Engineering Commons^™

National Infrastructure Protection Priorities For Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse (Emp) And Solar Storm Geomagnetic Disturbance Catastrophes, George H. Baker Iii

George H Baker

The Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack has provided a compelling case for protecting civilian infrastructure against the effects of EMP and geomagnetic disturbances (GMD) caused by severe solar storms. Similar to protecting critical infrastructure against any hazard, it will be important to take a risk-based priority approach for these two electromagnetic threats, recognizing that it will be fiscally impracticable to protect everything. In this regard, EMP and GMD are particularly challenging in that they interfere with electrical and electronic data, control, transmission, and communication systems organic to nearly all critical infrastructures, simultaneously, …

Protecting The Electric Power Grid From Electromagnetic Pulse: Legal And Policy Aspects, George H. Baker Iii, William R. Harris, Thomas S. Popik

George H Baker

Since the release of the 2004 and 2008 reports of the congressionally-authorized Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack (“EMP Commission”), there has been a growing societal realization that civilian infrastructure is vulnerable to electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threats. And among the DHS list of critical infrastructure sectors, the electric power grid is both the most vulnerable, because EMP couples most efficiently to long power lines, and the most critical, because the grid is the keystone infrastructure upon which all other infrastructures depend. Simply put, grid failure is an existential threat to national governance and …

High Power Electromagnetic Weapons: A Brief Tutorial, George H. Baker Iii

George H Baker

High power electromagnetic weapons, also referred to as high power radiofrequency (HPRF) weapons, are a type of directed energy weapons. The system effects of high power electromagnetic environments are well recognized by world scientific and military communities. Former CIA Director John Deutch has said that, "the electron is the ultimate precision-guided weapon." In the course of the investigation ofnuclear EMP effects on electronics during the Cold War period, it became evident that garden variety, unprotected electronics would malfunction, in some cases burn out, in the presence of electromagnetic fields in the hundreds to thousands of volts per meter. The EMP …

Investigation Of Stun Guns As Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (Emi) Sources, George H. Baker, Ryan C. Tuttle

George H Baker

Determined malefactors have demonstrated the use of common systems as effective weapons against civilian infrastructures, e.g. commercial jetliners used as kinetic weapons and cell phones used to trigger explosive devices. This undergraduate research project investigated the possibility of using readily available stun gun devices for electro-magnetic interference with or disruption of personal computers. At present, the system effects of high power electromagnetic sources are well recognized by world scientific and military communities. Former CIA Director John Deutch has said that, "the electron is the ultimate precision-guided weapon."1 There has been much research on the deleterious effects of pulsed voltages and …

Investigation Of Stun Guns As Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (Emi) Sources, George H. Baker, Ryan C. Tuttle

George H Baker

Because the operation and control of most critical infrastructures are highly dependent on electronics, it is important to understand the vulnerability of those electronics to intentional electromagnetic interference (EMI). The possibility of interference using readily available consumer devices is a particular concern. We investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of using compact stun guns to intentionally interfere with electronic systems. Test articles included individual computers and computers networked through a central hub. 60KV and 600KV devices were used in the experiments. Results indicate that stun guns are effective in disabling digital electronic systems.

Nuclear Emp Hardening Approach As The Basis For Unified Electromagnetic Environmental Effects Protection, George H. Baker Iii

George H Baker

Operation DESERT STORM demonstrated the clear military advantage that was provided by our sophisticated electronic C4I and weapons systems. High tech means so dominate the battlefield that the outcome of future conflicts could be decided by electronics attrition rather than human casualties. However, the electromagnetic threat landscape is highly complex. The already formidable list of environments (EMI, lighting, ESD, EMP, HERO, TEMPEST, EW, etc.) is lengthened by emerging threats from high power microwave (HPM) and ultra-wide band (UWB) electromagnetic weapons. Many of these environments overlap in the frequency and amplitude of the electrical stresses they create.

The large number of …

Emp Analysis Of An Fm Communications Radio With A Long Wire Antenna, George H. Baker Iii, Werner J. Stark

George H Baker

A Norton equivalent circuit is developed for a long-wire antenna used with a VHF man-pack FM radio exposed to an incident electromagnetic pulse (EMP). The required short-circuit current and antenna impedance are computed by use of a transmission-line model for the antenna, and the computations are compared with measurements of the short-circuit current and antenna impedance. The comparison shows that the transmission-line model for the antenna is adequate for performing a vulnerability analysis of the radio. A network model is developed for a portion of the radio and is used as the load in the Norton equivalent circuit. Load currents …