EMC and Circuit Protection


The emerging threat of tactical electromagnetic interference and its


spread into non-defence sectors By Paul Currie, director, MPE Ltd D


uring the past five years intentional electromagnetic interference (IEMI) has emerged as a credible and increasingly likely threat to commercial and


defence facilities alike, with a potentially crippling cost to individual organisations of such a localised attack.


Hollywood has long used electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) phenomena as the de facto basis for sensational blockbuster movies. As far back as 1952, the classic science fiction film “The Day


Paul Currie, director, MPE Ltd


the Earth Stood Still” featured the widespread effects of such an EMP event, with cars stopping, lights going out and radios being silenced. More recently, “Ocean’s Eleven” saw Don Cheadle’s character activate an EMP generator, inadvertently blacking out most of Las Vegas.


Similarly, since the 1990’s, the electronics community has been discussing and reporting on the potential large-scale effects from such EMI and EMP events. Papers and presentations on the effects


of a pulse generated by a high-altitude, nuclear type detonation (HEMP), or from natural phenomena such as geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) from solar storms, have become almost commonplace. The Lloyd’s Report entitled “The Solar Storm Risk to the North American Electric Grid” published in 2013 is just one example. The impacts of such EMP events have also been widely acknowledged, with several guidelines and standards being published, such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s continues on page 46


Portable DIY EMP device


44 September 2022


Components in Electronics


www.cieonline.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62