Prediction of Radiated Emissions From a Fuel Cell Power Converter by Measuring the Common-Mode Current in the Attached Cable

Being able to predict radiated emissions before using an accredited laboratory can be both time-effective and cost-effective. This study presents a model for predicting radiated emissions from power converters by measuring the common-mode current in the attached cable. When power converters are tested for radiated emissions, in semi-anechoic chambers, the attached cables tend to be thick because of the high currents they carry. Ideally, these cables leave the chamber through connectors in an opening positioned precisely at the middle of the bottom of the turntable in keeping with CISPR 32. However, the turntable-connectors are typically not intended for currents higher than 16 A. Consequently, such cables are usually inserted through the side wall of the chamber and are therefore laid horizontally on the chamber floor. When the turntable is to be rotated with a device on it during a test, the length of the cable attached to the device can exceed 10 meters. The proposed model in this study is based on the transmission line model of a cable loaded with reactive impedance and the assumption that the current distribution along the cable follows a sinusoidal distribution law, much like in dipole antenna theory. The analytic equation of the radiation pattern is derived, and a simplified approximation equation is also presented. The proposed model also works with short, attached cables and is thus universal. The Maxima software code for automated calculation of the radiated field from measurement data is supplied as supplemental material. The proposed model was experimentally validated by running the fuel cell converter module at 5 kW output power.