Exploration of hydrogen odorants for fuel cell vehicles

The suitability of sulfur compounds (e.g., mercaptan and sulfide) and various sulfur-free smelling compounds for hydrogen odorants were evaluated. The influence of each smelling compound on fuel cell performance was evaluated through the measurement of I–V curves and voltage decline under constant current density, and their condensation properties under high-pressure condition were evaluated by measuring their vapor pressures. The results indicated that all the sulfur compounds evaluated in this study were not suitable as hydrogen odorants since their addition to the hydrogen caused serious degradation of fuel cell performance. Among the sulfur-free compounds, however, some oxygen-containing compounds (2,3-butanedione, ethyl isobutyrate and ethyl sugar lactone) and an unsaturated hydrocarbon (5-ethylidene-2-norbornene) proved to be promising candidates since their adverse effects on the fuel cell performance were minimal and their vapor pressures were adequate.