Chapter 6 - Diakoptic approach to EMC problems involving the human body

Abstract

This chapter discusses the diakoptic approach to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problems involving the human body (HB). Because of the restricted computation time and ease of application, this approach is recommended for improving the cost/benefit ratio when posed with capacitive coupling problems. The chapter describes a lumped-parameter circuit model of a variously postured HB. This is useful for studying the current response to both extremely low frequency (ELF) electric field exposure and electrostatic discharge (ESD). Therefore, the current distribution calculated inside a variously postured HB is the one induced by the quasistatic coupling with an applied electric field. The HB has previously been partitioned into 11 blocks. Each block corresponds to as many anatomically discernible parts and each is represented by a tern of resistive, inductive, and capacitive parameters. The set of block capacitances is determined by a procedure based on the diakoptic theory, for which the HB is assumed as being a perfectly conducting multi-spheroidal structure composed of 11 elements The circuital resistive and inductive parameters are calculated by a subsidiary electromagnetic approach to biological tissue modelling. The chapter discusses the various reasons that lead to recommend the diakoptic method for the above EMC applications.