Steve Davidson of IEEE Rock River Valley Section EMC Chapter Chair

Electromagnetic shielding is one of the fundamental tools used to achieve electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) among various electrical equipment operating in close proximity to one another.  Electromagnetic shielding is an important attribute of aircraft electronics where complex, sensitive electronic equipment must operate in close proximity to one another and not be adversely affected by each other or powerful radio and radar transmitters that are both in the aircraft and on the ground at airports.  This is an introductory presentation on electromagnetic shielding.  Topics presented include how equipment chassis serve as shielding closures, the concept of the Faraday Cage, electric field shields versus magnetic field shields, shielding for electromagnetic waves, the effects of necessary apertures such as vent holes and viewing windows in shields, the effects of joints and seams for access panels and covers in shields, the effects of wires penetrating shields, and shielding for wires that extend outside of shielded enclosures.

Biography:

Steve Davidson was born and grew up in Rockford, IL.  He earned a BSEE from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL (1973), a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL (1975), and an MSEE from Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (1980) where he majored in electromagnetics and antenna theory.  In 1975, he reported for active duty as an Air Force 2nd lieutenant assigned to the EMC Branch of the Aeronautical Systems Division (ASD) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) near Dayton, Ohio.  After four years in the military, he transferred to U.S. Federal Civil Service and continued working as an EMC Engineer at WPAFB for another seven years.  During these 11 years at Wright-Patt., he became an expert on electromagnetic interference (EMI) qualification testing of military aircraft, including immunity tests for lightning and High Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF).  Steve was responsible for the review and approval of contractor EMI qualification test procedures and reports for many military aircraft including the (then) top-secret B-2 Bomber.  In 1986, he was hired by the Sundstrand Corporation in Rockford, IL. During his employment at Sundstrand, which became Hamilton Sundstrand in 1999, and later United Technologies Aerospace Systems (UTAS) in 2010, he was the lead EMC engineer for electric power generation systems on seven commercial and military aircraft, including the Comanche Helicopter, the Embraer ERJ-170, the Boeing 787, and the Bombardier CSeries Regional Jet.  He was promoted to UTAS EMC Fellow in 2011.  Steve retired from UTAS in September 2017. Mr. Davidson became an IEEE Senior Member in 1981 and an IEEE Life Senior Member in 2016.  He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and a Certified EMC Engineer of the International Association for Radio Telecommunication & EMC Engineers (iNARTE).