Dr. Ir. Syarif Hidayat Ciptakan Alat Deteksi Peringatan Dini Petir

BANDUNG, itb.ac.id – It is undeniable that Indonesia is a tropical country with a high rate of lightning incidents. The energy released by lightning even exceeds that of a power plant in America, so one can imagine the disasters that could result from lightning strikes. This encourages Dr. Ir. Syarif Hidayat, associate professor at Electrical Engineering Expertise Group School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (STEI) Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) to conduct research and create innovations in lightning early warning detection tools called Early Warning Lighting Detection.

The idea for this lightning detector also stems from Dr. Syarif. Ia 's concern that a nation's strength should stem from its own suffering. He cited Japan, a country known for its earthquake-prone landscape, as an example, as having a significant amount of earthquake-resistant infrastructure. He also cited the Netherlands, which has numerous dams due to limited land and its location, which is mostly below sea level.

"Likewise, we, at least the Indonesian nation, also have lightning experts, because the lightning density in Indonesia is the highest, up to 24 strikes per square kilometer per year. That's in the Bogor area, meaning 10 times more than Japan, and twice as much as Florida, America. Meanwhile, in Bandung, it's around 12 strikes per square kilometer per year," said Dr. Syarif..

Early Warning Lightning Detection consists of two main parts: a sensor and a processor. The sensor, with a diameter of 20 cm and a height of 15 cm, is placed on a pole at a minimum height of one meter and a distance of at least three times the height of the nearest building. The processor of this lightning detector is a personal computer connected to the sensor via a data cable and powered by 10 watts.

The device works by detecting electrostatic field activity in clouds within a two-kilometer radius. Based on this principle, a device called an electric field mill monitor can predict the extent of this charge separation activity, thus providing early warning before lightning actually occurs.

Early Warning Lighting Detection can provide four warning stages. The first stage occurs when charge separation activity is detected in the cloud, which means alerting the potential for lightning. The second stage occurs when discharge begins before lightning strikes the ground. The third and final stage occurs when the lightning has already struck the ground.

The final stage is given when there is no activity, either separation or release of charge in the clouds, so that people can continue their activities without having to be afraid of unexpected aftershocks. Dr. Syarif said that the maximum warning should be given in the first two stages, so that the areas that must be protected must be vacated. "Areas that are suitable for Early Warning Lighting Detection are areas where outdoor activities are carried out such as golf courses, mining areas, agriculture, recreation and others that are open areas," he said.

Currently, Early Warning Lightning Detection is in the process of being patented, and another lightning hazard assessment software is also in the process of being copyrighted. Furthermore, Dr. Syarif , who completed his studies at the University of Tokyo, Japan, remains active in mapping and developing dozens of types of lightning protection devices.

Penulis: Salma Zahra (Astronomi 2016) via itb.ac.id

Foto ilustrasi : https://pixabay.com