Failure analysis of the leakage and ignition of heat transfer fluid in a concentrating solar power (CSP) pilot plant

Concentrating solar power (CSP) is a technology seen key to achieve the worldwide energy transition targets. Although it is a mature robust technology, different failures in CSP plant have been reported in the literature to visualize potential point of maintenance interest. Following the same philosophy, this paper reports a failure occurred at a CSP storage pilot plant, where leakage and ignition of different joint balls suddenly occurred after several hours of testing. The experimental assessment carried out confirmed spontaneous ignition of the heat transfer fluid-soaked insulation material of the piping after leakage. The results of this study emphasize the significance of proactive maintenance and daily inspections in solar fields.