zone and these send data to central computer for monitoring. One system I built for kalpakkam is for monitoring from balloon that can go up to few km in the sky. Data is transmitted continuously using low power wireless telemetry.

To install wireless sensors hardly takes any time. This can be demonstrated in same day and one get data in real time within few minutes of installation work. Wired systems are difficult as they take time and require cables etc. You can also get information in the control room is any sensor is having a problem like low battery or fire in the zone, dead sensor or if sensor is removed. This makes data sensing nearly fool proof.

My engineers are now building a robot that can go around the plant and look for trouble such a gas leakage or fire or other problems and will inform the control room. This is unmanned vehicle to handling safety in difficult areas. I build robots for such work. Technically speaking you have all the technology, best in the work here and only have to think of using it. I work for mental satisfaction and I get from highest technology research. I can spare all that if some one is interested in using all this.

In fact if any organization start funding research, which they do not do in India, you can get anything done here locally. US Universities do industry research by industry funds. Look at their National Research Council programs. We have none like that. Most of the US organizations compile the list of experts in their country, but we hardly do that. They even find me from India. I was found by my work by the American Institute of Physics and New York Academy of Science. Perhaps our priorities are different or may be we have not yet learnt these ways of using talent. Business is a dirty word in India and hence, a retardent force for talented people to go for it. They often become slaves and for entire life. We are not able to convert it into technology. I often travel to USA as avionics consultant but in India, I do most of the developments for the Government of India. I do not export sensitive technology to any country. I work with clear rules and ethics. Money is secondary for me.

Let us see if we can do something for India industries.

I am working with one pharma company. I am facing problem of static energy in human. While we were sitting on wheel chir for a long time our body develops static charge which was released when we touch any person or any thing. It generates sparks also. We are having Mass Analysers in Lab which is used for analysing nano level drugs in human blud & Plasma.They can also generate magnetic waves in atmosphere. But will this waves can create static energy?

I don't know how to solve this problem.Please guide me to solve the problem of electrostatic charge generated by humans.

Hi

Go to my website and write to me. I can provide commercial solution to your industry specifically applicable to their need. It is a work and can not be free. Ask the GM.

You may like to read this

"Static Electricity Causes Diseases and Cancer"

http://www.royalrife.com/powerlines.html