A high-altitude nuclear detonation generates EMP events, resulting in dangerous high-voltage, high current transients that couple to grid transmission lines, compounding over long distances. No grid-scale protection against these ultrafast E1-transients exists today. This project’s team is developing self-breaking, nanosecond responsive E1 arresters that would shunt E1 transients to ground. High-voltage strength, high-current density granular-metals comprising conductive molybdenum nanoparticles in an insulating silicon nitride matrix are the active materials in these E1 arresters. These silicon nitride-based granular metals exhibit unsurpassed high-pass filter performance, a key property for self-breaking shunt arresters. High-voltage breakdown strengths of 1 MV/cm will enable compact, low self-inductance E1 arresters operating at grid voltages. The project’s accomplishments are summarized in two Journal of Applied Physics publications.
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