Earth-Rite® RTR

Precision and reliability is what the Earth-Rite® RTR provides to HAZLOC safety professionals and engineers who are tasked with protecting personnel and plant assets from the ignition hazards of static electricity during tank truck loading and unloading operations.

The loading and unloading of tank trucks with large quantities of chemicals and powders generates static electricity which, if left to accumulate on a tank truck, could discharge electrostatic sparks with energies far in excess of the minimum ignition energies of a vast range of combustible gases, vapours and dusts. The ignition of such atmospheres by static electricity can be prevented by ensuring the tank truck is grounded.

Grounding ensures there can be no build of static electricity on the tank and chassis of the tank truck and the most reliable way of grounding your tank trucks is to specify an Earth-Rite RTR. With over 3,000 units in the field the 2nd generation Earth-Rite RTR is the most reliable and precise method of grounding tank trucks today.

The Earth-Rite RTR utilises patented electronics called “Tri-Mode” technology to establish three key inputs that must be in place before the loading/unloading operation can commence. When the three key inputs are met, only then will the Earth-Rite RTR go permissive and energise its pair of dry change-over contacts to engage the pump, or whatever equipment is interlocked with the system, to control the flow of product to or from the tank truck. Any static generated by the loading operation is transferred from the tank truck via the Earth-Rite RTR to ground, eliminating static electricity as a potential source of ignition.

MODE 1 | In accordance with the recommendations of IEC 60079-32-1*, the Earth-Rite RTR determines if the grounding clamp is connected to a tank truck. This ensures the clamp is connected to the main body of the tank truck and cannot be bypassed by connecting the clamp to the loading rack.

MODE 2 | The Earth-Rite RTR ensures that it has a connection to the general mass of the earth. This is a critical input as a connection to earth is the only means by which the static electricity can be transferred from the tank truck, preventing the accumulation of static electricity.

MODE 3 | In accordance with the key recommendations of IEC 60079-32-1* and NFPA 77*, the Earth-Rite RTR ensures the resistance between the tank truck and the verified grounding point at the loading rack never exceeds 10 ohms. The Earth-Rite RTR achieves this by monitoring the resistance between the RTR clamp’s connection to the tank truck and the RTR’s connection to the verified grounding point for the duration of the transfer operation.

*IEC 60079-32-1, “Explosive atmospheres: electrostatic hazards, guidance”

*NFPA 77, “Recommended Practice on Static Electricity”.