Investigation of the behavior of protection elements against field radiated line coupled UWB-pulses

Abstract

To protect electronic systems against electromagnetic interferences in general nonlinear protection circuits are used. These protection circuits are optimized mostly against special transient interferences such as lightning electromagnetic pulses (LEMP) or electromagnetic pulses caused by nuclear explosions (NEMP). Previous investigations have shown that these protection elements could be undermined by so-called ultra wideband (UWB) pulses. Thereby a direct charge of the UWB-pulse to the elements has been assumed. This assumption was a worst case approximation because in practice UWB-pulses only get into systems by coupling effects. In this investigation the behavior of typical nonlinear protection elements has been tested with field radiated line coupled UWB-pulses. For that line coupled UWB-pulses have been defined depending on the coupling behavior of typical electronic systems and a possibility of generation of this kind of pulses is presented. After it typical nonlinear protection elements such as spark gaps, varistors and protection diodes have been tested with the previously defined test pulses. Finally the measured behavior of the elements has been compared with the behavior by direct charged UWB-pulses and the protection effect of the elements against field radiated line coupled UWB-pulses is re-evaluated.