Designing for N.E.M.P. protection.

One of Peritus Power's main field of expertise lies in NEMP protection of equipment. Responsible for a detection and protection nuclear circumvention device still in production today, this technology can be designed into any electronic equipment. Filters are available to protect against the EMP portion of the nuclear event, these filters typically protect against a number of line conditions:

• HEMP, High Altitude EMP

• NEMP, Nuclear EMP

• EMP, Electro Magnetic Pulse

• Lightning and General Line Surge Conditions

Although power supplies can be protected to a certain degree against NEMP with line filters to assist with the EMP pulse, this does not solve the problem of radiation exposure when protecting devices downstream of the on board DC DC converters. The residual energy left in the integrated circuits could still destroy the electronics, due to residual voltages within the circuit during the ionizing radiation pulse.

To ensure complete NEMP protection, the design has to be protected from the inception. Peritus Power can advise on these designs without adding significant cost. We can provide solutions in situations whereby all the components within a design cannot be procured as radiation hardened devices. NEMP circumvention offers detection of an event and controlled protection shortly afterwards, ensuring equipment can power up and function, even in a radioactive environment.

The normal effect of man made weapons exhibit the same effects on electronics irrespective of nuclear or standard explosive devices. The damaging characteristic associated with a nuclear weapon is that of ionizing radiation, this radiation can do more damage than the effects of heat and blast. The ionizing radiation is emitted within the first 60 seconds of an explosion known as initial radiation, this is a function of the nuclear processes that occur at and during detonation. Approximately One minute after the detonation, residual radiation otherwise known as fallout from the decay of radioisotopes is emitted. This process can last for some considerable time.

Contact Us For N.E.M.P Requirements.

All electronic designs can be protected from NEMP. With careful design, non radiation hard designs can be designed to survive these events, critical parts can be designed to survive the event without removing power, whilst remaining circuits can be controlled in safe states throughout the event. Later military designs carried out by Peritus Power survive these events with the use of mainly industrial components, although full military specification parts are required for certain areas of the design, they are the minority.

Some will say "we don't need that kind of protection, in a nuclear event it will all be over anyway". Is this true?

• Hiroshima survived and today thrives as a populated community
• The threat may well come from an EMP weapon, same effects as the nuclear device, but without the heat and blast, electronics, power grids would be destroyed for a considerable time.
• Life continues after a nuclear event, more deaths would result from radiation effects and loss of infrastructure. It is imperative that vital communications are designed for survival.
• Power infrastructure may be damaged, but temporary power would be supplied by generators. The generators are of little use if all the electronics have been destroyed electrically during the initial event.

Peritus Power can provide design and consultation around any equipment that requires protection from NEMP, from the detection of the event, to the circumvention and protection of equipment after the event.

We retain key links into military sub-contractors capable of building and testing this requirement.