Oak Ridge researchers guide study of high-altitude EMP threats to power plants

Power plants face many threats in the world, including electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) caused by nuclear explosions or electromagnetic generators, according to a new study from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Together, researchers there pursued a systematic approach to estimate the effects of high-altitude electromagnetic pulse signals on power generation equipment. They based their research on a combination of practical measurement and simulations to chart radio wave propagation behavior and device immunities.

In developing a simulation tool, they created a way for utilities to analyze their configurations and equipment and predict EMP impacts. That tool also allowed the team to create general recommendations for improving surge protection equipment, grounding and shielding. Cables and wires can both act as antennas and pick up electromagnetic energy, then funnel that energy into attached hardware, leading to a rapid cascading overload of voltage capacity among simple motors and microelectronics, leading to widespread equipment failure.

According to the report, one nuclear detonation, at 30 miles above the earth, or an electromagnetic generator from a vehicle or aircraft is all it would take to disrupt electrical equipment on the ground.

“Some estimates indicate that if a nuclear weapon was detonated in the atmosphere above middle America, it could cause widespread, extended blackouts and possibly partial collapse of the grid,” DaHan Liao, ORNL lead researcher, said. “So this is really important because it could be a catastrophic, widespread event.”

While EMP risks and concerns have existed since the Cold War, technology has improved significantly since then. Nuclear weapons are no longer even required to enact such blasts. Liao pointed to certain microwave transmitters as an alternative, more easily used path for terrorists or other bad actors. Degrading the picture further is the fact that, in Liao’s estimation, today’s electronic equipment is more vulnerable than it was in the 1960s due to modern reliance on semiconductors and lower voltage equipment.

Small components have less ability to absorb energy surges from EMPs, the report stated.

“There are more vulnerabilities than we expected, especially in exposed systems outside the facility,” Liao said. “There are cascading consequences that can happen when something small breaks down and prevents something larger from operating.”

Just look at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, noted ONRL project manager Larry Markel. In that war, he noted, countries have shown how willing they are to employ unconventional electronic warfare without going nuclear. Missiles, airplanes, drones, trucks – all can be electromagnetic weapons.

As part of the program, ORNL collaborated with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee Center for Ultra-wide-area Resilient Electric eNergy Transmission Networks. Research was funded as part of the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy and the DOE Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response.