Linde Corporation, the world’s largest specialty gas manufacturer has decided to give hydrogen an odor for safety reasons. This was announced in Linde’s grand opening of a hydrogen fueling station in Lohhof just outside of Munich, Germany last week.
The Linde Hydrogen Center will focus on producing hydrogen from renewable energy sources. This announcement does call into question exactly what odor or odors will be chosen for the hydrogen gas?
Favorable odors may be such fragrances as daisies, mint or pleasant kitchen smells. But, there are also many possibilities for unfavorable hydrogen smells that have been outlined below.
Top 10 Unfavorable Gas Odors for Hydrogen:
1. Rotten eggs
2. Vehicle exhaust – who needs more of this?
3. Burning building – too alarmist
4. Natural gas odor – no copycats, please
5. Cow – the animals were once implicated in global warming
6. Hindenburg – who needs the bad and inaccurate PR?
7. Vinegar
8. Skunk
9. Sulfur
10. Anything human
Hopefully, as more hydrogen is produced for public consumption a standardized fragrance for the gas will come into existence that will warn of leakage without being totally offensive. Then again, perhaps designer fragrances for hydrogen gas is the way to go. Anybody up for hydrogen that smells like wet dog?