TINY OFF-GRID HOUSE PROTECTION FROM AN ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE (EMP) & CORONAL MASS EJECTION (CME)
Photo Courtesy of HT Tech
Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) waves and Electromagnetic Pulses (EMP) are a concern for both on and off-grid electrical power systems.
CME’s are magnetic solar storms that originates on the suns’ corona and ejects energized gas particles out in to space. A CME can sometimes be larger than the diameter of the Sun. Solar flares are smaller versions of these eruptions; usually confined to the area of the sunspots.
The magnetic field surrounding the Earth does offer protection from the waves of charged particles and radiation ejected from the sun. However, the Earths magnetic field is not impregnable.
The earliest recorded CME occurred on September 1 - 2, 1859, known as the Carrington Event, which impacted the early telegraph system. It is estimated, this CME had the energy of 10 billion atomic bombs. The next recorded natural events occurred in August of 1972 in Vietnam where CME’s detonated sea mines in Haiphong Harbor and on March 13, 1989 in the Canadian province of Quebec. A similar powerful CME narrowly missed the Earth in July of 2012 only striking NASA’s STERIO A satellite that had been orbiting the sun since 2006.
Photo Courtesy of New Scientist
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a short burst of electromagnetic energy which can be natural in the form of a bolt of lightening or caused by humans nuclear weapons; which can generate all three separate electromagnetic pulses exhibited by an EMP.
There has been several high altitude nuclear test with unintended EMP’s conducted by both the United States and the former Soviet Union; especially, during the 1960’s Cold War (U.S. Star Fish Prime Test, above the Johnson Atoll in the Pacific Ocean and the Soviet Test 184, on October 22, 1962, in Kazakhstan . . .)
A CME and EMP creates large volumes of energy particles that can permanently damage electronic devices; especially grid tied conductors of power lines and transformers, due to this surge in power that gets conducted in to them.
PhotoVoltaic (PV) arrays however, can remain operational after a CME or EMP; albeit, with a slight reduction in watt performance. The PV array contains less electronic circuitry compared to other components of the solar power system which maybe more vulnerable: the inverter may blow a fuse while the battery charge controller maybe damaged.
Photo Courtesy of EMP Shield
The solar / wind model EMP Shield offers military grade (MIL-STD-188-125-1, 07/17/1998) protection from CME, lightning, power surges and all three phases E1, E2, E3 of an EMP. SightSpeed technology drains away the surge of energy away from your electronic equipment in 1 billionth of a second; even if. The solar / wind model EMP Shield connects to the solar charge controller and intercepts any power surges entering from the line side; subesquntly, protecting the AC loads downstream.
A faraday cage can also offer total system protection of electronic devices from the effects of a CME and EMP by offering 80 dB of shielding from energy particles. However, a faraday cage can also block beneficial wireless communication and radio signals entering and exiting the Tiny Off-Grid House. The insulated frame of the engineering module, along with the metal cladding outer walls and roof of the Tiny Off Grid House may offer some protection from the high volumes of energy particles emitted from an EMP or CME.
In the interior, an electrically conductive spray coating maybe practical but may also hinder wireless communications and radio signals in and out of the Tiny Off-Grid House.
Any electrical power system and their loads exposed to a CME or EMP can be impacted; how much so, definitely can be mitigated if your system is solar powered or off-grid and not connected to the infrastructure power lines conductors and transformers.
The peak of the Sun’s 11 year magnetic field cycle is scheduled in 2025 - 26; when the Sun’s north and south magnetic poles will switch.
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