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Retractable Grounding Assembly: Pre-Tensioned

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RGA 750 ®

Retractable Grounding Assembly


Optimized Lightning Protection for Floating
Roof Tanks

Pre-Tensioned: The RGA 750 is pre-


tensioned at the factory, so no on-site
tensioning is required.
Corrosion Resistance: New aluminum
cable* originally developed for marine use
greatly improves corrosion resistance and is
*Tinned copper option available upon request
highly resistant to hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
Easy-to-Install: Installation takes only The Limitations of Shunts
two hours on both new and existing tanks. To combat the risk of rim fires, the industry
has been using metal strips called “shunts”
Effective: Permanent, reliable, low-impedance
that electrically bond the shell and roof of
bond prevents fires triggered by lightning
the tank. Unfortunately, the bond that these
currents.
shunts establish is unreliable and creates a
Durable and Low Maintenance: Engineered greater risk of sustained arcs:
for years of durability and reliable performance
1. Rust, waxy deposits, and paint can line
in corrosive environments and requires
the inner wall of the shell, thus increasing
virtually no upkeep as compared to shunts.
resistance.
Standards Conformant: The RGA 2. The floating roof can drift slightly off-center
conforms to both API 545 and NFPA 780
and disconnect some of the shunts from
recommendations and meets the API 545
the shell.
requirements for a bypass conductor.
3. A
 PI Testing proved that shunts will arc under
The ATEX approved and patented RGA all conditions, even if the tank wall and shunts
substantially reduces the risk of tank fires are new and clean.
by subduing sustained arcs during lightning
events and other electrical phenomena. The
Floating Roof Tank Fires are
RGA does this better than other traditional
Common
There are 15 to 20 known floating roof tank
methods for bonding floating roofs because
(FRT) fires per year. FRT’s are especially
the retractable cable is always at the
vulnerable to the direct and indirect effects
shortest possible length. The resultant low
of lightning. A direct or a nearby lightning
resistance and impedance results in too low
strike will cause electrical currents to flow
of a voltage to sustain the arc, i.e., no fire.
across the tank shell and roof. When these

Integrated Lightning Solutions Worldwide | info@lecglobal.com | 1-800-521-6101 or 1-303-447-2828


the cable, resulting in an average increase in
retraction force over the entire cable payout
range of 340% over the RGA 75 and 600%
over the RGA 55.

lightning currents arc across the roof/shell


interface, they can ignite any flammable
vapors that may be present. It is therefore
necessary to bond the roof and shell to
prevent arcing at the roof/shell interface.
Figure 1 shows a conventional bypass conductor
Substantially reducing the risk of sustained when the roof is high. Note how the conductor
arcs requires a reliable, full-time, low- is randomly coiled upon itself, resulting in high
impedance.
impedance and low-resistance connection
between the tank shell and roof. Additionally, Note below how the conductor is as short as possible,
the connection must operate regardless of thus providing the lowest possible impedance
the tank shell’s condition. between the roof and shell. When a typical floating
roof tank is 80% full, the impedance of the RGA is
The RGA is not affected by the condition only 15% of that of a conventional bypass conductor.
of the tank because the RGA and cable are
bolted and sealed to optimal locations on the
tank shell and floating roof. When properly
applied, multiple RGAs on each tank provide
low-impedance pathways to safely discharge
lightning currents.

The RGA is designed


to retrofit easily onto
any existing tank, even
those in service and is
Figure 2 shows the RGA when the roof is high.
also easy to inspect and
is constructed to be low
maintenance.
US Patent # 7,078,621

The new RGA 750 uses


stronger springs to retract
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE CONSULT WITH REPRESENTATIVE AT LIGHTNING ELIMINATORS FOR
GROUND STRAP ATTACHMENT METHODS DEPENDING ON FOAM DAM STYLE.

(c) Copyright Lightning Eliminators & Consultants, Inc. 2015 | Rev 06/05
For additional information on this product and other LEC Products please visit www.LightningProtection.com
6687 Arapahoe Road | Boulder | CO 80303 | USA

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