Electromagnetic pulse

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the phenomenon in general. For nuclear EMP weapons, see Nuclear
electromagnetic pulse.
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also sometimes called a transient electromagnetic disturbance,
is a short burst of electromagnetic energy. Such a pulse's origination may be a natural occurrence or
man-made and can occur as a radiated, electric or magnetic field or a conducted electric current,
depending on the source. The term "electromagnetic pulse" is commonly abbreviated EMP (which is
pronounced by saying the letters separately, "E-M-P").
EMP interference is generally disruptive or damaging to electronic equipment, and at higher energy
levels a powerful EMP event such as a lightning strike can damage physical objects such as
buildings and aircraft structures. The management of EMP effects is an important branch
of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) engineering.
The damaging effects of high-energy EMP have been used to create EMP weapons. These are
typically divided into nuclear and non-nuclear devices. Such weapons, both real and fictional, have
become known to the public by means of popular culture.
Contents
[hide]

1General characteristics
o

1.1Types of energy

1.2Frequency ranges

1.3Pulse waveforms

1.4Effects

2Types of EMP
o

2.1Lightning

2.2Electrostatic discharge (ESD)

2.3Switching pulses

2.4Nuclear (NEMP) and high altitude nuclear (HEMP)

2.5Non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NNEMP)

2.6Electromagnetic forming

3Control
o

3.1Test simulation

3.1.1Induced pulse simulation

3.1.2Threat pulse simulation

4In fiction and popular culture

5See also

6References

7Sources

8External links

General characteristics[edit]
An electromagnetic pulse is a short burst of electromagnetic energy. Its short duration means that it
will be spread over a range of frequencies. Pulses are typically characterised by:

The type of energy (radiated, electric, magnetic or conducted).

The range or spectrum of frequencies present.

Pulse waveform: shape, duration and amplitude.

The last two of these, the frequency spectrum and the pulse waveform, are interrelated via
the Fourier transform and may be seen as two different ways of describing the same pulse.

Types of energy[edit]
Main article: Electromagnetism
As with any electromagnetic signal, EMP energy may be transferred in any of four forms:

Electric field

Magnetic field

Electromagnetic radiation

Electrical conduction

In general, only radiation acts over long distances, with the others acting only over short distances.
There are a few exceptions, such as a solar magnetic flare.

Frequency ranges[edit]
A pulse of electromagnetic energy typically comprises many frequencies from DC (zero Hz) to some
upper limit depending on the source. The range defined as EMP, sometimes referred to as "DC to
daylight", excludes the highest frequencies comprising the optical (infrared, visible, ultraviolet) and
ionizing (X and gamma rays) ranges.
Some types of EMP events can leave an optical trail, such as lightning and sparks, but these are
side effects of the current flow through the air and are not part of the EMP itself.

Pulse waveforms[edit]
The waveform of a pulse describes how its instantaneous amplitude (field strength or current)
changes over time. Real pulses tend to be quite complicated, so simplified models are often used.
Such a model is typically shown either as a diagram or as a mathematical equation.

Rectangular pulse

Double exponential pulse

Damped sinewave pulse

Most pulses have a very sharp leading edge, building up quickly to their maximum level. The classic
model is a double-exponential curve which climbs steeply, quickly reaches a peak and then decays
more slowly. However, pulses from a controlled switching circuit often take the form of a rectangular
or "square" pulse.
In a pulse train, such as from a digital clock circuit, the waveform is repeated at regular intervals.
EMP events usually induce a corresponding signal in the victim equipment, due to coupling between
the source and victim. Coupling usually occurs most strongly over a relatively narrow frequency
band, leading to a characteristic damped sine wave signal in the victim. Visually it is shown as a high
frequency sine wave growing and decaying within the longer-lived envelope of the doubleexponential curve. A damped sinewave typically has much lower energy and a narrower frequency
spread than the original pulse, due to the transfer characteristic of the coupling mode. In practice,
EMP test equipment often injects these damped sinewaves directly rather than attempting to
recreate the high-energy threat pulses.

Effects[edit]
Minor EMP events, and especially pulse trains, cause low levels of electrical noise or interference
which can affect the operation of susceptible devices. For example, a common problem in the midtwentieth century was interference emitted by the ignition systems of gasoline engines, which
caused radio sets to crackle and TV sets to show stripes on the screen. Laws had to be introduced
to make vehicle manufacturers fit interference suppressors.
At a high voltage level an EMP can induce a spark, for example from an electrostatic discharge
when fuelling a gasoline-engined vehicle. Such sparks have been known to cause fuel-air explosions
and precautions must be taken to prevent them.[1]
A large and energetic EMP can induce high currents and voltages in the victim, damaging electrical
equipment or disrupting its function.
A very large EMP event such as a lightning strike is also capable of damaging objects such as trees,
buildings and aircraft directly, either through heating effects or the disruptive effects of the very large
magnetic field generated by the current. An indirect effect can be electrical fires caused by heating.
Most engineered structures and systems require some form of protection against lightning to be
designed in.
The damaging effects of EMP have led to the introduction of EMP weapons, from tactical missiles
with a small radius of effect to nuclear bombs tailored for maximum EMP effect over a wide area.

Types of EMP[edit]
An EMP arises where the source emits a short-duration pulse of energy. The energy is usually
broadband by nature, although it often excites a relatively narrow-band damped sine wave response
in the victim. Some types are generated as repetitive and regular pulse trains.
Different types of EMP arise from natural, man-made and weapons effects.
Types of natural EMP event include:

Lightning electromagnetic pulse (LEMP). The discharge is typically an initial huge current
flow, at least mega-amps, followed by a train of pulses of decreasing energy.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD), as a result of two charged objects coming into close proximity
or even contact.

Meteoric EMP. The discharge of electromagnetic energy resulting from either the impact of
a meteoroid with a spacecraft or the explosive breakup of a meteoroid passing through the
Earth's atmosphere.[2][3]

Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). A massive burst of gas and magnetic field arising from the
solar corona and being released into the solar wind sometimes referred to as a Solar EMP.[4]

Types of (civil) man-made EMP event include:

Switching action of electrical circuitry, whether isolated or repetitive (as a pulse train).

Electric motors can create a train of pulses as the internal electrical contacts make and break
connections as the armature rotates.

Gasoline engine ignition systems can create a train of pulses as the spark plugs are
energized or fired.

Continual switching actions of digital electronic circuitry.

Power line surges. These can be up to several kilovolts, enough to damage electronic
equipment that is insufficiently protected.

Types of military EMP include:

Nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NEMP), as a result of a nuclear explosion. A variant of this is

the high altitude nuclear EMP (HEMP), which produces a pulse of a much larger amplitude and
different characteristics due to particle interactions with the Earth's atmosphere and
subsequently the Earth's magnetic fields driving an oscillation in electric current after the original
pulse from the particle and ray interactions on the atmosphere.
Non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NNEMP) weapons.

Lightning[edit]
Main article: Lightning
Lightning is unusual in that it typically has a preliminary "leader" discharge of low energy building up
to the main pulse, which in turn may be followed at intervals by several smaller bursts. [5][6]

Electrostatic discharge (ESD)[edit]

Main article: Electrostatic discharge
ESD events are characterised by high voltages of many kV but small currents and sometimes cause
visible sparks. ESD is treated as a small, localised phenomenon, although technically a lightning
flash is a very large ESD event. ESD can also be man-made, as in the shock received from a Van de
Graaff generator.
An ESD event can damage electronic circuitry by injecting a high-voltage pulse, besides giving
people an unpleasant shock. Such an ESD event can also create sparks, which may in turn ignite
fires or fuel-vapour explosions. For this reason, before refuelling an aircraft or exposing any fuel
vapour to the air, the fuel nozzle is first connected to the aircraft to safely discharge any static.

Switching pulses[edit]
The switching action of an electrical circuit creates a sharp change in the flow of electricity. This
sharp change is a form of EMP.
Simple electrical sources include inductive loads such as relays, solenoids, and the brush contacts
in electric motors. Typically these send a pulse of voltage and/or current down any electrical
connections present, as well as radiating a pulse of energy. The amplitude is usually small and the
signal may be treated as "noise" or "interference". The switching off or "opening" of a circuit causes
an abrupt change in the current flowing. This can in turn cause a large pulse in the electric field
across the open contacts, causing arcing and damage. It is often necessary to incorporate design
features to limit such effects.
Electronic devices such as valves, transistors and diodes can also switch on and off very quickly,
causing similar issues. One-off pulses may be caused by solid-state switches and other devices
used only occasionally. By contrast the many millions of transistors in a modern computer may
switch repeatedly at frequencies above 1 GHz, causing interference which appears to be
continuous.

Nuclear (NEMP) and high altitude nuclear (HEMP)[edit]

Main article: Nuclear electromagnetic pulse
A nuclear EMP is the abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation resulting from a nuclear explosion.
The resulting rapidly changing electric fields and magnetic fields may couple with electrical/electronic
systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges.
The intense gamma radiation emitted can also ionize the surrounding air, creating a secondary EMP
as the atoms of air first lose their electrons and then regain them.
NEMP weapons are designed to maximize such EMP effects as the primary damage mechanism,
and some are capable of destroying susceptible electronic equipment over a wide area.
An NEMP warhead designed to be detonated far above the Earth's surface is known as a highaltitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) device. The explosion releases a blast of gamma rays into
the mid-stratosphere, which ionizes and the resultant energetic free electrons interact with the
Earth's magnetic field to produce a much stronger EMP than is normally produced in the denser air
at lower altitudes.

Non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NNEMP)[edit]

Non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NNEMP) is a weapon-generated electromagnetic pulse without
use of nuclear technology. Devices that can achieve this objective include a large lowinductance capacitor bank discharged into a single-loop antenna, a microwave generator and
an explosively pumped flux compression generator. To achieve the frequency characteristics of the
pulse needed for optimal coupling into the target, wave-shaping circuits and/or microwave

generators are added between the pulse source and the antenna. Vircators are vacuum tubes that
are particularly suitable for microwave conversion of high-energy pulses. [7]
NNEMP generators can be carried as a payload of bombs, cruise missiles (such as
the CHAMP missile) and drones, with diminished mechanical, thermal and ionizing radiation effects,
but without the political consequences of deploying nuclear weapons.
The range of NNEMP weapons (non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse bombs) is much less than
nuclear EMP. Nearly all NNEMP devices used as weapons require chemical explosives as their
initial energy source, producing only 106 (one millionth) the energy of nuclear explosives of similar
weight.[8] The electromagnetic pulse from NNEMP weapons must come from within the weapon,
while nuclear weapons generate EMP as a secondary effect.[9] These facts limit the range of NNEMP
weapons, but allow finer target discrimination. The effect of small e-bombs has proven to be
sufficient for certain terrorist or military operations. Examples of such operations include the
destruction of electronic control systems critical to the operation of many ground vehicles and
aircraft.[10]
The concept of the explosively pumped flux compression generator for generating a non-nuclear
electromagnetic pulse was conceived as early as 1951 by Andrei Sakharov in the Soviet Union,[11] but
nations kept work on non-nuclear EMP classified until similar ideas emerged in other nations.

Electromagnetic forming[edit]
Main article: Electromagnetic forming
The large forces generated by electromagnetic pulses can be used to shape or form objects as part
of their manufacturing process.

Control[edit]

EMP simulator HAGII-C testing aBoeing E-4 aircraft.

EMPRESS I (antennae along shoreline) with USS Estocin (FFG-15)moored in the foreground for testing.

Main article: Electromagnetic compatibility

Like any electromagnetic interference, the threat from EMP is subject to control measures. This is
true whether the threat is natural or man-made.
Therefore, most control measures focus on the susceptibility of equipment to EMP effects, and
hardening or protecting it from harm. Man-made sources, other than weapons, are also subject to
control measures in order to limit the amount of pulse energy emitted.
The discipline of ensuring correct equipment operation in the presence of EMP and other RF threats
is known as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

Test simulation[edit]
To test the effects of EMP on engineered systems and equipment, an EMP simulator may be used.
Induced pulse simulation[edit]
Induced pulses are of much lower energy than threat pulses and so are more practicable to create,
but they are less predictable. A common test technique is to use a current clamp in reverse, to inject
a range of damped sine wave signals into a cable connected to the equipment under test. The
damped sine wave generator is able to reproduce the range of induced signals likely to occur.
Threat pulse simulation[edit]
Sometimes the threat pulse itself is simulated in a repeatable way. The pulse may be reproduced at
low energy in order to characterise the victim's response prior to damped sinewave injection, or at
high energy to recreate the actual threat conditions.
A small-scale ESD simulator may be hand-held.
Bench- or room-sized simulators come in a range of designs, depending on the type and level of
threat to be generated.
At the top end of the scale, large outdoor test facilities incorporating high-energy EMP simulators
have been built by several countries.[12][13] The largest facilities are able to test whole vehicles
including ships and aircraft for their susceptibility to EMP. Nearly all of these large EMP simulators
used a specialized version of a Marx generator.[12][13]
Examples include the huge wooden-structured ATLAS-I simulator (also known as TRESTLE)
at Sandia National Labs, New Mexico, which was at one time the world's largest EMP simulator.
[14]
Papers on this and other large EMP simulators used by the United States during the latter part of
the Cold War, along with more general information about electromagnetic pulses, are now in the
care of the SUMMA Foundation, which is hosted at the University of New Mexico. [15][16] The US Navy
also has a large facility called the Electro Magnetic Pulse Radiation Environmental Simulator for
Ships I (EMPRESS I).

In fiction and popular culture[edit]

Main article: Electromagnetic pulse in fiction and popular culture
Lightning has long been used as a dramatic device in popular fiction. In some tellings of
the Frankenstein story, the monster is animated by a lightning strike.
References to EMP weapons in popular fiction go back at least to 1965; however, EMP did not gain
a significant presence until the mid 1980s.[citation needed]
The popular media often depict EMP effects incorrectly, causing misunderstandings among the
public and even professionals, and official efforts have been made in the USA to set the record
straight.[17][18]

Site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

Protecting from emp

Why And How To Protect Your

Gear From EMP
October 18, 2012 by Rob Hanus 73 Comments

Pin this to read later. Its a great How-To

tutorial.

One of the scarier survival events that preppers need to be

concerned about is an attack involving a High-altitude
ElectroMagnetic Pulse, also called HEMP. All nuclear weapons
create EMP, but when detonated high in the atmosphere, the
EMP generated is so massive that it can destroy electronics and
permanently knock out the power grid across the entire country.

Because of this, many preppers are interested in EMP

protection measures for their electronics.
While there have been several venues of entertainment to come
out recently that highlight this type of event, typical of
Hollywood, changes in physics and reality were made to better
suit the plot. Lets take a look at some facts and how you can
protect your sensitive electronic gear from an EMP attack.

Factual information is hard to come by

The first thing that we need to look at is the distinct lack of
information available about EMP and its effects. Most of what
we know is from nuclear tests, both American and Soviet, in the
1960s. Data and information after that period is still highly
classified, so all we have to go on is what has been declassified
from this earlier era of tests. However, this information, along
with a few pieces of recent data, is enough to make some
reasonable projections.
The second thing we need to understand is that a HEMP attack
on the United States is about as bad as it gets. Experts predict
that70% 90% of Americans would be dead within 12 18
months after an EMP attack. The reason for this is the extreme
dependence on electricity and the delocalization of resources,
like food, water and sanitation abilities.

EMP is survivable, but you need to start preparing for it now.

Unlike other disasters, there is no warning or precursor, and no
ability to, finish prepping, once it occurs. EMP is an
instantaneous event. One second after an EMP attack, its
lights out forever.

Just as deadly, the Coronal Mass Ejection

A Coronal Mass Ejection, or CME, is another event that can
take out the entire power grid. When highly charged plasma
particles from the surface of the sun crash into the Earths
magnetosphere, it induces electrical current in long lines of
metal, like wires and pipes. This induction of current will
destroy the transformers needed for power transmission on the
grid, essentially wiping out the ability for power grid to remain
operational.
Get my FREE Special Report, The First 15 Things You Must
Do Immediately After an EMP via email. Sign up here,
However, unlike EMP, a CME event does not destroy electronic
devices, unless they happen to be connected to the power grid
or long lines that will collect the induced current. For more on
the differences between EMP and CME, you can read about
it here.

Why bother protecting electronics?

In this article, were going to be covering how to make a simple

Faraday cage to protect your electronic devices. There are two
main reasons why you want to protect your gear from EMP. The
first is that having the ability to communicate via radio and
generate power, both can give you a huge tactical advantage
when trying to survive in a powerless world.
The second is the massive amount of information that you can
store in digital format. As hardly anyone today remembers how
to do things the, old world, way, this information will allow you
to restart your life at a mid-1800s level.

What is a Faraday cage?

The Faraday cage is named after Michael Faraday, the scientist
who discovered its properties for shielding against
electromagnetic waves, including electricity. You can build
simple Faraday cages at home at a very low cost that will work
just as well as the expensive ones that the government uses.
All it takes is some common household items.
A Faraday cage protects its contents by preventing
electromagnetic energy from getting inside. Expensive Faraday
units use a combination of a fine copper mesh and solid
aluminum. You can build your own at home using aluminum foil
and a galvanized steel trash can. By the way, Faraday shielding
doesnt actually have to be a cage, its simply anything that
blocks electromagnetic radiation.

There are lots of places on the Internet claiming that all you
need to do is put your gear into a microwave oven or Mylar bag
and it will be protected from EMP. It would be wonderful if these
worked, but unfortunately, I am highly skeptical of them. You
can easily to test these and see for yourself.
The frequencies for EMP range from approximately AM radio to
approximately FM radio (actually, EMP frequencies have a
much broader range, but the AM/FM radio comparison is close
enough). AM signals go as low as 540 kHz and the FM radio
band stops at 108 MHz. Dont worry if those frequencies dont
mean anything to you. The important thing to know is that you
can test how effective a container will work at shielding
electromagnetic frequencies, simply by using an AM/FM radio.
First, tune the radio to a strong FM station and turn up the
volume. Put it into the Faraday cage youre testing and listen to
see if the radio station is still being picked up by the radio.
Dont get too excited if it doesnt, as FM signals are very easy to
shield against.
Next, tune the radio to a strong AM station and retest. The low
frequency of AM signals are very good at penetrating objects. If
you cant hear the AM station anymore, thats a good sign.
Anything that can block strong AM and FM radio signals would
probably make a good Faraday cage. Keep in mind, though,

that the power of these signals in your home are relatively weak
(unless you happen to live under a radio tower).
This is important to know because you will see videos online
where people put their cell phones into a microwave, Mylar bag
or some other type of Faraday protection and demonstrate the
effectiveness by showing how the cell phone loses the WiFi and
cell tower signals.
Cell signals are extremely weak to begin with and are very easy
to block. These demonstrations are not good tests for
protecting against EMP. A food grade Mylar bag wont even
stop 11 watts of WiFi signal (a 2.4 GHZ frequency) from
reaching my iPhone when its right next to the wireless router. It
certainly wont stop the destructive pulse from EMP.

I conducted EMP-protection measures tests

myself
When looking for an inexpensive way to protect my electronic
gear from EMP, this author personally tested several methods.
As I mentioned, the tests are imperfect because were only
testing for a certain range of frequencies, but we can get really
good information from these tests.
One test involved being on top of a mountain that was filled with
radio antennas. The collective power of all these radio towers

was 9,000,000 watts of RF (Radio Frequency) energy! Another

test was standing at the base of a 50,000 watt AM station.
So, what worked?
Using the AM/FM radio test, it was found that both Mylar bags
and microwave ovens were not good Faraday cages. Both of
these failed inside my home. They simply did not work well at
all. When I tuned an AM radio to a strong station and put it in
the microwave, I could still here the station. The shielding on a
microwave oven is tuned to block out signals in the 2.4 GHz
range, which is the same as most WiFi routers (most cell
phones are close to this range, too). Thus, when you put your
cell phone in them, its not surprising that they lose signal. They
can also block out most FM radio stations. However, because
of the nature of longer radio waves, AM signals pass right
through the shielding found in the modern microwave oven.
Because Mylar bags are a lot easier to transport than a
microwave oven, they were tested at the radio antennas sites.
Even tightly wrapping the radio in two Mylar bags, the signals
still got through. In fact, the Mylar bags didnt seem to reduce
the RF radiation at all.
It turns out that a very effective EMP protection measure, or
shielding, can be made from aluminum foil. Common heavy
duty aluminum foil successfully blocked all nine million watts of
RF energy from reaching the radios. The radio needed to be

wrapped in three layers, but it worked! For AM signals though, I

needed five layers to successfully block out the RF energy.
This means that you should be able to easily protect your
electronic gear from EMP simply by wrapping it in aluminum
foil. I also found that placing the foil-wrapped radio inside a
galvanized steel trash can greatly increased the effectiveness of
the shielding.

Heres how to do it
To start, heres a few things to keep in mind:

There needs to be a minimum of 3 layers of aluminum foil completely

surrounding the device.

Use a minimum of 5 layers if youre not going to be using a second

layer of shielding, e.g. the metal trash can.

The foil must not contact the device directly, so first wrap it in paper or
cloth. I use cloth.

The foil-wrapped device must not touch the inside of the outer Faraday
container.

In order for the Faraday cage to be effective, the metal needs to

completely surround the device being protected.

Use heavy duty aluminum foil, the thicker the better.

When you wrap your electronic device, its important to prevent

it from touching the foil. Otherwise, its like making an antenna
for the EMP to get right to the item youre trying to protect. You
can protect this by wrapping the device in paper, wax paper, an
envelope or cardboard box. Whichever works best for whatever
youre wrapping in foil. If the device has protrusions, its best to
wrap it in something thicker than thin plastic wrap or paper. Use
a box or envelope of some sort. This will help keep the item
from poking through the foil.

Remove batteries from electronics.

If your device has an antenna that does not retract or fold into
the device and can be removed, go ahead and remove it.
Likewise for any cords or wires. Its not necessary to remove
these, but can make it more difficult to wrap. You dont want to
have any risk of protruding parts poking through the foil, as this
will void any Faraday protection. Just make sure that any wires,
cords and antennas are completely within the foil.
If the device has a removable battery, remove it and store it
separately. The last thing you want is to find out that the
batteries leaked and ruined the equipment that you went to so
much trouble to protect.
You can use anything non-conductive to wrap the devices, here
I used an old sheet and plastic wrap. The cloth sheet prevents
pointy parts of the device from poking through the foil and the
plastic wrap keeps cloth to hold the fabric in place. I could have
used tape, but the plastic wrap is reusable and I can see
through it to make sure that the cloth is in place. I dont use
plastic wrap directly on devices, as I dont want any letters or

print on the device to get stuck to the plastic in long term

storage and come off when I remove the wrap.

All wrapped up.

Wrap the device in the foil, making sure that all areas around
the device have a minimum of 3 layers. If youre not going to be
storing these foil-wrapped items in another Faraday container,
then make sure to wrap 5 layers of foil around the device. In
tests that Ive done, it seems that wrapping each layer
individually seems to work better than folding the foil into a
double layer and then wrapping.
You dont have to wrap up every item individually. You can save
time and space, and avoid the need for cloth and plastic wrap
by putting several devices into a small bag, cloth pouch or box.

Combine gear into a bag.

What if you want to protect devices that have internal batteries
that cant be removed? Many of these items would be helpful in
a post-EMP world, but youll need to determine a way to store
them and periodically recharge the batteries.
Once you have all of your devices wrapped in several layers of
aluminum foil, youve taken a big step in protecting them from
EMP. However, you should place all of these foil-wrapped items
into another layer of Faraday protection, as EMP is an extremely
powerful pulse and every layer between it and the device
diminishes its ability to destroy electronics.
One of the easiest ways to do this second layer is to put them
into a galvanized steel trash can. With a tight fitting lid, its

surprising how well this works.

Because you need to keep the items inside the can from
touching the inside metal of the can, line the trash can with
cardboard. If a foil wrapped item touches the inside of the can,
its like theres only one level of protection, and could end up
focusing the EMP directly towards the device. Not a good thing.

Once you have your items wrapped and your

can lined, place the items in the can and put the lid on. You
may want to duct tape the lid in place, so that it doesnt get
accidentally knocked loose. Any gap between the lid and the
can and it looses its ability to function as a Faraday cage. If you
have space, go ahead and wrap the items in more cloth, to
further protect them from accidentally shifting and causing a
tear or hole in the foil when you move the can.

As you can see from the picture above, there

is a lot of room in a 31 gallon trash can. Pack the items that can
be left sealed in foil indefinitely on the bottom and place on top
the items that need to be checked on or have their batteries
charged. If you happen to fill the can with equipment, make

sure you place cloth or other non-conductive material on top so

that nothing can touch the inside of the can lid or the top around
the sides. Also, make sure that you have a metal to metal
contact between the lid and the can. Dont put paint, tape or
anything that would get between the can and the lid, as this
would likely render the can ineffective as a Faraday cage.
One final note. Should an EMP attack ever happen, dont rush
to open your Faraday cage and start pulling out your gear. The
enemy may pop off the first EMP and then wait a few days or a
week before popping off another one. This way they could
ensure that they are destroying as much as possible.
Consider having two sets of gear in separate Faraday cages.
The first one would be small and only have a few items, like an
AM/FM/Shortwave radio and a few walkie-talkies. Your second
one would be larger and contain all of your main gear, which
you would open only after a reasonable amount of time, or
when you needed the equipment inside.
As you can see, protecting your electronic gear isnt difficult.
While EMP will destroy most electronic equipment and take out
the power grid, by taking simple precautions now, you can
ensure that you have functioning equipment to make the
transition to a whole new way of life a little easier.

CODY GRIFFINFEBRUARY 23, 2014

Protecting Your Devices from

an EMP Attack

Every prepper has his/her own idea of what a major disaster will look like and how
likely it is to occur. However, one of the most catastrophicnot to mention scientifically
plausibleis the EMP strike, which could be either natural or manmade.
EMP stands for electromagnetic pulse, and occurs in the form of a large burst of
electromagnetic radiation that has the potential to disrupt electricity, radio waves,
magnetic fields, Wi-Fi, and most other forms of electric currents we use on a daily basis.
The Effects of an EMP
Whether a potential EMP comes in the form of a manmade nuclear attack or a natural
solar flare, the effects could be disastrous. Granted, the devastation would largely

depend on the strength and severity of the pulse and the location toward which it was
geared.
In the worst-case scenario, an EMP could result in a total grid-down scenario and loss of
all things electricity.
While this would cause most of mankind to resort to primitive measures of survival not
seen since the Dark Ages, certain members of society would fare far worse than others.
Among the most at-risk for prolonged survival after an EMP are the elderly, the
disabled, and young children and babies.
These individuals often require personalized medical care that involves the use of
electronic systems, from diabetes test meters to respiratory aids to heart monitors, the
functionality of which are threatened by an EMP.
Protecting Your Essential Electronics

With so many categories of individual at

heightened risk of losing their life-support systems after an EMP strike, its important to
have backups of the most essential life-sustaining devices stored in EMP-proof
containers for the best chance at long-term.
Again, the effects electronic systems will suffer from an EMP largely depend on its size
and altitude. Some solar flares and low-output nuclear bombs may have very little
electromagnetic effect on the earth, but precautions should be taken nonetheless.
Essentially, anything that can operate on a charge or on batteries when not plugged into
an AC outlet is likely to be spared from an EMP attack. If the device is kept away from
other large metal objects and large swaths of wiring, it should remain relatively
unharmed and continue to operate as long as its charge or batteries last. Some
electronics are inherently EMP-proof, including large electric motors, vacuum tube
equipment, electrical generators, transformers and relays, and other large systems often
housed in surge-resistant housing.

The Faraday Cage

One survival tool for electronically sensitive equipment is the Faraday cage, a metal box
designed to absorb the surge of an EMP without harming its contents. Whatever it is
being stored in the Faraday cage must be insulated from the inside metal surface of the
box, but should otherwise remain protected. Accordingly, the box should be constructed
so that no large gaps or holes are present.
However, many containers are suitable for impromptu Faraday cages including
ammunition cases, metal filing cabinets, truck bed cabinets, and the like. Therefore the
thickness of the box doesnt make much difference in determining its effectiveness
against EMP waves, though thicker metal is likely to work better overall (think a large
safe).
A big myth is that an EMP will wipe out the electronic components of most vehicles. On
the contrary, the metal construction of most cars and trucks act as virtual Faraday cages
for the electronic components contained within. Therefore, if you were to insulate your
vital medical electronics in tin foil, put them in a makeshift Faraday cage, and store it
inside your vehicle, it should be protected from most moderate EMP strikes.
Ultimately, its all about how you insulate and shield your devices. Thus, a washer or
dryer could be used to store some larger or obscurely shaped devices if needed, so long
as all sides are made of metal and have a tightly fitting lid.
For most home and commercial electronic devices, surge protectors and lighting
arrestors serve to protect the systems from failure in the event of a power outage
fortunately they will also protect them against the effects of an EMP. While a powerful
surge could wipe out the grid and shut off electrical services, the devices themselves
would not be harmed if plugged into a surge protector. However, they would need to be
run on a backup power source in the event of this happening.
For better or worse, since we have yet to experience an EMP strike, its unknown as to
how effective surge protectors and resistors will be in a real-world event. In the end, the
best way to protect vital electronics, like those medical devices needed to sustain life, is
to keep them disconnected from external power sources, away from antennas, and
shielded in a well-sealed and insulated Faraday cage.
About EMPs
EMPs are most commonly associated with nuclear blasts, and were first tested under the
American nuclear weapons development of the 1940s and 50s.
EMPs occur with all nuclear explosions, though the effects are much more profound
with larger magnitude blasts. The earth generally absorbs nuclear attacks close to the

ground, like those experienced at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, so the effects of an EMP are
confined to the areas affected by the blast and subsequent heat wave. As the size and
altitude of a nuclear blast increases, so too do the potential for greater EMP effects.
Thus, an EMP would deliver the most devastating effects to earth if a nuclear weapon
exploded in spaceor high in the earths atmosphere. This would cause the gamma
radiation released by the blast to strip electrons from the upper levels of the atmosphere
and create electromagnetic radiation levels capable of disrupting most of earths
electronic systems.
Accordingly, scientists and astronomers have long been studying the effects of the
radiation produced by solar flares. As far back as 1859 with the Carrington Event (from
August 28 till September 2), the largest geomagnetic storm ever recorded occurred and
disabled telegraph systems all across Europe and North America.

A study conducted by Lloyds of London and the United States Atmospheric and
Environmental Research (AER) estimated the results of such a storm would have a $2.6
trillion effect on the world economy.
More recently, a series of solar storms in the 1970s was substantial enough to bring an
end to the widespread use of CB radios, in addition to disrupting commercial radio and
television transmissions.
Like any disaster, theres no way of knowing the true effects of an EMP until it actually
happens. Ideally, we will never know what that experience is like, as it could mean utter
devastation for most of mankind in its worse form.
For those dealing with life-threatening medical issues, losing access to electricity may be
a life and death scenario. Most evidence suggests the likelihood of a worst-case scenario
is slim, but if your life depends on it you should take the necessary precautions.

Faraday cage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this
article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (July 2008)

Faraday cage

A British soldier in 1944 being treated with a diathermy machine. This machine produced radio waves, so to
keep it from causing interference with other electronic equipment in the hospital the procedure is done inside a
Faraday cage.

Faraday shield at Art Nouveau power plant in Heimbach, Germany

A Faraday cage or Faraday shield is an enclosure formed by conductive material or by a mesh of

such material, used to block electric fields. Faraday cages are named after the English
scientist Michael Faraday, who invented them in 1836.[1]

Video of a Faraday cage shielding a man from electricity

A Faraday cage operates because an external electrical field causes the electric charges within the
cage's conducting material to be distributed such that they cancel the field's effect in the cage's
interior. This phenomenon is used to protect sensitive electronic equipment from external radio
frequency interference (RFI). Faraday cages are also used to enclose devices that produce RFI,
such as radio transmitters, to prevent their radio waves from interfering with other nearby equipment.
They are also used to protect people and equipment against actual electric currents such
as lightning strikes and electrostatic discharges, since the enclosing cage conducts current around
the outside of the enclosed space and none passes though the interior.
Faraday cages cannot block static or slowly varying magnetic fields, such as the Earth's magnetic
field (a compass will still work inside). To a large degree, though, they shield the interior from
external electromagnetic radiation if the conductor is thick enough and any holes are significantly
smaller than the wavelength of the radiation. For example, certain computer forensic test procedures
of electronic systems that require an environment free of electromagnetic interference can be carried
out within a screened room. These rooms are spaces that are completely enclosed by one or more
layers of a fine metal mesh or perforated sheet metal. The metal layers are grounded to dissipate
any electric currents generated from external or internal electromagnetic fields, and thus they block a
large amount of the electromagnetic interference. See also electromagnetic shielding.
The reception or transmission of radio waves, a form of electromagnetic radiation, to or from
an antenna within a Faraday cage is heavily attenuated or blocked by the cage.
Contents
[hide]

1History

2Operation

3Examples

4In popular culture

5See also

6References

7External links

History[edit]
In 1836, Michael Faraday observed that the excess charge on a charged conductor resided only on
its exterior and had no influence on anything enclosed within it. To demonstrate this fact, he built a
room coated with metal foil and allowed high-voltage discharges from an electrostatic generator to
strike the outside of the room. He used an electroscope to show that there was no electric charge
present on the inside of the room's walls.
Although this cage effect has been attributed to Michael Faraday's famous ice pail
experiments performed in 1843, it was Benjamin Franklin in 1755 who observed the effect by
lowering an uncharged cork ball suspended on a silk thread through an opening in an electrically
charged metal can. In his words, "the cork was not attracted to the inside of the can as it would have
been to the outside, and though it touched the bottom, yet when drawn out it was not found to be
electrified (charged) by that touch, as it would have been by touching the outside. The fact is
singular." Franklin had discovered the behavior of what we now refer to as a Faraday cage or shield
(based on Faraday's later experiments which duplicated Franklin's cork and can). [2]

Operation[edit]

Animation showing how a Faraday cage (box)works. When an external electrical field (arrows) is applied,
the electrons (little balls) in the metal move to the left side of the cage, giving it a negative charge, while the
remaining unbalanced charge of the nuclei give the right side a positive charge. These induced charges create
an opposing electric field that cancels the external electric field throughout the box.

A Faraday cage is best understood as an approximation to an ideal hollow conductor. Externally or

internally applied electromagnetic fields produce forces on the charge carriers (usually electrons)
within the conductor; the charges are redistributed accordingly (that is,electric currents are
generated). Once the charges have rearranged so as to cancel the applied field inside, the currents
stop.
If a charge is placed inside an ungrounded Faraday cage, the internal face of the cage becomes
charged (in the same manner described for an external charge) to prevent the existence of a field
inside the body of the cage. However, this charging of the inner face re-distributes the charges in the
body of the cage. This charges the outer face of the cage with a charge equal in sign and magnitude
to the one placed inside the cage. Since the internal charge and the inner face cancel each other
out, the spread of charges on the outer face is not affected by the position of the internal charge
inside the cage. So for all intents and purposes, the cage generates the same DCelectric field that it
would generate if it were simply affected by the charge placed inside. The same is not true for
electromagnetic waves.

If the cage is grounded, the excess charges will go to the ground instead of the outer face, so the
inner face and the inner charge will cancel each other out and the rest of the cage will retain a
neutral charge.
Effectiveness of shielding of a static electric field depends upon the geometry of the conductive
material. In the case of a nonlinear varying electric field, and hence an accompanying varying
magnetic field, the faster the variations are (i.e., the higher the frequencies), the better the material
resists penetration, but on the other hand, the better it passes through a mesh of given size. In this
case the shielding also depends on the electrical conductivity of the conductive materials used in the
cages, as well as their thicknesses.

Examples[edit]

Faraday cages are routinely used in analytical chemistry to reduce noise while making
sensitive measurements.

A Faraday cage was used in 2013 by the Vatican to shield the Sistine Chapel from electronic
eavesdropping during the secret papal conclave to elect the next pope.[3]

Automobile and airplane passenger compartments are essentially Faraday cages, protecting
passengers from electric charges, such as lightning

A booster bag (shopping bag lined with aluminium foil) acts as a Faraday cage. It is often
used by shoplifters to steal RFID-tagged items.[4]

Similar containers are used to resist RFID skimming.

A home-made Faraday cage at the University of Arizona in Dr. Michael Heien's Lab

Elevators and other rooms with metallic conducting frames and walls simulate a Faraday
cage effect, leading to a loss of signal and "dead zones" for users of cellular phones, radios, and
other electronic devices that require external electromagnetic signals. During training firemen
and other first responders are cautioned that their two-way radios will probably not work inside
elevator cars and to make allowances for that. Small, physical Faraday cages are used by
electronics engineers during equipment testing to simulate such an environment to make sure
that the device gracefully handles these conditions.

Austin Richards, a physicist in California, created a metal Faraday Suit in 1997 that protects
him from Tesla Coil discharges. In 1998, he named the character in the suit Doctor MegaVolt
and has performed all over the world and at Burning Man 9 different years.

Some electrical linemen wear Faraday suits, which allow them to work on live, high
voltage power lines without risk of electrocution. The suit prevents electric current from

flowing through the body, and has no theoretical voltage limit. Linemen have successfully
worked even the highest voltage (Kazakhstan's EkibastuzKokshetau line 1150 kV) lines
safely.[citation needed]

The scan room of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine is designed as a Faraday
cage. This prevents external RF (radio frequency) signals from being added to data collected
from the patient, which would affect the resulting image. Radiographers are trained to identify
the characteristic artifacts created on images should the Faraday cage be damaged during
a thunderstorm.

A microwave oven utilizes a Faraday cage, which can be partly seen covering the
transparent window, to contain the electromagnetic energy within the oven and to shield the
exterior from radiation.

Plastic bags that are impregnated with metal are used to enclose electronic toll
collection devices during shipment to the customer, so that a toll charge is not registered if the
delivery truck carrying the item passes through a toll booth.[citation needed]

The shield of a screened cable, such as USB cables or the coaxial cable used for cable
television, protects the internal conductors from external electrical noise and prevents the RF
signals from leaking out.