Due to the electrification of automobiles, the popularization of next-generation communications and IoT technologies, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) issues are emerging as important issues for system safety. As the demand for noise reduction and resistance increases in the design stage, an event was recently held to share the latest trends and information on EMI/EMC technology/industry/standardization in the industry, which received an enthusiastic response from relevant industry officials.

'EMC FEST', which shares the latest issues in industrial EMI/EMC technology/industry/standardization, was held on the 22nd at the COEX Grand Ballroom in Samseong-dong, Seoul.

This event, which was held as a side event of the '2022 Radio Broadcasting Industry Promotion Week', was hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by the Korea Electromagnetic Wave Promotion Association. An industry exhibition with 17 booths including Sensor View, HCT, and Emsys was held together, and EMC experts from each sub-field gathered to present 13 sessions.

At this year's EMC FEST, mobility and wireless charging were discussed in every session. The two applications are receiving the most attention in the EMI/EMC field, and they also present many challenges to be solved.

■ Active establishment and revision of EMC standards for electric vehicle wireless chargers
As electric vehicles become more widespread, electric vehicle charging infrastructure is expanding. Accordingly, international standards are being introduced to protect the radio environment in charging facilities and equipment.

Myung Bong-sik, a researcher at the Radio Environment Safety Division of the National Radio Research Agency, presented on the revision and establishment of EMC standards for wired and wireless chargers for electric vehicles in the session titled ‘Revision of Domestic EMC Standards and Testing Methods.’

The revision of the EMC standards for electric vehicle wired chargers was prepared by applying the international standard IEC 61851-21-2. Researcher Myeong explained that the existing EMC standards caused communication and conductive interference in some products, and that additional costs and time were incurred when retesting products for export due to differences in standards from international standards, so it was necessary to comply with international standards.

Currently, the National Radio Research Agency and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy are jointly preparing standards for the application of general EMC standards in residential, commercial and industrial environments. Key issues include the addition of new standards for conductive power transfer (CPT) ports, transient voltages transmitted to vehicles during charging, and emissions from magnetically-inductive wireless devices (car key fobs).

In addition, it seems that new EMC standards for wireless chargers for electric vehicles will be established. Researcher Myung said, “We need to consider introducing domestic EMC standards by promoting the relaxation of regulations for the 85kHz band in wireless charging for electric vehicles from a licensing target to a certification target.”

Recently, a revised draft of standards and test methods for electric vehicle wired chargers was prepared in October, and is scheduled to be announced in June 2023. In the case of wireless chargers, an international standard analysis will be conducted in November, and after going through the process of collecting opinions from the industry and measuring and analyzing, the standards and test methods are expected to be prepared around February 2023. Likewise, it was mentioned that the related draft will be announced in June.

Meanwhile, in overseas development cases, Germany developed a 20kHz-based electric bus in 2012 in the 20/60kHz band, and it has been reported that Germany's Bombardier is developing technology to replace overhead tram lines in Europe using high-power wireless power transmission technology. The UK and Sweden have also developed 20kHz-based electric buses, but they have not yet been commercialised.

In the 85kHz band, the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) in the United States selected 85kHz as the frequency for wireless charging of electric vehicles, and there is news that automakers in Japan and the United States are developing wireless charging based on that frequency, but it seems that it will take some time until commercialization.

In Korea, the Olev bus, which applied wireless power transmission in the 20kHz band in 2011, was developed and is being used as a circulatory bus on some routes in Gumi and Daejeon this year, and the technology development has been completed for the application of 60kHz to the next-generation high-speed train, Haemu.

■ Electromagnetic safety management, from minimizing malfunctions to functional safety
A new area of focus at this year's EMC FEST is the concept of electromagnetic safety management. As industries such as smart factories, smart farms, and autonomous driving are moving towards digitalization, conflicts between systems are emerging as an issue.

Lim Young-cheol, team leader of the Technology Standards Research Team at the Electromagnetic Technology Research Institute of the Korea Radio Promotion Association, said, “EMC FEST is a place to look at overall EMI/EMC technology trends and standards/criteria/certification trends, and share solutions that the industry actually needs.” He added, “This year, we prepared a program that focuses on mobility, as well as the growing importance of electromagnetic safety management.”

Professor Kang Young-heung of Kunsan National University presented ‘Electromagnetic Safety Management Concept and Empirical Research’ as the first session to open EMC FEST 2022.

Professor Kang Young-heung gave a presentation on the following topics: △ Minimizing electromagnetic wave-induced failure of Taeyoung Power Generation Facilities, △ Demonstrating the application of electromagnetic wave safety management guideline to the existing complex facilities of smart factories, △ Safety management in terrestrial navigation system facilities, △ Training of electromagnetic wave safety management experts, and △ Proposals for electromagnetic wave safety management laws and regulations.

In the afternoon, Dr. Kwon Jong-hwa of the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) presented ‘EMC Considering Functional Safety.’

Dr. Kwon cited the following as reasons for the need for functional safety management: △increased use of electric energy and increased risk of electromagnetic waves in major facilities due to combinations of wireless devices and electrical and electronic devices; △increased emission of unnecessary electromagnetic waves; and △complexity of EMI, EMS, and RF.

He mentioned not only the recent malfunction of subway screen doors due to 5G communication waves, but also past overseas cases of malfunctions in medical devices and medical systems due to electromagnetic waves, and emphasized that “EMC issues must be considered to strengthen human safety.”

In particular, the medical environment is changing due to technological advancements in the electromagnetic environment.As the use of electronic devices in the environment increases, there is a significant amount of electromagnetic wave emissions. Functional safety must include consideration of safe management of operator errors, hardware and software failures, and environmental changes.

Dr. Kwon explained that △Electromagnetic wave management that takes functional safety into account for Safety Critical Systems in major infrastructure, △Electromagnetic wave management plans that take functional safety into account, and △Systematic response procedures based on risk management are necessary.

As industry demands for electromagnetic compatibility and immunity design increase, e4ds news will bring together EMI/EMC experts on December 9 to share technology and information for noise-resistant power supply design .

At this year's Analog Day, Team Leader Seong Gwan-yeong of the Korea Testing & Research Institute for Chemical Industry will present on 'EMI/EMC Standards/Certification Trends', Associate Professor Park Hyeon-ho of Suwon University (Director of Electromagnetic Convergence Technology Research Institute) on 'Technology Trends Related to Electromagnetic Shielding and Absorbing Materials', Visiting Professor Kim Ji-seong of KAIST on 'SMPS (Switching Mode Power Supply) Noise Countermeasures', CEO Kim Hong-seok of CPS TECH on 'Electromagnetic Interference Problems and Noise Countermeasures for Electrical Equipment', and Professor Ahn Seung-young of KAIST (Director of the Hyperconnected E-Vehicle EMC Core Technology Research Center) on 'EMI Countermeasures According to the Development of Wireless Power Transmission Technology'.