Abstract: Safety risk factors in molten salt solar thermal power generation systems were analyzed through simulation and experimental research methods. The results indicate that the main risks include optical hazards, high heat flux density, high-temperature environments, and corrosion leakage of molten salts within the concentrating solar power system. The peak heat flux density in trough solar thermal systems reaches 43.7×104 W/m2, with an average exceeding 1.8×104 W/m2. The heat flux density in tower solar thermal systems is higher than that in trough systems, and incorrect focusing can easily lead to fires and scalding accidents. Molten salts, operating at high temperatures (120~600 °C), can reduce the strength of system materials and cause significant corrosion to the steel components, leading to safety incidents. At a flow rate of 3 m/s, mixed nitrates increase the corrosion weight loss rate of stainless steels 316 and 321 to 0.023 kg/m2 and 0.024 kg/m2, respectively, which is a 44% and 35% increase compared to static corrosion. After 360 hours of static corrosion, mixed carbonates cause a mass loss of 0.236 kg/m2 for stainless steel 304. To prevent and control these risks, measures including protection of the solar mirror field, fire accident protection for working fluids, fire protection design, and corrosion leakage protection have been proposed.

Key words: molten salt, solar thermal power stations, safety risk, prevention measures