Conceptual design of electromagnetic pulse for denied vehicular access application

Abstract

Modern vehicle architectures are complemented by the use of advanced technologies, primarily in the Engine Control Unit (ECU). This article describes the proposed conceptual design of Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) for denied vehicular access applications, especially to vehicle (cars) engine ECU. The system mainly consists of five parts, namely power supply, magnetron, isolator, tuner, and pyramidal horn radiator. The magnetron is selected as the means for driving the pulse power generator at an operating frequency of 2.4 GHz. The pyramidal horn radiator with a gain of 15 dB is designed using CST Microwave software and fabricated as well as tested. The performance tests of the designed system are conducted in a laboratory environment and field trials, respectively. The effects of the EMP to the engine ECU are analyzed and discussed in terms of the radiated power, radiation gain, radiation pattern, and significant radiation distance. The expected target distance for stopping a vehicle is at least 3m to 5m.