Industries
Explosion protection in the alcohol and spirits industry
Alcohol production works with ethanol, a flammable liquid with a low flash point (about 13 °C), so its vapour is present even at room temperature. An explosive atmosphere develops at distillation, in the storage tanks, at filling and in the maturation warehouses. Bioethanol production adds the grain dust of the raw material on top of that. The documentation has to keep the vapour zones and the equipment current. The
Industry experience
Sound familiar?
Ethanol vapour is present around the distillation column, but the zone classification is out of date or incomplete.
Breathing losses from the storage tanks release vapour, but the zones of the tank farm are not current.
Ethanol is filled on the bottling line, and it is not clear whether the earthing and static dissipation are sufficient.
Bioethanol is produced, but the dust explosion risk of the grain and the ethanol vapour are not handled together.
Ahead of an audit you spend days gathering the zone drawings, the equipment list and the inspection certificates.
If any of this sounds familiar, what you need is not another document but software that lives alongside the process and its changes.
Hazards
Typical explosion hazards in the alcohol and spirits industry
The main hazard in this industry is ethanol vapour, and with bioethanol a dust hazard comes with it:
| Hazard source | Where typical | Typical zone |
|---|---|---|
| Ethanol vapour (IIA) | distillation, rectification, blending | gas zone (0/1/2) |
| The vapour space of storage tanks | tank farm, high-strength distillates | gas zone (0/1) |
| Filling and bottling | bottling line, drum filling, dispensing | gas zone (1/2) |
| Grain dust (bioethanol) | raw material milling, conveying, silos | dust zone (20/21/22) |
| Electrostatic charging | filling, pumping, high flow rates | an ignition source in every zone |
Ethanol falls into gas group IIA and temperature class T2. Because of its low flash point, flammable vapour forms even where there is no heating, so a zone develops anywhere ethanol is present in the open. The distillation and rectification columns concentrate the most vapour, storage tanks release it through their breathing losses, and filling presents a risk through both evaporation and static charging. In the maturation warehouses, evaporation also produces ethanol vapour over time.
When we help
Typical situations when it’s worth talking
Ethanol’s low flash point: the vapour is everywhere
What distinguishes the alcohol industry is that ethanol needs no heating for flammable vapour to form. That shapes the protection on four points:
Ethanol gives off vapour at room temperature. Because of the low flash point, flammable vapour forms without any heating.
Distillation concentrates the vapour. The distillation and rectification columns are the points of highest ethanol vapour concentration.
Storage and filling release vapour too. Breathing losses from the tanks and evaporation during filling create vapour zones; at filling, static charging is an ignition source as well.
Bioethanol brings a double hazard. The grain dust of the raw material presents a dust explosion risk alongside the ethanol vapour, so the two have to be handled together.
The solution
How EPDS helps in the alcohol and spirits industry
EPDS brings explosion protection documentation into one system, from distillation to bottling:
Zone and equipment register in one place.
EPDS records the zones of distillation, the tank farm, filling and the warehouses, and every Ex device, in one searchable place.
Gas and dust in one system.
For bioethanol, EPDS handles the ethanol vapour zones and the grain dust zones in one system.
Management of change.
The software traces the effect of a capacity increase or a change of process through the zones and the protective measures.
No more overdue inspections.
The system gives notice of inspections as they fall due, and records the ones completed.
An audit-ready report in one click.
EPDS assembles the report of zones, equipment and inspections, per site too.
Documentation that is always current.
You can look back at any time to see who changed what, and when.
Knowledge hub
Before you decide, get informed.
Our expert knowledge base explains the concepts of explosion protection clearly.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why is ethanol’s low flash point dangerous?
The flash point is the temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapour to form an ignitable mixture with air. For ethanol it is about 13 °C, so flammable vapour forms at room temperature, without any heating. A zone therefore develops anywhere ethanol is present in the open.
Where is the explosion risk highest in a distillery?
At the distillation and rectification columns, because the ethanol vapour is most concentrated there, and at the tank farm and at filling, where evaporation and static charging also play a part.
What needs attention in bioethanol production?
Here the grain dust of the raw material presents a dust explosion hazard alongside the ethanol vapour. The gas zones and the dust zones have to be handled together, because both hazards are present in one plant.
When does the zone classification have to be redone?
At every change that affects the explosion hazard: a capacity increase, new equipment, a change of process, or a modification to storage or filling. In EPDS this is part of management of change.
Does a distillery or bioethanol plant need explosion protection documentation?
Yes. Wherever a flammable vapour or dust can create an explosive atmosphere, the documentation is mandatory under decree 3/2003. (III. 11.), and it has to be kept current.
Let’s talk it through — free consultation
In a short, free conversation we show you the EPDS system mapped onto your processes, and review where your documentation stands today.