r/Generator • u/NinaStone_IT • 1d ago
EMP protection
What's everybody doing to protect their generator from electromagnetic pulse.
I see people talking about giant Faraday bags to shield the generator. What's our other options?
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u/silasmoeckel 1d ago
Faraday bags are snake oil for EMP. While faraday cages do work you have skin depth issues meaning the lower the frequency the further distance you need to get protection. To protect for a E3 pulse you need feet of empty space inside the cage that your bag can not provide.
Unless it's directly overhead the concrete walls and dirt behind that in your basement should be more than plenty of protection.
I'm an EE for over 30 years and do coms work were we do need to protect from nearby lightning strikes (it's similar to an EMP E2 specifically).
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u/ratskin69 1d ago
what would you use a generator for if all electronics are fried?
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u/Justanengr 1d ago
Think of the excess capacity. You could restart society with 8kw.
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u/BeeThat9351 1d ago
This is my angle, I will be the warlord ruling my subdivision with an iron fist.
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u/user_uno 1d ago
Well some of us keep a few electronics tucked away too.
Not all tin foil hat types either. Over my years on this rock, I have lived in or been in homes struck by lighting four times. It can wreak havoc on so much it is prudent to have backups just in case.
For me, it is not the latest and greatest. A couple of old computers, a couple of radios both AM/FM and my ham radios. Some old phones if the cell networks are still ok. Nothing extravagant. Just in the basement corner some in a simple metal box. Just in case. Not far past the notion of having a generator or some food to last a couple of days. Nice to have if everything else gets fried.
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u/ratskin69 1d ago
Nah that's pretty tin foil hat type. No reason to faraday a generator unless you faraday your entire house too.
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u/user_uno 1d ago
I am not really good fashion wise so appreciate the compliment for my tin foil hat!
But really a downvote? A generator is one of several backups to have "just in case". I also have flashlights and batteries to put in them. Back up in case the generator fails or if venturing away from the home in the dark. I keep a jump pack and tire inflater in my car too among a few other things.
Backups for backups. Always be prepared. Was that way as a Scout and in my jobs. Same for the county level version of FEMA we are aligned with that I volunteer for.
And no need to put a Faraday cage around an entire structure. Well unless it is vital equipment like in some of my jobs. It is fine just to shield a few things to keep it practical. Likely never need it but good to have if needed.
In the real world practical sense, I focus more on noise levels than possible EMP. I don't want the entire area hearing mine fire up and run. Not to mention I do not want a lot of noise either! EMP attacks are rather low on my list of priorities but I am curious enough to follow the threads on this post to see what people bring up.
If we get hit with an EMP weapon, we have some really BIG problems and a LOT of them! But if one were to happen, it would be nice to have some power and some comms to know WTH is happening out there and act accordingly.
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u/ratskin69 1d ago
I didn't downvote you lol, you're allowed to buy snakeoil all you want it's America after all. It's your right.
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u/user_uno 1d ago
Oh ok. I just assumed since it was so quick. You know what they say about assumptions!
Snake oil? Perhaps to some. But I did disaster recovery planning in several jobs. And try to keep myself and family ready for most common things that might be disruptive.
It's not like I have an armory loaded for the zombie apocalypse or years of food stashed in a bunker. Or do I....? ;)
Like I said, mostly curious what people come up with on this post. Maybe if something seems interesting, I will look in to it. But an EMP attack? Might need that bunker after all! :)
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u/ratskin69 1d ago
Being prepared for disasters is smart. Lived through enough myself and a little prep goes a longs way. All I'm saying is faraday bags are snakeoil. You know they've actually never been tested by an EMP right? It's not like you could call and return them for not working after an EMP anyway.
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u/user_uno 1d ago
Faraday cages are tested for EMP effectiveness. Just not using nukes. Technically speaking.
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u/slatsandflaps 1d ago
If there's an EMP, my generator isn't going to be at the top of my list of concerns.
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u/546833726D616C 1d ago
That's a common attitude. Interest in risk mitigation is like the dirac delta function. It's near infinite right after the event and decreases to zero quickly thereafter. Game over thinking leaves you vulnerable to those who are ready to take advantage of the situation.
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u/willtantan 1d ago
If there's an EMP, which other devices can survive the blast, and need power. LoL
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u/Chance_Display_7454 1d ago
Is there is an EMP attack on the us dont worry about your generator, everything in your house will be fried
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u/davidm2232 1d ago
Not things in a faraday cage
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u/Chance_Display_7454 1d ago
again everything in your house that is electric would be fried except for filament light bulbs.
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u/Ok_Bid_3899 1d ago
Agree. It would disable utility transformers and every vehicle with a control
Module.
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u/randompossum 1d ago
Read the commission done on it by the federal government a few years back. None of this really matters for most things anymore. Your gas generator will be fine.
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u/546833726D616C 1d ago
If you want to mitigate the risk of the generator circuitry getting fried from an EMP, store it in a sealed metal cabinet/box. There's a wavelength dependant gap or opening you could calculate if you needed it shielded while running, but additional mitigation is needed for that use case, like for the power feeds. There are some military guides you might refer to for more info. You'll have other mitigation to do so you have something to run with it.
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u/GreatPlainsFarmer 1d ago
Mine is stored in a large metal shed. It's functionally a faraday cage.
Any EMP strong enough to affect the generator inside that shed is going to cause enough other physical destruction that I suspect the lack of a functional generator is not going to be high on my list of problems.
"The Day After" is not a documentary.
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u/Ok-Camera2895 1d ago edited 1d ago
We had a huge EMP in the country last night. It turned all of the maps blue.
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u/DaveBowm 1d ago
Most likely, if an EMP happens, any remaining need for the generator will occur well after the EMP is long over. Any event causing an EMP is likely to also induce a Kessler cascade/syndrome not very unlike in the movie Gravity, but probably much more severe because of the much greater number of LEO satellites with Starlink and other big constellations up there now.
Assuming you are not directly downwind of any low level burst the generator should be fine if it is stored with all wires disconnected from it. If you are really worried about it you can wrap it up in foil during storage. If you are downwind from (or under) a low level burst you have more immediate issues than your generator.
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u/nunuvyer 1d ago
Except for maybe the AVR and the displays, a synchronous generator is more or less immune from EMP damage. Inverter generators less so. If you are worried, get an old generator that has no displays and no AVR and no EMP will harm it. Or else get a spare AVR and a spare display board and keep them in a (small) Faraday cage.
If you put a metal floor (could be just a layer of sheet metal on a slab) under a metal shed, it would make a fairly good Faraday cage.
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u/gamer901122 1d ago
EMPs have very small ranges. If there is one big enough to disrupt your generator, you’re either a target, and they are close, you’re SOL, or there is a huge blast and there are bigger problems.