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Effects of High-Power Microwave Pulses on Electronic Systems

This research can be applied to designing electronic circuits to be less vulnerable to damage from radiation.

A five-year program comprising several coordinated research efforts was devoted to increasing understanding and developing capabilities for computational modeling of the effects of high-power microwave (HPM) radiation upon electronic circuits and upon systems that comprise or include electronic circuits. The HPM radiation of primary interest in

this program included both narrow-band and ultra-wide-band (UWB) pulsed radiation. Whether aimed at electronic equipment deliberately or inadvertently, either type of radiation can, potentially, cause damage and/or adversely affect operation. The knowledge gained from this program can help in designing future electronic circuits and systems to be less vulnerable to damage and disruption by incident HPM/UWB radiation.

A Box With a Feed Wire that passes through a square hole on one side and is connected to an electronic circuit inside is a simple example of electronic systems and structures addressed in the research described in the text.

Key to the technical approach followed in this research is the concept of electromagnetic topology, according to which the problem of modeling a complex electromagnetic system is subdivided into smaller pieces that can be analyzed separately with high accuracy and efficiency. Each piece is treated as an N-port (where N is an integer) network and represented by a generalized scattering matrix. The electromagnetic coupling of all the pieces is modeled through the cascade of all the scattering matrices.

The major contributions of

this program include the following:

  • Capabilities for computational simulation of penetration and coupling of HPM/UWB radiation from exterior or interior sources into electronic systems and into structures that contain such systems were developed and were applied in sample problems. Examples of such structures include aircraft, ground vehicles, and equipment boxes with cracks, doors, and/or other apertures that may accommodate wires and/or antennas (see figure). Exterior and interior features of systems and of apertures through which electromagnetic radiation penetrates systems are taken into account. Following the electromagnetic-topology approach, a system is divided into many sub-systems (pieces), each of which can be analyzed thoroughly by any of several computer programs that solve the applicable electromagnetic-field equations by, variously, a frequency- domain integral-equation moment method, a hybrid finite-element method, or a time-domain integral-equation method.
  • Computer programs for simulating nonlinear and linear transient responses of digital circuits to penetrating HPM/UWB signals were developed. One of these programs is a network-oriented nonlinear- transient simulator based on a model that goes beyond the model embodied in the now-traditional Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) general-purpose analog-integrated-circuit- simulating software. This program accounts for the distributed electromagnetic nature of coupling paths, and of components having sizes that are significant fractions of wavelengths, while fully accommodating both small-signal and large signal models of nonlinear electronics. Another program implements electrical- circuit models for coupling paths to be used in the nonlinear-transient simulator. A third program affords an electromagnetic- modeling capability for converting the radiated and conducted electromagnetic interference signals into a set of noise sources to be used in the nonlinear-transient simulator. An important feature of this development is separation of the electromagnetic-field analysis from the nonlinear-circuit analysis, with the understanding that the dimensions of electronically nonlinear components are much smaller than the smallest wavelengths of electromagnetic interference.
  • Analyses of responses of selected digital circuits and systems to incident HPM/UWB signals, by means of nonlinear transient simulations, were performed in an effort to gain high-level understanding of the effects of HPM/UWB signals on the behaviors of such circuits and systems. Effects of interest included alterations of components of the circuits and alterations of digital logic states (bit errors). SPICE and the nonlinear- transient-simulating programs described above were used in these analyses.
  • In recognition of the approximate nature of computational simulations, an effort was devoted to development of capabilities and methods for validation of the various models and simulation capabilities summarized above. This included efforts to develop theoretical, experimental, and computational capabilities for assessing the accuracy of numerical data from selected subsets of pieces of computationally modeled systems. The fruits of this effort include several exact solutions for penetration of signals into, and radiation and scattering of signals from, bodies having simple shapes.

This work was done by Piergiorgio L. E. Uslenghi, Erricolo, Danilo, Hung Yu David Yang, and Shantanu Dutt of the University of Illinois at Chicago; Michael A. Bridgwood, Chalmers M. Butler, Anthony Q. Martin, and Frederick M. Tesche of Clemson University; Donald R. Wilton and David R. Jackson of the University of Houston; John L. Volakis of Ohio State University; Andreas C. Cangellaris of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign; and Pinaki Mazumder, Eric Michielssen, and V. V. Liepa of the University of Michigan for the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

AFRL-0094

Topics:
Computer simulation Computer software and hardware Education and training Electronic control systems Electronic equipment Electronics & Computers Hazardous materials Hazards and emergency operations Integrated circuits People and personalities Radiation Research and development Simulation and modeling Simulators
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
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Effects of High-Power Microwave Pulses on Electronic Systems

(reference AFRL-0094) is currently available for download from the TSP library.

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    Defense Tech Briefs Magazine

    This article first appeared in the August, 2008 issue of Defense Tech Briefs Magazine (Vol. 2 No. 4).

    Read more articles from the archives here.

    Overview

    The document is a final report detailing research conducted under a grant focused on understanding and modeling the effects of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) interactions with electronic circuits and systems. The research involved a collaborative effort from six universities: University at Illinois at Chicago, Clemson University, Ohio State University, University of Houston, University of Michigan, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The project spanned from June 15, 2001, to August 31, 2006.

    The research is structured around four major tasks. The first task involves characterizing the coupling mechanisms that guide electromagnetic energy from sources to electronic components. This includes developing frequency-domain and time-domain solvers for large-scale systems, validated through measurements and comparisons with canonical solutions to scattering and penetration problems.

    The second task focuses on characterizing spurious waveforms at the input ports of electronic systems. A full-wave three-dimensional analysis of linear passive systems is developed to convert radiating and conducting electromagnetic interference (EMI) into noise sources affecting nonlinear active circuits. A network-oriented nonlinear transient simulator is also created for analyzing both small-signal and large-signal behaviors of nonlinear electronics, considering the distributed nature of coupling paths and EMI sources.

    The third task aims to determine conditions for induced changes in logic states and alterations of logic functions in digital circuits and computer systems. This includes a fault-tolerance analysis to classify, monitor, and control various program errors under electromagnetic threats.

    The fourth task consists of experiments to validate predictions regarding electromagnetic penetration and coupling, as well as circuit and system fault models. The report highlights significant progress made over the past 30 years in understanding and mitigating the effects of nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NEMP) fields on electrical systems, including the development of guidelines for protection methods and designs for hardening systems against such threats.

    The document also notes the publication of 238 research papers, including technical reports and journal articles, and the completion of an advanced graduate course on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and EMI. A total of 47 students received MS and PhD degrees related to the project, showcasing its impact on education and research in the field. Overall, the report emphasizes the importance of addressing the challenges posed by ultrawide-band and high-power microwave sources in modern electronic systems.

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