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THUNDERSTORM
Thunderstorm, a blessing or a disaster?
The lightning is one of the electrical phenomena in the natural air. Indonesia lies on the equator the heat and humidity, result in days of thunder (IKL = isokronic Level) is very high compared to other regions (100-200 days per year), even the Cibinong been recorded in the Guinness Book of Records 1988, with the number of lightning 322 year. Lightning density in Indonesia is also very large which means that each 12/km2/tahun area of 1 km2, has the potential to receive a bolt of lightning as much as 12 times per year. The energy generated by a single bolt of lightning reaches 55 kwhours.
As we know Indonesia is located in tropical areas with a risk level is high enough damage compared to temperate regions because the number of lightning strikes the tropical regions far more and more meetings. Increasingly large amount of damage done, because the increasing use of electronic components by the public and industry.
Unfortunately, Indonesia does not have an awareness of how dangerous lightning for mankind. Or, perhaps, Indonesia does not record losses due to lightning. What is clear, quoting from the Board of Fire Austria, losses due to lightning strikes each year tends to rise. If the year 1981 losses from direct bolt 34 with a value amounting to losses in the 1000 OS (equivalent to USD 9000, -) for 7490 and amounted to an indirect lightning 16,049 loss in value for 1000 OS 27,677, then a decade later increased to 59 with a value of 12,219 ( Direct bolt) and 25,685 with a value of 75,016.
While in Germany, statistics damage from lightning strikes (28.7%) far above other natural disasters such as flooding (7.1%), fire (6.5%), or a storm that just 0.6%.
Induction is more dangerous
Of course, lightning could not be considered unfortunate, because the lightning is part of the global circuit.
"The earth is like a capacitor. Between the ionosphere and the Earth, if the sky is clear, there are electric currents originating from the ionosphere (positively charged) to the negatively charged Earth. This current continues to flow, "said Zorro.
Strangely, the Earth does not burn as well. Apparently there is a cloud lightning, which is balance, because the positive and negative charge. "The positive down to Earth, the negative up to the ionosphere," said Zoro.
In addition, lightning is the cause of a natural process that produces nitrogen fixation nitrogen element. Nitrogen is very important for the growth of trees and fill in around 4 / 5 of Earth's atmosphere. Every year lightning contributed 10 million tons of nitrogen!
However, not all clouds are thunder cloud. Only cumolo nimbus clouds that could produce lightning. Lightning occurs because the discharge from one cloud to cloud nimbus cumolo another, or from a cloud directly toward Earth. The latter is what will bring disaster. Just imagine if the load is carried in a split second could reach 100 million volts. Comparing with the electric chair to execute criminals, who only charged thousands of volts.
In addition to a current impulse into the ground (direct bolt), the lightning also radiates energy in the form of electromagnetic waves or lightning electromagnetic pulse (indirect lightning). With the rapidly growing electronics and microelectronics equipment the last few decades, indirect lightning frightening specter of even distant places (up to 2 km). The fear that because of radiation, induction, and conduction of electromagnetic waves earlier.
Damage to computer installations in Cologne, Germany, in 1989 could be illustrated. A building struck by lightning. Approximately 100 m from the building where there are computers. Due to an increase in voltage caused by lightning strikes it, the computer becomes corrupted. Computer repairs swallow Rp 1 billion, but losses due to a computer at work does not reach USD 4 billion.
To overcome this, the infrastructure that requires electrical power, telecommunications, and process data (such as computer and information systems) should be given protection (lightning protection system, LPS). It is also increasingly necessary tracking system lightning (lightning position & tracking system, LPATS)
Expensive, but remember the benefits
Places with high levels of bolt (both frequency and intensity) should receive first priority in handling. Similarly, the location of high business value (chemical industry, TV transmitters, Telkom, or strategic industries such as hankam and airports) requires protection as optimal as possible. Remember the case of lightning strikes at Cilacap refinery in 1998 which caused a fire for days and most of the equipment consuming, so stop the process of refining?
The use of traditional lightning rods (external) has been known long ago to protect the building or the installation of lightning strikes. Unfortunately, this protection system can only protect the building from fire or destruction. The threat of induction voltage or current over more yet fully absorbed. In fact, this induction is not less dangerous, especially on electronic equipment that is sensitive and expensive. That's where the role of internal protection.
Internal protection means protection against the effects of electronic equipment from lightning currents. The main effect of the magnetic field and electric field in the installation of metal or electrical systems. Due to these households can not be separated from the sensitive electronic equipment, then it's time for the internal protection installed.
Zoro had seen a demo of the importance of internal protection in the household. There was a TV that is not fitted with an internal protective devices (arestor). Television placed in a room and in front of her dolls as a spectator. When there is a bolt of lightning, the TV is off. After the smoke from the explosion was issued, the doll's face was filled with broken glass tube TV. "Very nice demo," he commented.
If judging from the price, "It's expensive." But, when compared with the new benefit was cheap. Can be likened to taking an insurance policy. Just an estimate, for the internal protection in order to protect the computer and the phone will cost about Rp 2 million.
Save with early warning systems
For strategic infrastructure that are vulnerable to induction, in addition to protection, still need to be equipped with early warning systems. With this system, losses can be minimized. A manager of a plant related to the electric company says that could save up to half a million dollars every year by utilizing the system (Scientific American August 1997 edition). With the acquired information, he can stop the plant operation, so avoid induction of lightning, for example.
As a country with the highest day of thunder in the world, Indonesia was already complete by early warning systems. Sophisticated tools from America costing about USD 15 billion is owned by PT Lapi Elpatsindo (ITB-owned company).
When lightning struck the Earth, spreading radiation. Receiver mounted on the Earth will receive radiation. There are 16 receivers in Indonesia, but only eight are operational. From there, the three best sensors send data to the center (Jakarta). Real-time! Areas hit by lightning can be zoom to an area of 15 x 15 km.
Other data that can be obtained is the location of lightning strikes, the time of the lightning, large lightning current amplitude and energy, and wave steepness of lightning. It's just that, according Zoro, not all lightning recorded.
"If all arrested, we are fast storage management. Abroad, storage management in a three-month period. We have a full three months, "said Zoro. Only lightning above the 7 kA arrested. The reason, lightning below 7 kA is not harmful to the equipment home. Given that limitation, the form of optical storage discs can last for eight months.
Lightning data information system is very helpful in calculating the possibility of a bolt of lightning strikes and the number (stroke probability). By using the existing communication systems and the use of the Palapa satellite and GPS, every user in the entire region, and Indonesia can use use this system. With the help of software Video Information System (VIS), we can show an area of 200 km2.
VIS can be operated on almost all PCs. Full menu and user friendly. This will facilitate the completeness of the user to read, analyze, and use of lightning data. So, do not have to be a student of Ki Ageng Selo to be "catching" lightning.
Source:
- Meteorology and Geophysics Agency Indonesia
- Essence Magazine
- Analysis of the influence of induction of indirect lightning strikes - Petra Christian University Surabaya
The lightning is one of the electrical phenomena in the natural air. Indonesia lies on the equator the heat and humidity, result in days of thunder (IKL = isokronic Level) is very high compared to other regions (100-200 days per year), even the Cibinong been recorded in the Guinness Book of Records 1988, with the number of lightning 322 year. Lightning density in Indonesia is also very large which means that each 12/km2/tahun area of 1 km2, has the potential to receive a bolt of lightning as much as 12 times per year. The energy generated by a single bolt of lightning reaches 55 kwhours.
As we know Indonesia is located in tropical areas with a risk level is high enough damage compared to temperate regions because the number of lightning strikes the tropical regions far more and more meetings. Increasingly large amount of damage done, because the increasing use of electronic components by the public and industry.
Unfortunately, Indonesia does not have an awareness of how dangerous lightning for mankind. Or, perhaps, Indonesia does not record losses due to lightning. What is clear, quoting from the Board of Fire Austria, losses due to lightning strikes each year tends to rise. If the year 1981 losses from direct bolt 34 with a value amounting to losses in the 1000 OS (equivalent to USD 9000, -) for 7490 and amounted to an indirect lightning 16,049 loss in value for 1000 OS 27,677, then a decade later increased to 59 with a value of 12,219 ( Direct bolt) and 25,685 with a value of 75,016.
While in Germany, statistics damage from lightning strikes (28.7%) far above other natural disasters such as flooding (7.1%), fire (6.5%), or a storm that just 0.6%.
Induction is more dangerous
Of course, lightning could not be considered unfortunate, because the lightning is part of the global circuit.
"The earth is like a capacitor. Between the ionosphere and the Earth, if the sky is clear, there are electric currents originating from the ionosphere (positively charged) to the negatively charged Earth. This current continues to flow, "said Zorro.
Strangely, the Earth does not burn as well. Apparently there is a cloud lightning, which is balance, because the positive and negative charge. "The positive down to Earth, the negative up to the ionosphere," said Zoro.
In addition, lightning is the cause of a natural process that produces nitrogen fixation nitrogen element. Nitrogen is very important for the growth of trees and fill in around 4 / 5 of Earth's atmosphere. Every year lightning contributed 10 million tons of nitrogen!
However, not all clouds are thunder cloud. Only cumolo nimbus clouds that could produce lightning. Lightning occurs because the discharge from one cloud to cloud nimbus cumolo another, or from a cloud directly toward Earth. The latter is what will bring disaster. Just imagine if the load is carried in a split second could reach 100 million volts. Comparing with the electric chair to execute criminals, who only charged thousands of volts.
In addition to a current impulse into the ground (direct bolt), the lightning also radiates energy in the form of electromagnetic waves or lightning electromagnetic pulse (indirect lightning). With the rapidly growing electronics and microelectronics equipment the last few decades, indirect lightning frightening specter of even distant places (up to 2 km). The fear that because of radiation, induction, and conduction of electromagnetic waves earlier.
Damage to computer installations in Cologne, Germany, in 1989 could be illustrated. A building struck by lightning. Approximately 100 m from the building where there are computers. Due to an increase in voltage caused by lightning strikes it, the computer becomes corrupted. Computer repairs swallow Rp 1 billion, but losses due to a computer at work does not reach USD 4 billion.
To overcome this, the infrastructure that requires electrical power, telecommunications, and process data (such as computer and information systems) should be given protection (lightning protection system, LPS). It is also increasingly necessary tracking system lightning (lightning position & tracking system, LPATS)
Expensive, but remember the benefits
Places with high levels of bolt (both frequency and intensity) should receive first priority in handling. Similarly, the location of high business value (chemical industry, TV transmitters, Telkom, or strategic industries such as hankam and airports) requires protection as optimal as possible. Remember the case of lightning strikes at Cilacap refinery in 1998 which caused a fire for days and most of the equipment consuming, so stop the process of refining?
The use of traditional lightning rods (external) has been known long ago to protect the building or the installation of lightning strikes. Unfortunately, this protection system can only protect the building from fire or destruction. The threat of induction voltage or current over more yet fully absorbed. In fact, this induction is not less dangerous, especially on electronic equipment that is sensitive and expensive. That's where the role of internal protection.
Internal protection means protection against the effects of electronic equipment from lightning currents. The main effect of the magnetic field and electric field in the installation of metal or electrical systems. Due to these households can not be separated from the sensitive electronic equipment, then it's time for the internal protection installed.
Zoro had seen a demo of the importance of internal protection in the household. There was a TV that is not fitted with an internal protective devices (arestor). Television placed in a room and in front of her dolls as a spectator. When there is a bolt of lightning, the TV is off. After the smoke from the explosion was issued, the doll's face was filled with broken glass tube TV. "Very nice demo," he commented.
If judging from the price, "It's expensive." But, when compared with the new benefit was cheap. Can be likened to taking an insurance policy. Just an estimate, for the internal protection in order to protect the computer and the phone will cost about Rp 2 million.
Save with early warning systems
For strategic infrastructure that are vulnerable to induction, in addition to protection, still need to be equipped with early warning systems. With this system, losses can be minimized. A manager of a plant related to the electric company says that could save up to half a million dollars every year by utilizing the system (Scientific American August 1997 edition). With the acquired information, he can stop the plant operation, so avoid induction of lightning, for example.
As a country with the highest day of thunder in the world, Indonesia was already complete by early warning systems. Sophisticated tools from America costing about USD 15 billion is owned by PT Lapi Elpatsindo (ITB-owned company).
When lightning struck the Earth, spreading radiation. Receiver mounted on the Earth will receive radiation. There are 16 receivers in Indonesia, but only eight are operational. From there, the three best sensors send data to the center (Jakarta). Real-time! Areas hit by lightning can be zoom to an area of 15 x 15 km.
Other data that can be obtained is the location of lightning strikes, the time of the lightning, large lightning current amplitude and energy, and wave steepness of lightning. It's just that, according Zoro, not all lightning recorded.
"If all arrested, we are fast storage management. Abroad, storage management in a three-month period. We have a full three months, "said Zoro. Only lightning above the 7 kA arrested. The reason, lightning below 7 kA is not harmful to the equipment home. Given that limitation, the form of optical storage discs can last for eight months.
Lightning data information system is very helpful in calculating the possibility of a bolt of lightning strikes and the number (stroke probability). By using the existing communication systems and the use of the Palapa satellite and GPS, every user in the entire region, and Indonesia can use use this system. With the help of software Video Information System (VIS), we can show an area of 200 km2.
VIS can be operated on almost all PCs. Full menu and user friendly. This will facilitate the completeness of the user to read, analyze, and use of lightning data. So, do not have to be a student of Ki Ageng Selo to be "catching" lightning.
Source:
- Meteorology and Geophysics Agency Indonesia
- Essence Magazine
- Analysis of the influence of induction of indirect lightning strikes - Petra Christian University Surabaya
