Fillsafely

Abstract

The FILLSAFELY Electrostatic Discharge Circuit provides a safe electrostatic voltage grounding path, from the hand-held nozzle of typical gasoline pumps, to earth ground. The safe electrostatic voltage discharge is accomplished through a series of two resistors presenting a total resistance >10 megohms, thereby reducing the ESD current flow from a relatively high level, dependent upon the magnitude of the human stored electrostatic charge—to a relatively low level current path, directly to earth ground. This device is essential to preclude fires experienced at gasoline service stations throughout the US when the unsuspecting customer, filling their gas tanks, may unknowingly, possess a ‘self-generated’ human electrostatic charge of up to 35,000 volts. This voltage presently has only one path to ground when the unsuspecting customer, at a typical American gas station, inserts the metal filling nozzle into the gas tank—the path to ground is through the car's gas tank—with ensuing fire, explosion or both. The electrostatic voltage generated by the person as the result of sliding across the vehicle's seat, or generation of electrostatic voltage as the result of many other human possibilities, transfers this potentially incendiary voltage to the pump's nozzle—which is electrically above earth ground—to the car's frame and gasoline tank. When a customer endeavors to fill, his or her gas tank, the resulting electrostatic charge presently discharges through the gasoline tank, the body of the vehicle and finally the vehicle's tires, to earth ground. This high level electrostatic voltage coupled with the high resulting electrical current flow, transferred from the customer's hands to the gas pump nozzle, have on numerous occasions precipitated a vehicular gasoline tank fire, subjecting the customer and other persons within lethal range, to serious burns or death.

1 . While there are written warnings at gasoline filling stations concerning the dangers of electrostatic voltage discharge, there is presently no known system installed to automatically protect America's drivers from injury and death, caused by fire and explosion resulting from the human transferred, electrostatic voltage discharge through the vehicle's gas tank. 
 The FILLSAFELY system provides, through the design of a safe electrostatic voltage grounding path, the capability of automatically protecting America's millions of automobile drivers, from injury or death, presently caused by America's gasoline filling stations not having the proper electrostatic voltage grounding circuitry available to automatically protect their customers from the resulting hazards of fire and explosion.