TESLA FIELDS AND MAGNETIC SHIELDING

Oftentimes clients will ask about the effectiveness of vaults in shielding stored magnetic media from magnetic fields induced in the building by wiring grids, electrical transformers, lighting strikes to the building and of late solar flares. Here is a discussion with references from various web sites and FIRELOCK’s own research in this regard.

Recent concerns about “Solar Flares” and tremendous magnetic fields associated with these solar flares

One tesla is equal to 104 gauss. drops off as the cube of the distance from the source (for a dipole ). So that means that the critical factor is to eliminate magnetic fields near your media storage vault. The magnitude of a magnetic field is its strength; measured in Tesla.

The critical point is that Magnetic Media is affected with an exposure to a field of 10 Milligausse over an extended period of time. A short exposure to a field of 500 to 1850 Oersteds will damage and then destroy the recorded magnetically recorded data.

I would recommend that you not drive an electric car into the area surrounding magnetic media storage. These cars can emit a field that can affect the media. Clients often have staff who rotate media using personal vehicles and if that vehicle is an electrical vehicle then it poses a risk to the media. Fields over 1850 Oersteds can cause the media to lose the recorded message or damage it beyond normal use.

I also suggest that you measure the magnetic field existing in your building due to electrical transformers, electrical lines not running through Arc Breakers or Ground Fault Circuits. An electrical storm can create dangerous magnetic fields. (FIRELOCK uses a Triaxial ELF Magnetic Field Meter to test our vault chamber interiors to ensure the vault is properly shielded in the field location.)

For example, the in an MRI system is 0.5 -Tesla to 3.0 -Tesla range, or 5,000 to 30,000 gauss. Extremely powerful -- up to 60 Tesla -- are used in research. Compared with the Earth's 0.5-gauss magnetic field, you can see how incredibly powerful these magnets are.

Because of the power of these magnets, the MRI suite ( 1.5 to 3 T Field ) can be a very dangerous place; if strict precautions are not observed. New research MRI units can reach 9T. Metal objects can become dangerous projectiles if they are taken into the scan room. For example, paperclips, pens, keys, scissors, hemostats, stethoscopes and any other small objects can be pulled out of pockets and off the body without warning, at which point they fly toward the opening of the magnet (where the patient is placed) at very high speeds, posing a threat to everyone in the room.

Credit cards, computer media and anything else with magnetic encoding would be erased by most MRI systems. For this reason the recording servers, and PACS (Picture Archiving) must be removed from the immediate area of the MRI units.

The magnetic force exerted on an object increases exponentially as it approaches the magnet. Imagine standing 15 feet (4.6 m) away from the magnet with a large pipe wrench in your hand. You might feel a slight pull. Take a couple of steps closer and that pull is much stronger. When you get to within 3 feet (1 meter) of the magnet, the wrench likely is pulled from your grasp. The more mass an object has, the more dangerous it can be -- the force with which it is attracted to the magnet is much stronger.

A 500 Tesla Field would collapse your shelving and probably collapse your structure. Where would such a field come from? But suppose an MRI was opened next door to your center it would only emit, at most a 3 Tesla field but in the distance of your parking lot, and the field would be diminished such that your data would not be effected.

Of late, there is special concern about Solar Flares and the fields they Tesla fields they create. Could a cause damage to stored media?

Events in the power grid failures cause concern among scientists and data center managers as to the proper storage conditions for back up tapes. FIRELOCK Vaults are often utilized on nuclear sites where large power grids are in use and create magnetic fields. Using the magnetically shielded FIRELOCK Vault Chamber satisfies NFPA 232 and NQA-1 which require protection from all of the varied threats that can destroy computer media.

A Graph developed and copyrighted by the Commonwealth of Australia Bureau of Meteorology, prepared by Richard Thompson shows the strength of such fields solar fields during recent solar IPS - Magnetic Field - A Solar Flare Effect 12/2/13 12:21 PM

Home Space Weather Satellite Geophysical Solar HF Systems Products and Services Educational World Data Centre

Educational FORECAST SOL: Normal MAG: Normal ION: Normal Looking for something? Site search Home Educational Magnetic Field Geomagnetic Activity A Solar Flare Effect Monday, Dec 02 2013 17:18 UT

Space Weather Magnetic Field The Aurora What is Space Weather Space Weather Effects A Solar Flare Effect Space Weather Events The graphs below show an event which is known as a Solar Flare Effect or sometimes as a Magnetic Crochet. This example occurred on The Sun and Solar Activity General Info Nov 04, 1997 during an X2 class flare at around 06 UT. The upper panel shows the variation of the X-ray flux during the flare Sunspots indicating its very rapid rise starting at around 05:55 UT. The peak of the flare occurred near 05:58 UT - a very short time during Solar Cycle which the X-ray flux increased by a factor of 100. The lower panel shows the magnetic field recorded at Canberra at the same time. As Solar Flares the flare started there is a sharp jump in the magnetic field which peaked at about the same time as the flare reached its maximum; Magnetic Field and as the flare began to decline in strength the magnetic field also decreased towards its pre-flare level. By 06:20 UT the flare had Geomagnetic Activity ended with the X-ray flux back to C class levels. The magnetic field has already returned to its previous level by this time. Space Debris Meteors A magnetic crochet arises from the increased ionisation in the D and E layers of the ionosphere caused by the massive increase in X- Orbital Space Debris ray radiation generated by the solar flare. This ionisation changes the properties (especially the conductivity) of these ionospheric Near-Earth Objects layers allowing electric currents to flow more easily. It is the magnetic effect of these currents which produce the jump in the earth's Cosmic Rays magnetic field. As the flare declines, the ionospheric layers quickly return to their previous state, the electric currents in the layers Other Topics return to normal, and the change in the magnetic field ends. Transit of Venus Radio Communication Magnetic crochets are quite rare because they are only observed during large flares which rise to a peak very quickly. Also, they are Date of Easter About Eclipses mostly observed in locations close to the sub-solar point (i.e. the point on earth when the sun is overhead). In the case of the Others November 04 event, the sun at Canberra was well to the west. Similar magnetic effects were observed from many stations in the sunlit Related Sites hemisphere at the time. Educational Links Astronomical Events Links Section Information Latest News Help Pages

flares. To see more information visit the following site:

http://www.ips.gov.au/Educational/3/1/1

MaterialMagnetic prepared Media by Richard stored Thompson within a shielded built into the vault shell helps to diminish magnetic fields. Computer Media stored in Faraday Cage Vault Chamber designs such as employed About IPS Feedback Contact Us Site Help Site News Careers Site Map Site search Acknowledgments Subscribe by FIRELOCK were unaffected in previous solar flares such as the one back in 1989. © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2013, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) disclaimer privacy accessibility http://www.ask.com/wiki/Geomagnetic_storm#cite_note-4

On March 13, 1989 a severe caused the collapse of the Hydro-Québec power grid in a matter of seconds as equipment protection relays tripped in a cascading sequence of events.[2][12] Six million people were left without power for nine hours, with significant economic loss. The storm even caused aurorae as far south as Texas.[3] The geomagnetic storm causing this event was itself the result of a , ejected from the Sun on

http://www.ips.gov.au/Educational/3/1/1 Page 1 of 2 March 9, 1989.[13] The minimum of Dst was -589 nT.

So I would suppose your clients are referencing a NanoTesla which is vastly less than a Tesla.

1 - 100 µG 10−9 nanotesla 0.1 nT to 10 nT

Solar flares will have a large effect on wiring systems, phone lines but not fiber optic lines. But shielding your media can prevent deterioration of the magnetic strength of the recorded data and protect the back up data sets.

To erase recorded data, it is necessary for the strength of the degaussing field to be greater in value than the coercivity of the magnetic media. Simply stated, coercivity is the magnetic field strength, rated in oersteds (Oe), required to change the magnetic orientation of the magnetic material.

FIELDS REQUIRED TO DAMAGE RECORDED DATA:

LTO-Ultrium1, LTO5 tape 1850 Oe DLT tape III, DLT tape IIIXT 1540 Oe

DLT tape IV 1850 Oe

Super DLT tape1 1900 Oe

If your media is exposed to a field of 1850 - 1900 Oersteds then the media is effectively destroyed. But smaller fields can damage the media to the point that typical computers read error codes.

For example, elevators create a field of 60 milligausse can affect the media. Large electrical panels in high-rise building often create fields of 440 milligausse. In addition, the transformer on the power pole outside the building or power transfer lines can create risks. But none of the risks predicted outside of nuclear attack would create such dramatic fields. Shielding your vaults can eliminate these hazards from non- nuclear types of magnetic fields, solar flares and environmental hazards.

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also sometimes called a transient disturbance, is a short burst of electromagnetic energy may be the concern of some in government and the military. It may occur in the form of a radiated, electric or magnetic field or conducted electrical current depending on the source. Electromagnetic pulse is commonly abbreviated EMP and it is generally damaging to electronic equipment and improperly stored computer back up media.

An intense electromagnetic pulse, which propagates away from its device or source with ever diminishing intensity, is governed by the “theory of ”. The ElectroMagnetic Pulse is in effect an electromagnetic shock wave. The largest concern would be in transmission of electronic information over an unshielded communication network which described why “The Cloud” is losing favor as a Disaster Recovery mechanism.1

Tape sales are increasing as a method for protecting that media exists and has a proven record in storms, solar flares and other events.

1 Commercial computer equipment is particularly vulnerable to EMP effects, as it is largely built up of high density Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) devices, which are very sensitive to exposure to high transients. What is significant about MOS devices is that very little energy is required to permanently wound or destroy them, any voltage in typically in excess of tens of Volts can produce an effect termed gate breakdown which effectively destroys the device. Even if the pulse is not powerful enough to produce thermal damage, the power supply in the equipment will readily supply enough energy to complete the destructive process. Wounded devices may still function, but their reliability will be seriously impaired. Shielding electronics by equipment chassis provides only limited protection, as any cables running in and out of the equipment will behave very much like antennae, in effect guiding the transients into the equipment. The world leaders are now concerned that terrorists could develop these sort of devices as they are now technically feasible. But the strength of these units diminishes greatly over distance as a magnetic field and shielding, if done properly, can protect media and server equipment from the effects of these devices. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

The current concern is the damage done by the . Faraday shielding, opto-isolation of input and output circuits and power line filtering would protect most electronics. Regarding magnetic media, a grounded metal enclosure (Faraday shield) would be sufficient for EMP. As long as the media is not stored adjacent the metal Faraday Cage. In the FIRELOCK Vault, the walls are covered with a fire-rated gypsum board to provide separation from the magnetic field induced by the electric field of the pulse (EMP), and the vault is grounded. Electrical circuits should also be protected and design plans on a FIRELOCK Vault call out that the electrical breakers for the lighting and other electrical devices such as the Clean Agent System are protected with ARC Breakers (GFC).

The most effective method in protecting computer equipment is inside an electrically conductive enclosure, (Faraday cage) which prevents the from gaining access to the protected computer or electrical equipment. But this equipment must communicate with and be fed with power and communication circuits from the outside world and this is a weak point. These entry points for electrical service, the internet, T-1 lines may enter the enclosure and permit damage to the hardware and software files. For this reason Optical Fibre service is a preferred approach in a Vital Information Asset or Server Vault as they permit the transferring of data in and out more safely. But this still leaves electrical power feeds as an unresolved vulnerability.

Unless everyone you communicate also uses a Shielded Server Vault then your outside contacts also become a vulnerability.

To better understand the orders of magnitude of a Magnetic Field: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_(magnetic_field)#tesla

List of orders of magnitude for magnetic fields Factor Value (SI Value (cgs SI prefix Item (tesla) units) units) 100 fT to 1 nG to 10−12 picotesla human brain magnetic field 1 pT 10 nG In September 2006, NASA found "potholes" in the magnetic 10−11 10 pT 100 nG field in the heliosheath around our solar system that are 10

picoteslas as reported by Voyager 1[3] 100 pT to 1 µG to 10−9 nanotesla magnetic field strength in the heliosphere 10 nT 100 µG 10−6 microtesla 24 µT 240 mG strength of magnetic tape near tape head 31 µT 310 mG strength of Earth's magnetic field at 0° latitude (on the equator) 10−5 58 µT 580 mG strength of Earth's magnetic field at 50° latitude the suggested exposure limit for cardiac pacemakers by

−3 0.5 mT 5 G American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists 10 millitesla (ACGIH) 5 mT 50 G the strength of a typical refrigerator magnet [2] 10−1 0.15 T 1.5 kG the magnetic field strength of a sunspot 10 kG to 1 T to 2.4 T coil gap of a typical loudspeaker magnet.[4] 24 kG 10 kG to 1 T to 2 T inside the core of a modern 60 Hz power transformer[5][6] 20 kG

strength of a modern neodymium–iron–boron (Nd2Fe14B) rare 100 tesla 1.25 T 12.5 kG earth magnet. A coin-sized neodymium magnet can lift more than 9 kg, pinch skin and erase credit cards.[7] 15 kG to strength of medical magnetic resonance imaging systems in 1.5 T to 3 T 30 kG practice, experimentally up to 8 T[8][9] Modern high resolution research magnetic resonance imaging 9.4 T 94 kG system 11.7 T 117 kG field strength of a 500 MHz NMR spectrometer 16 T 160 kG strength used to levitate a frog[10] 23.5 T 235 kG field strength of a 1 GHz NMR spectrometer[11] 1 strongest continuous magnetic field produced by non- 10 36.2 T 362 kG superconductive resistive magnet.[12] strongest continuous magnetic field yet produced in a 45 T 450 kG laboratory (Florida State University's National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, USA).[13] strongest (pulsed) magnetic field yet obtained non-destructively 100.75 T 1 MG in a laboratory (National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Los 102 Alamos National Laboratory, USA)[14] strongest pulsed magnetic field yet obtained in a laboratory, 730 T 7.3 MG destroying the used equipment, but not the laboratory itself (Institute for Solid State Physics, ) strongest (pulsed) magnetic field ever obtained (with 103 kilotesla 2.8 kT 28 MG explosives) in a laboratory (VNIIEF in Sarov, Russia, 1998)[15] 1 MT to 10 GG to 106 megatesla strength of a neutron star 100 MT 1 TG 100 MT to 1 TG to 109 gigatesla strength of a magnetar 100 GT 1 PG

FARADAY STEEL CAGE CHAMBER DESIGN ( Welded Steel)

Steel vapor barrier and steel lattice work for Faraday Cage Effect and UniMount Ceiling Design for Wire Management from Cable Trays. DOUBLE DOOR INSULATED VAULT DOOR ASSEMBLY

CONCLUSION

Fail-Safe is a difficult concept to perfect in the real world. At best, anecdotal history has shown us that FIRELOCK Magnetically Shield (Faraday Cage Design) Vapor Tight Vault Chambers have successfully protected computer back up media, mission critical servers and disaster recovery facilities for almost every industry.

The FIRELOCK Vault is ubiquitous in the nuclear industry, the medical industry, the pharmaceutical industry as well as top-secret facilities where failure is not an option. One of the first shielded fireproof Server Vault facilities in the was installed by FIRELOCK back in 1984 and has functioned continually since that time.

In over 1,700 facilities around the world, not one has failed during fires, earthquakes (Zone IV Seismic Rating), tornadoes ( 185 mph force rated with 3,000 psi anchoring system) flooding and attempted break-ins. This success has continued for over 28 years and is testament to the offsite storage companies that select this unique Class 125 Media Vault for their client’s vital electronic records and media.