Ground System Design Considerations for Vessels

Tanks and vessels have numerous grounding and protection systems. These include static discharge from fluid movement bonding, lightning protection grounding, lightning discharge halo, equipment bonding, cathodic protection, stray-current control, power and external line protection, instrumentation connection and instrumentation protection. Each system has unique requirements. In fact, grounded systems interact and, in some cases, interfere with each other. Design concerns, considerations, and requirements for each system are identified here. These procedures are appropriate for engineers who design, operate or maintain electrical systems for vessels used in any facet of the petrochemical industry. Although this article specifically concerns tanks and vessels, the concepts can be applied to a broad range of grounding applications for structures.