Alcoholic Beverages Industry Gas Detection Solution: Nexisense Ensures Production Safety and Quality

The alcoholic beverages and drinks industry is an important pillar in the food and beverage sector, involving multiple stages such as raw material processing, fermentation, distillation, filling, disinfection, storage, and shipment. These processes generate or use various gases: alcohol (ethanol) vapors volatilize extensively during fermentation, distillation, and storage; ozone is commonly used for sterilization and disinfection; hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, combustible gases, etc., may also accumulate in fermentation tanks, boilers, or confined spaces. Among these gases, alcohol vapors are flammable and explosive (explosion limits 3.3%-19%), high concentrations of ozone irritate the respiratory tract, hydrogen sulfide is highly toxic, carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless causing poisoning, and high concentrations of carbon dioxide lead to oxygen deficiency. Any leakage may cause fires, explosions, poisoning, or product quality degradation.

With increasingly stringent food safety laws and production safety regulations (such as GB 50016-2014 Code for fire protection design of buildings, GB 2890-2009 Respiratory protection—Self-contained open-circuit compressed air breathing apparatus), alcoholic beverages enterprises need to equip professional gas detection systems to achieve real-time monitoring, early warning, and linkage response. Nexisense focuses on industrial gas sensing, and its SGA-500 online series, SGA-600 portable series, and supporting controllers have been stably applied in enterprises such as Site Liquor Factory and Shanghai Coca-Cola, helping clients prevent risks at the source and ensure production safety and product quality.

Gas Risks and Causes in Alcoholic Beverages Production

Gas risks vary by production stage:

• Fermentation and distillation areas: Large amounts of alcohol vapors volatilize, exceeding limits easily causes explosion upon ignition; fermentation may produce CO₂ accumulation leading to oxygen deficiency, or hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) odorous gas.

• Ozone disinfection stage: Ozone (O₃) used for bottle and pipeline sterilization, residual or leaked concentrations >0.1 ppm irritate eyes and respiratory tract, high concentrations can cause lung damage.

• Boiler and energy areas: Incomplete combustion produces CO, boiler rooms may accumulate combustible gases.

• Storage and filling workshops: Wine cellars and finished product warehouses have slow alcohol vapor volatilization, confined spaces easily exceed limits; filling lines may involve CO₂ protective gas.

• Wastewater treatment and exhaust treatment: Fermentation wastewater tanks produce H₂S, NH₃, and other malodorous toxic gases.

If these gas risks are not monitored in time, they may lead to production interruptions, personnel casualties, or product recalls. Traditional manual inspections have limited coverage and delayed response, while professional online + portable monitoring systems achieve full coverage and second-level response, significantly reducing accident probability.

Core Advantages of Nexisense Gas Detection Products

Nexisense products use original imported sensors, with secondary calibration, temperature and humidity compensation, signal amplification, and circuit optimization, adapting to the humid, alcohol-volatile, and ozone-corrosive environment of wineries.

Details of SGA-500 Online Gas Detector

Suitable for fixed points such as fermentation tanks, distillation towers, ozone generators, and wine cellars. Key features:

• Comprehensive gas coverage: Alcohol (C₂H₅OH, 0-100% LEL or 0-2000 ppm), ozone (O₃, 0-5 ppm residual/0-200 ppm process), H₂S, CO, CO₂, O₂, combustible gases, etc.

• Output and protection: 4-20mA, RS485 Modbus-RTU, relay switch quantity; Ex d IIC T6 Gb explosion-proof, IP65/66 protection.

• Alarm and linkage: High and low alarm thresholds adjustable (e.g., alcohol 20% LEL alarm, ozone 0.1 ppm warning), built-in audible and visual alarm, linking ventilation, ozone source cutoff, or alcohol delivery.

• Environmental adaptability: -20℃～+50℃, 0～95% RH, alcohol corrosion resistant, sensor lifespan 2-5 years.

Factory calibrated, plug-and-play, simple maintenance.

Details of SGA-600 Portable Gas Detector

Suitable for inspection, maintenance, and emergency response. Highlights:

• Flexible sampling: Diffusion, pump suction, probe rod type, probe rod extends into fermentation tanks or confined spaces.

• Intelligent functions: Data storage, average value calculation, temperature and humidity display, unit switching, audible-visual-vibration alarm.

• Portable design: Weight

  <500g, endurance="">8 hours, explosion-proof certification.

Added Value of SGA-800 Series Alarm Controller

Installed in central control room or security room:

• Multi-channel access (distributed/bus), unified power supply, display, and recording.

• Linkage: Fans, valves, audible-visual alarms, SMS push upon exceedance.

• Historical data export, convenient for compliance audits.

Combined use forms a complete monitoring network.

Typical Application Scenarios and Market Validation

In alcoholic beverages enterprises:

• Baijiu/beer fermentation workshop: SGA-500 monitors alcohol vapors and CO₂, automatic ventilation upon exceedance.

• Ozone disinfection area: Online O₃ monitoring ensures residual<0.1 ppm, process concentration control.

• Wine cellar and finished product warehouse: Alcohol vapor inspection + fixed monitoring to prevent accumulation and explosion.

• Wastewater treatment tank: H₂S, NH₃ monitoring to protect maintenance personnel.

After integrating SGA-500 in Shanghai Coca-Cola factory, gas-related downtime reduced by 50%; in Site Liquor Factory project, SGA-600 assisted inspections, avoiding multiple potential risks.

Practical Suggestions for Implementing Gas Detection Systems

Selection should evaluate workshop gas types, concentration ranges, and installation points. Installation locations should be upstream of gas accumulation areas. Perform regular calibration (every 6-12 months) using standard gas cylinders. Combined with IoT, upload data to cloud platform for predictive maintenance and compliance reporting.

Common Questions and Answers (FAQ)

Q1: Which common gases in alcoholic beverages production does the Nexisense SGA-500 series support? Can range, sensor type, or alarm thresholds be customized according to different liquor types or process stages (such as baijiu distillation, beer fermentation, yellow rice wine low-temperature process)?

A1: Standard configuration covers alcohol (ethanol, 0-100% LEL or 0-2000 ppm high-concentration version), ozone (O₃, 0-5 ppm residual monitoring/0-200 ppm disinfection process), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S, 0-100 ppm), carbon monoxide (CO, 0-1000 ppm), carbon dioxide (CO₂, 0-5% VOL), oxygen (O₂, 0-30% VOL), and combustible gases (LEL). For baijiu distillation high-alcohol-concentration scenarios, high-range alcohol sensors (0-5000 ppm) can be customized; beer fermentation CO₂ dominant can optimize high-precision infrared CO₂ sensors; yellow rice wine low-temperature fermentation prone to H₂S can use high-sensitivity electrochemical type with adjusted cross-interference compensation. Customization requires liquor type, workshop temperature and humidity, historical concentration peaks, process flow diagrams; we select sensors, optimize algorithms, and verify linkage compatibility accordingly, usually delivering prototypes in 4-8 weeks.

Q2: How is the long-term stability and corrosion resistance of the online SGA-500 in high-humidity, alcohol-volatile, long-term ozone exposure environments of wineries? What targeted protective measures are recommended?

A2: The product uses 316L stainless steel + special alcohol/ozone-resistant coating shell, IP65/IP66 protection rating, operating range -20～+50℃, 0～95% RH no condensation. Built-in multi-stage temperature and humidity compensation and anti-corrosion digital filtering. Actual continuous operation projects in fermentation workshops show zero drift <±2% FS and span error <±4% after 6000 hours, ozone area corrosion degradation<8%/year. Recommended protective measures: 1) Install dedicated protective cover or activated carbon pre-filter near ozone generators; 2) Monthly wipe probe surface with anhydrous ethanol in alcohol-volatile areas; 3) Install local exhaust assistance in high-humidity areas; 4) Quarterly zero calibration with clean air; 5) Annual full span calibration (standard gas cylinder operation), which can extend sensor life to 3-5 years.

Q3: How is the safety and operational convenience of the portable SGA-600 ensured during wine cellar inspections, fermentation tank maintenance, or confined space operations?

A3: It has Ex ib intrinsically safe explosion-proof certification, suitable for Zone 0/1 hazardous areas (alcohol vapor explosive zones). Probe rod sampling length 1-2 m, allowing operators to sample safely at tank openings or cellar doors, avoiding direct entry into high-alcohol-concentration/oxygen-deficient/high-H₂S spaces. Alarm mechanism includes triple audible-visual-vibration reminders, thresholds customizable (e.g., alcohol 10% LEL warning, 20% LEL high limit; ozone 0.08/0.1 ppm dual-level). Ergonomic design: weight<500g, anti-slip="" one-hand="" automatic="" battery="" life="" 8-12="" supports="" usb-c="" fast="" data="" storage="">100,000 entries, one-click Excel/CSV report export, convenient for inspection records, safety supervision filing, and quality traceability. Actual usage feedback: clear screen and effective vibration alarm in low-light, humid wine cellars.

Q4: How does the detection system seamlessly integrate with existing PLC, security systems, or MES systems in wineries? Is there development resource support?

A4: SGA-500 supports standard 4-20mA (three-wire), RS485 Modbus-RTU, relay passive contacts, compatible with mainstream PLCs such as Siemens S7, Omron, Rockwell, and security platforms. SGA-800 controller provides unified management interface, supporting up to 32-channel access. We provide free: Modbus register mapping table, communication protocol documentation, ladder diagram/function block sample code, host computer monitoring software (real-time curves, historical trends, alarm logs, automatic reports). Integration cycle usually 1-3 weeks, supporting linkage with ventilation fans, ozone generator cutoff, filling line shutdown, SMS/WeChat push. Cloud platform option enables data docking with MES for quality traceability and compliance reporting.

Q5: What factors affect sensor lifespan? How to reasonably plan maintenance cycles and effectively control long-term usage costs?

A5: Electrochemical sensors (alcohol, ozone, H₂S, CO) typically last 2-3 years, infrared/catalytic combustion type (CO₂, combustible gases) 4-6 years. Main influencing factors: 1) Long-term high-concentration alcohol/ozone exposure accelerates electrolyte consumption; 2) Humid environment causes condensation corrosion; 3) Dust or syrup mist adhesion blocks diaphragm. Recommended maintenance plan: monthly visual inspection and cleaning of probe with anhydrous ethanol/clean water; quarterly zero calibration (clean air); annual or after 8000 accumulated operating hours, perform span calibration with standard gas cylinder; add front breathable membrane or activated carbon filter in high-ozone/alcohol-concentration areas. Annual maintenance cost about 12-18% of equipment total price. Nexisense provides modular sensor on-site replacement service (10-15 minutes completed) and annual maintenance contracts, with spare parts discounts for bulk purchases and free calibration kits.

Q6: Has the product passed relevant standards and certifications in the alcoholic beverages industry? How does it demonstrate value in food safety and production safety audits?

A6: It has obtained national measuring instrument type approval (CMC), explosion-proof certificate (Ex d IIC T6 Gb / Ex ib IIC T4 Gb), electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, and complies with GB 50016-2014 Code for fire protection design of buildings, GB 2890-2009 Respiratory protection—Self-contained open-circuit compressed air breathing apparatus, GB 14881-2013 General hygiene regulation for food production, etc. Detection data can be directly used as objective evidence for production safety risk assessment, occupational health protection, food safety traceability, and environmental emission audits. Export models additionally meet CE and RoHS standards, providing bilingual Chinese-English certificates and calibration reports, supporting compliance needs of export wineries.

Q7: What hierarchical response mechanisms does the system have when alcohol vapor or ozone concentration exceeds limits? How to avoid unnecessary production interruptions caused by false alarms?

A7: Supports three-level alarm threshold settings (warning/alarm/high limit), each level independently configurable for concentration value, delay time (1-60 seconds to prevent transient fluctuations), and linkage actions. Trigger responses include: 1) Local audible and visual alarm (≥90 dB); 2) Relay output controls ventilation fans, ozone generator cutoff, alcohol delivery pump shutdown; 3) RS485 sends alarm messages to central control; 4) Optional SMS/WeChat/APP push. False alarm control strategies: concentration trend judgment (continuous exceedance for N seconds to confirm), multi-point averaging filtering, environmental compensation algorithms, and supports “manual confirmation reset” or “high limit linkage shutdown only”. In actual projects, settings such as “alcohol warning only ventilation, high limit then cutoff” effectively balance safety and production continuity.

Q8: How to quickly obtain specific selection schemes, prototype trials, or on-site technical support for wineries?

A8: Please visit the “Contact Us” page on the Nexisense official website to submit requirements, or directly contact sales/technical support, providing the following information: liquor type (baijiu/beer/yellow rice wine, etc.), main workshops (fermentation/distillation/disinfection/storage), target gas list, concentration range, number of installation points, existing control system type, budget range. We usually reply within 24-48 hours with detailed selection tables, weight/power consumption estimates, integration schemes, reference quotes, and typical cases. For key projects, free prototype trials (1-2 months, including on-site installation guidance, simulated gas testing, linkage verification, and data analysis support), or engineer on-site survey, layout, commissioning, and training can be arranged to ensure the scheme accurately matches actual winery conditions.

Summary

Gas detection in alcoholic beverages is a dual guarantee of safety and quality. The Nexisense series, with reliable technology and flexible configuration, helps enterprises prevent risks and optimize production. Under the dual requirements of food safety and production safety, the deployment of professional monitoring systems will inject momentum into the industry's sustainable development. Nexisense will continue to innovate and build safety defenses together with alcoholic beverages enterprises.