Electromagnetic Pulse Protection for Distributed, Shipboard Transducer-Bus Networks

Reliance on modern electronic network technology comes with susceptibility to upset or damage from high energy Electromagnetic Pulses. The U.S. Navy plans to deploy a family of Multi-Mission Surface Combatants outfitted with local area network total ship monitoring systems utilizing the evolving family of IEEE 1451 standards. Network standards will facilitate manpower reduction through automation, making future naval ship systems readily reconfigurable and adaptive, but making ships increasingly vulnerable to directed energy weapons. Plasma Sciences Corporation is exploring concepts of electromagnetic transient voltage pulse protection for shipboard transducer-bus networks conforming to the IEEE 1451 standards. The significance of this work rests in the application of weakly ionized plasma physics to the mitigation of over-voltage transients. Phase I SBIR efforts evaluated a plasma breakdown transient voltage suppressor, a switch that closes rapidly to a highly conductive state in the presence of high electric fields and rapidly opens to a highly resistive state when field strength drops, and proved the feasibility of a plasma limiter for EMP protection. This Phase II will design and fabricate a prototype for laboratory testing and optimization. A Phase III will construct a First Article for Environmental Qualification Testing and address low rate initial production and commercialization.