Yoopersup,
I remember from my Navy days that shipboard AC electrical systems are commonly ungrounded delta systems. They are that way for one specific reason: Tactical reliability. ONE point in the ungrounded electrical system can become inadvertantly grounded and have no affect on the operation of the system. We would have big problems if a second point also became grounded, so we had permenantly installed ground detection circuits on all busses to detect any inadvertant ground that may develope so it could be cleared before another point became inadvertantly grounded.
So, to answer the question in the last sentence of your original post, IIF (read that IF and ONLY IF) you have a truly and completely ungrounded delta system, then you could connect any one single point to ground without affecting the operation of the circuit (no short circuit).
However, as already stated a couple of times above, static voltages to ground on even ungrounded systems are still very hazardous, and somewhat unregulated as there is no intentional ground connection to control the L-G voltages.
Hope this makes sense,
Radar
