EMP line filter using MOV devices

Two cylindrical sleeves of metal oxide varistor material (MOV) are used as capacitive elements of a low pass feedthrough pi-filter network. A metallic housing coaxially surrounds the MOV sleeves and provides electrical contact to ground. The inner surface of each sleeve is electrically connected to an inductor whose leads are terminated by feedthrough connectors on either side of the metal housing. The sleeve inner diameter is large enough to envelop the inductance thereby reducing the package length. The combined shunt capacitance and series inductance form the low pass pi-filter network. At normal signal levels, the package acts as a normal feedthrough low pass pi-filter network. At higher signal levels and transients, the bipolar MOV components clamp the voltage to a given level, determined by the MOV material grain structure and sleeve thickness.