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Grounding Of Fuel Senders

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dvanlanen

Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 122
Location: Madison, WI

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:03 am Post subject: Grounding Of Fuel Senders

I am installing VDO fuel senders in the metal fuel tanks of my all-metal kit aircraft.  These senders do not have a ground lug, and the sender, by design, is not isolated from the fuel tank because the mounting screws are inserted into a metal mounting ring which is in metal-to-metal contact with the inside of the fuel tank.  The construction manual calls for grounding the sender to the airframe using a wire from the airframe to a ring terminal under one of the mounting screws.  My concern with this approach is that I might inadvertently introduce a “ground loop” into the system by grounding in this fashion.  I would prefer to isolate the sender from the airframe and run a return wire to the universal ground buss on the firewall, but because of the design of the sender this would be difficult to do.  Has anyone else dealt with installation of these senders, and if so, can you offer me any advice?      

Thanks,  

Dave Van Lanen     [quote][b]

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recapen(at)earthlink.net
Guest

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:46 am Post subject: Grounding Of Fuel Senders

I added these wires to my RV6A (metal tanks) to ground the senders to the main spar which has a bonding strap to the field of tabs ground bus.



Works fine so far - no adverse effects - will be flying first flight in a couple of weeks - just got my airworthiness cert.



Ralph Capen

RV6A N822AR 0 hrs

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ftyoder(at)yoderbuilt.com
Guest

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:18 am Post subject: Grounding Of Fuel Senders

Congratulations on the FAA Cert....... Enjoy that first flight!!!



Tim

---

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nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
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Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:06 pm Post subject: Grounding Of Fuel Senders

At 10:02 AM 12/12/2008, you wrote:



  	  Quote: 	
		   I am installing VDO fuel senders in the metal fuel tanks of my all-metal kit aircraft.  These senders do not have a ground lug, and the sender, by design, is not isolated from the fuel tank because the mounting screws are inserted into a metal mounting ring which is in metal-to-metal contact with the inside of the fuel tank.  The construction manual calls for grounding the sender to the airframe using a wire from the airframe to a ring terminal under one of the mounting screws.  My concern with this approach is that I might inadvertently introduce a “ground loop” into the system by grounding in this fashion.  I would prefer to isolate the sender from the airframe and run a return wire to the universal ground buss on the firewall, but because of the design of the sender this would be difficult to do.  Has anyone else dealt with installation of these senders, and if so, can you offer me any advice?    	


   Metal tanks in a metal airplane will provide sufficient

   ground for these senders to work as advertised. Adding

   the wire as directed in the instructions will not hurt

   anything either. Go ahead and install the requested wire



 

        Bob . . .



        ----------------------------------------)

        ( . . .  a long habit of not thinking   )

        ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial )

        ( appearance of being right . . .       )

        (                                       )

        (                  -Thomas Paine 1776-  )

        ----------------------------------------



     [quote][b]

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dvanlanen

Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 122
Location: Madison, WI

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:44 am Post subject: Grounding Of Fuel Senders

Bob,  

Can you explain why I don’t need to worry about a ground loop in this situation, (reference the explanation of ground loops on p. 5-6 of the AeroElectric manual)?  

Thanks,  

Dave  

               

                

   

Date:   Dec 12, 2008   

   

From:   "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com>   

   

Subject:        Re: Grounding Of Fuel Senders  

   

At 10:02 AM 12/12/2008, you wrote:  

 	  Quote: 	
		  I am installing VDO fuel senders in the metal fuel tanks of my   

all-metal kit aircraft.  These senders do not have a ground lug, and   

the sender, by design, is not isolated ………  

   Metal tanks in a metal airplane will provide sufficient  
	


   ground for these senders to work as advertised. Adding  

   the wire as directed in the instructions will not hurt  

   anything either. Go ahead and install the requested wire 

  

        Bob . . .     [quote][b]

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nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:52 pm Post subject: Grounding Of Fuel Senders

At 10:38 AM 12/13/2008, you wrote:



  	  Quote: 	
		   Bob,

 

 Can you explain why I don’t need to worry about a ground loop in this situation, (reference the explanation of ground loops on p. 5-6 of the AeroElectric manual)?

 

 Thanks,

 

 Dave 	


   Because the loop is small. The tank grounds to the

   airframe through mounting straps and brackets and

   with a resistance that is a tiny fraction that of

   any piece of wire you might install. Yeah, technically

   there's a "loop" but so tiny both in architecture and

   in terms of antagonistic currents as to be insignificant.



 

        Bob . . .



        ----------------------------------------)

        ( . . .  a long habit of not thinking   )

        ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial )

        ( appearance of being right . . .       )

        (                                       )

        (                  -Thomas Paine 1776-  )

        ----------------------------------------



     [quote][b]

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