Hafizha Mulyasih, a doctoral student at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI) received the Frederick W. Mowrer Global Scholar Award from the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) for her contribution to the development of knowledge related to fire science in developing countries. The award was announced through SFPE’s official social media account on August 2, 2022. Hafizha was selected for her research entitled “Study of Peat Smoldering Combustion and Suppression Methods using an Integrated Experimental Rig at Laboratory-Scaled” under the guidance of Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering FTUI Prof. Ir. Yulianto Sulistyo Nugroho, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Prof. Yulianto explained that the integrated system that has been developed allows a comprehensive analysis of the burning nature of smoldering peat, calculation of the emission factor released by peat when it burns, as well as an examination of several extinguishing fire method that can be carried out. So far, peat samples from Riau, Central Kalimantan, and Papua have been studied using the integrated system.
If peat fires in the dry season are not controlled and extinguished quickly and carefully, they can continue for a long time and spread over a large area. The low intensity of rain in the dry season and limited water sources are the major challenges to tackling large-scale smoldering fires. The difficulty of extinguishing peat fires is also due to the potential forhotspots to spread in the subsurface layer of the peat. Therefore, Hafizha’s research also focused on laboratory-scale testing of peat fire suppression, using a water injection method directly into the hotspots below the peat surface.
“The water injection method can be applied for the initial response to peatland smoldering fires in areas close to residential areas. Through this experimental activity, better insight is obtained about handling peat fires by observing the effectiveness of extinguishing time and the amount of water needed to extinguish them. The injection method can be an effective solution for direct initial extinguishing efforts at hotspots in the deep layers of peat, especially during the dry season,” said Hafizha.
She added, “The effectiveness of the water injection method in early suppression of smoldering peat fires in Indonesia can be further enhanced by integrating the use of drone technology equipped with visual cameras and thermal cameras, to identify the location of hotspots in burning peatlands more precisely.”
“Early identification is important for peat fire mitigation. I hope that the research outcome of Prof. Yulianto and Hafizha can contribute to a better understanding of water injection technology for early mitigation of peat fires. Hopefully, in the future, this technology can bring more benefits and involve more parties in efforts to prevent wildfires and peatland fires, especially in areas that have a risk of forest and land fires, “said the Dean of FTUI Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU.
SFPE is an international organization working in the field of fire protection engineering. SPFE established the SPFE Foundation, which is engaged in education and research in 1979 in the United States. The awarding and conferring plaques upon the recipients of the SFPE Awards will be held simultaneously with the SFPE Annual Conference and Expo on October 12-14, 2022 at the Detroit Marriott, the Renaissance Center, Michigan, USA. At the time this news is written, Dr. Hafizha Mulyasih, S.T., M.T., had been able to defend her dissertation at the Doctoral Promotion Examination, and had attended the UI Graduation Ceremony, on September 11, 2022, as one of the best graduates from the Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Study Program of FTUI.
