Don't get your wires crossed

We are all familiar with requests when flying not to use mobile phones or computers. But how can designers assess the safety implications when different electronic systems interact in a very complex environment such as an aircraft?

This question was addressed by KTN project partners at BAE Systems, the Motor Industry Research Association and the University of Nottingham. The technical name for such issues is Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), meaning the ability of different electronic circuits to operate correctly in the presence of their neighbours.

Electronic systems are now all around us: at home, at work and when travelling. All equipment has to be tested for EMC — and in some contexts this is a critical issue for safety purposes — but physical EMC testing is both expensive and time-consuming. Computational EMC testing is therefore an attractive alternative. The challenge then is that simple computational models lack accuracy and full computational electromagnetic simulations are not feasible if the problem is too large. Led by Dr Richard Tew and Prof Christos Christopoulos, postdoctoral researchers Catherine Tully and Ian Thompson have developed methods that help provide an efficient way to capture complex detail and variations in the system components. The results of their work will be incorporated as new elements in EMC software.

"This will enable engineers to assess how good their design is, make modifications throughout the design cycle, and so mitigate the risk of EMC test failure. If you fail the final EMC test and need to modify the product, costs can be huge if the start of production is delayed." - Liz Davenport, BAE Systems.

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