Damage Analysis on RF Front-end System affected by High Power Electromagnetic Pulse

Abstract

Modern warfare is dependant on the development of military technologies and on its level. Because the modern warfare is based on electronic devices, High Power Electromagnetic(HPEM) is a fatal factor on the warfare. As the power of HPEM increased recently, the dangerousness increased and the study on it is required. HPEM couples to devices in two way: one is front-door coupling and the other is a back-door coupling. The front-door coupling means the coupling to power receivers such as antennas and sensors. Back-door coupling means the coupling through unintended path such as lines and gap of devices. Front-door coupling is more dangerous and have more induced power than the latter because HPEM couples through intended path. RF system is main researching object of this paper. In this paper, the damage phenomena of RF front-end system by HPEM is analyzed. To analyze the damage phenomena, the integrated circuital model is suggested. The detail subject as follows: 1) HPEM generator 2) HPEM propagation 3) Damage analysis on RF front-end. HPEM generator part is composed of marx generator which is pulsed power generator and vircator which is microwave source. Marx generator is suggested considering realistic part. Vircator model is suggested to calculate its efficiency through the circuit model. HPEM propagation part is composed of the loss from transmitting antenna to receiving antenna. When it is plane wave, electric field, magnetic field, and power of electro-magnetic wave is converted into each voltage, current, and power of circuit element. Loss is represented using serial-parallel connection of resistance and the resistance variation with distances is formulated. The characteristics of the model is that it correspond to the variation of propagation distance using generalized nth-stage model. Damage analysis on RF front-end part include the break down phenomena when the penetrated power is reached to RF-system. To support the nonlinear breakdown phenomena, imitating experiments is conducted. Penetrated voltage is decided using simulation result, and the breakdown phenomena is deduced through repetitive breakdown imitating experiments. Finally, the integrated circuital model for damage analysis of RF front-end system due to HPEM is suggested. The breakdown phenomena is changing with HPEM power, propagation distance, the characteristics of antenna, and etc. Through this paper, the breakdown phenomena is predicted correspond to various HPEM environment and prepare for damage.