An inflatable large-scale transient electromagnetic disturbance testing system based on a low-frequency-compensated antenna

To address the challenges of on-site transient electromagnetic disturbance (TED) radiation testing for large-scale equipment under test (EUT), this paper presents an inflatable TED testing system based on a low-frequency-compensated transverse electromagnetic horn antenna. A theoretical model of an antenna with back-loaded matched impedance is proposed to enhance low-frequency radiation performance, and analytical expressions of the electric dipole moment and magnetic dipole moment are derived to establish design principles for the antenna. A wire-grid TED simulator (10 × 8 × 7 m3) is optimized through parametric studies on the arc transition structure, ground dielectric layers, grid layouts, and wire sagging effects. The testing system integrates an inflatable supporting structure and a 600 kV pulse generator, achieving a test volume of 4 × 4 × 4 m3 with a typical measured electric field with the rise time of 2.54 ns, the pulse width of 23.6 ns, and the peak field exceeding 50 kV/m. Notably, the collapsible inflatable design allows the entire system with outer dimensions of 11 × 12 × 9 m3 to be compacted into a transportable unit, enabling the on-site testing of large EUTs, such as high-voltage power transformers, without relocation.