New ethanol sensor could make for safer biofuel refineries

Every now and again, we hear a report about some dangerous explosion or accident at a biofuel refinery. While there are a variety of causes for these events, one way to prevent at least some of them is to identify when dangerous concentrations of fuel build up and disperse those gases. A new detector by Sensor Electronics of Minneapolis can identify that situation, and Domestic Fuel writes that the device "is thought to be ideal for protecting biofuel refineries." The small sensor can be used anywhere where ethanol will be pumped, processed or stored, and can "sniff" out ethanol and send a warning if the concentration gets too high. The sensor is only eight inches high and 2.5 inches in diameter and quite weatherproof, so it should be able to work in a lot of environments.
[Source: Domestic Fuel]