Jakarta, domclub Indonesia
—
Fire
What happened to the Terra Drone Building in Central Jakarta and caused at least 22 people to die is thought to have started from a battery in the building.Drone batteries, especially in the agricultural sector, Terra Drone’s business area, use lithium-type materials.
Terra Drone Group is a technology company related to drones and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) for industry.This Japan-based company was founded in February 2016.
Terra Drone Indonesia, which was acquired in 2019, was previously known as PT Aero Geosurvey Indonesia.This company has two offices, namely in Cempaka Baru, Central Jakarta and Cicendo, Bandung City.
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Terra Drone Indonesia provides drone utilization services for various industries, ranging from energy, oil and gas, construction and infrastructure, mining, transmission and power generation, plantations, land and city planning, disaster, marine and offshore to entertainment.
According to the explanation on the site
Terra Drones
, there are two types of batteries used for agricultural drones, namely Lithium Polymer (LiPo) and Lithium-ion (Li-ion).
LiPo batteries are the most common type of battery used in spraying drones.This battery is said to be light, powerful and capable of carrying heavy loads.
However, LiPo batteries are known to be very sensitive.These batteries can expand, lose stability and even explode if handled improperly.
Meanwhile Li-ion batteries are designed for stability and longer service life.Although heavier, the chemistry of these batteries makes them safer and less prone to swelling.
One drone company, EFT, often relies on LiPo batteries.Meanwhile, DJI agricultural drones choose to use Li-ion batteries to balance safety with consistent performance.
The compromise is that Li-ion output power is lower than LiPo, so these batteries are more suitable for mapping or monitoring rather than heavy spraying.
Reasons why drone batteries can catch fire
Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief Kombes Pol Susatyo Purnomo Condro said the fire at the Terra Drone building was thought to be caused by the drone’s battery catching fire.
“From the information above, it is only temporary because the battery, yes, the battery from the drone caught fire. However, the reason it caught fire is that currently the laboratory team is still working,” he told reporters, Jakarta, Tuesday (9/12).
Susatyo also explained that he would study this fire further.
“Of course, we will examine these causes again, whether these causes are also related to negligence or whether other parties are responsible. Including permits and so on, of course we will carry out further investigations,” he said.
Previously, Susatyo said this afternoon that the battery suspected to have caused the fire was on the 1st floor of one of the warehouses.
“At around 12.30 there was a battery on the 1st floor, that was the one that caught fire. Then it was extinguished by employees, then it turned out that the burning battery spread because on the 1st floor this is one of the warehouses,” Susatyo told reporters.
Based on Terra Drone’s explanation on its website, there are several things that might trigger the lithium battery on a drone to explode and catch fire as follows:
– Overcharging causes overheating.
–
Overheating
during flight it can damage the battery cells.
– Physical damage such as a fall or puncture may cause an internal short circuit.
– Poor storage can weaken battery stability if the battery is left in extreme temperatures or stored fully charged for too long.
When these conditions occur together, battery cells can leak
thermal runaway
, a rapid chain reaction that ends in a fire or explosion.
To prevent fire and explosion incidents from occurring, there are several mitigation steps that can be taken:
1. Always use
chargers
recommended by the manufacturer.
2. Never leave a charging battery unattended.
3. Allow the battery to cool before recharging after the flight.
4. Check for swelling, leaks or dents before each use.
5. Store in a fireproof container at room temperature, and leave the battery half-charged if it will not be used for several weeks.
6. Use batteries interchangeably throughout the fleet to ensure even wear.
Drone batteries have a high risk of fire and explosion if maintenance is neglected.Explosion may occur due to overcharging,
overheating
, and actual damage can be prevented with proper management.
(lom/fea)
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