Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a unique phenomenon that can be seen in everyday life. The effects of ESD can be seen by rubbing a balloon on your head, resulting in your hair sticking to the balloon, or by touching a doorknob or a pet in a dry building and receiving a static shock.
In irrigation, well water pumping, and pressure boosting applications, ESD can cause larger issues than just a small shock to your finger. Because plastics used in PVC pipes are insulators, the moving water builds up static electric charges. Eventually, this static electric buildup will discharge through an ungrounded pathway (e.g. instrumentation or sensors used to control a pump). Continue reading “ESD and Surge Issues in Pumping, Pressure Boosting, and Irrigation Applications”
At one point or another we have all been exposed to some form of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event, even something as simple as walking across a carpeted space, touching a door knob, and receiving an unexpected jolt. These types of events are very common in instrumentation applications. Today we will discuss what ESD is, the effects it has on instrumentation, and the steps that