Does an EMP Bomb destroy batteries?

Im not worried about EMP's in the real world. I was just trying to catch an error on a TV show if it would have exisited. Figuring how the show has always been accurate I go nutz trying to find crap.

what most of you guys keep saying over an over is that if hte blast is strong enough it will induce a charge that will overload the battery/system's ability to hold that charge and it just fries.

LOL I always wanted to mount an EMP rifle in my car facing backwards. If a cop ever decided to pull me over BLAMO his car dies, his computer fries, his radio dies, and there isnt a thing he could do. But as I am not a criminal ... I am behaving myself for the time being he he he

HAHA Ive always wanted to use a pickup truck. Throw a metal top on it and the bed makes an excellent containment cage. cut a hole in the tailgate and cover it with plastic or fiberglass (made to look stock), and place the end of the coil or the cone (whichever type of EMP is used) pointing out the hole

Car bodies do make adequate shielding depending on where the ECU is located and what type of EMP is the context. If they are u(micro)waves, and the ECU is under the hood, the body will absorb most of the radiation and little will get into the bay. A sherriffs department if I remember correctly was testing their car-killing idea, and knowing that the body provided protection, rigged up a kind of "shock-stick". It was a pad placed on the ground that sent a several-hundredthousand volt spark up through the unprotected undercarriage of a target vehicle as it passed over. The project was considered a success because the vehicle died as if running out of gas, and the suspect could safely navigate and come to a stop. Far less dangerous than blown tires and flying debris.

Of course uwaves can still bounce through the seams and cracks if they are bigger than 1mm or so (the height of the wave) which is why this is by far not a 'catch all' case. And metal bodies do practically nothing against an EMP generated by the collapse of an intense magnetic field.

Wiring and fuses would not sustain damage because an EMP buildup has very little current, but extremely high voltage.

... also, disregard anything you hear on the show 24 (or most shows on TV that is). 95% of it is fictional nonsense to make for a good story.

Wiring and fuses would not sustain damage because an EMP buildup has very little current, but extremely high voltage.

apc, so are you saying that the scene in "The Day After" is incorrect where an EMP high-altitude blast causes all the cars to halt on road? I had always taken for granted that high-alt EMP bursts would halt cars on the road but I'm learning in this thread that this is not true. How can I verify this for myself? Why would that theory exist in popular lore if it were not true?

Can't say Ive seen the film but it would be a fraction of the fuel injected vehicles halted. I can't say what the fraction would be because it would be a combination of vehicle design and chance. Could be 1/4, could be 99/100.
A way to test basic shielding would be to point an energized magnetron at the target and see what happens... from a safe location of course.

The ideas of widespread death and destruction in any depiction of a major event that has never occurred is in my opinion largely just to make for a good story. Just like nuclear war, the meltdown of a nuclear reactor, or now in current day movies and television, an EMP.

> aha, nuclear meltdowns have happened but they dont happen like in entertainment (mushroom cloud, hole in the ground, etc)

[edit on 18-3-2005 by apc]

Originally posted by apc
Can't say Ive seen the film

[edit on 18-3-2005 by apc]

Its a tv show that comes on every Monday on Fox. Kiefer Sutherland is in it. It oughta be the best and favorite show of mine since ive live . You should catch an episode sometime. Lotsa action plus a little bit of romance (not soap operaish). Good stuff.

Hahaha
Figures, I hardly watch TV especially not FOX

Originally posted by apc
Hahaha

Figures, I hardly watch TV especially not FOX

LOL Fox is the only reason I dislike tuning in. But if ratings arent up then the damn show gets cancelled. So I tune about 7 tvs into the show. LOL That will make the ratings soar.

reply to post by apc


/how do EMP destroy electronic device?

I could see where this might be seen as batteries being effected by most people because the device no longer works and they would assume it's a battery problem. There for a lot of people jump to the conclusion it destroys batteries when in fact it just kills what the batteries were powering making them useless in that object.

What about pace maker batteries?

It will not affect ANY battery, it will only affect circuitry. As far as vehicles go it would more than likely render any vehicle with an electronic fuel/ignition system useless. Even diesels except for older Dodge with cummins as they run mechanically with mechanical fuel pump and mechanical fuel injection.

Very valid points!!! To my knowledge any kind of EMP blast will cause a connected circuit, no matter how basic to seize up... Anything that holds a current will burn out at the components that hold the most current.
Thus a car with a ECU even while off and locked will burn out. There's always a current draw while a battery is connected. A running car will be fried at the ecu and alternator and most importantly to answer your initial question the battery will fry... Any closed circuit battery will fry...
Thus best course of action is to remove batteries long before a pulse... In the case of a new car, maybe if you're quick enough you could disconnect both terminals and hold them together to kill any current in the car... Don't think there will be enough time though... Or make your car hole out of lead
And any computer has a backup cmos battery with enough juice to just damage something that will kill your motherboard...
Old cars can be fixed easier, raid your computer shop for loose components that haven't had the backup battery installed and new batteries, packaged batteries are good to go.
And if you can find me (probably stealing Ferraris at the dealership) I'll get your new car working again by changing the ecu, bcm, keys and alternator and/or starter... Will need to raid your local dealership for the diagnostic software and obd connector too...
Best of luck during your future Armageddon

in the case of a EMP attack you want to disconnect the car battery from the ECM for 15 minutes to allow the ECM and other electronics to reset before you call the car dead.
in a EMP attack the ECM may be killed OR may just scramble the ECM.

I have had a truck that had a alternator problem where the voltage from the alternator went to over 120 volts DC and burned out about half the truck lights and stopped the engine.

Resetting the ECM was part of the fix after replacing the voltage regulator.
This was after the repair shop told me the ECM was burned out and would have to be replaced.