#1 Invisible Broken-Wire Detector

ABSTRACT

A device works only when there is proper connection between the circuit elements. Conducting wires serve in making complete connection. But, when the conductor has fault in it, it isn't capable of conducting due to breakage at some point in its length, the device may no longer operate.

Portable loads such as video cameras, halogen flood lights, electrical irons, hand drillers, grinders, and cutters are powered by connecting long 2- or 3-core cables to the mains plug. Due to prolonged usage, the power cord wires are subjected to mechanical strain and stress, which can lead to internal snapping of wires at any point. In such a case most people go for replacing the core/cable, as finding the exact location of a broken wire is difficult.

In 3-core cables, it appears almost impossible to detect a broken wire and the point of break without physically disturbing all the three wires that are concealed in a PVC jacket. The circuit presented here can easily and quickly detect a broken/faulty wire and its breakage point in 1-core, 2-core, and 3-core cables without physically disturbing wires.

Finding out the exact location of breakage can be a problem to the user as the wires are usually insulated by PVC or plastic jacket making the conducting wires inside them invisible.

INTRODUCTION

Invisible Broken wire detector is an instrument, very useful under these circumstances since it can easily detect the location of internal snapping without contact and physical disturbance.When it senses the breakage in the faulty wire the LED in the instrument turns off, the user knows the location of the fault and the broken section of wire can be replaced easily.

OBJECTIVE    

Our basic aim in this project is to locate the exact position of breakage in conducting wires concealed in PVC jacket without physically damaging the jacket thus reducing the waste of time as well as resources.

BLOCK DIAGRAM AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION

                               Invisible Broken-Wire Detector Block Diagram

General Description

To detect the exact location of the broken wire inside the PVC jacket we employ our circuit with a hex inverter  CMOS which uses its actions to control an oscillator which in return detects the presence of ac current and thus shows us the exact location till where the wire is intact and allowing the passage of current through it.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

COMPONENTS REQUIRED AND THEIR DESCRIPTION

1) CMOS hex inverter CD4069UB
The CD4069UB consists of six inverter circuits and is manufactured using complementary MOS (CMOS) to achieve wide power supply operating range, low power consumption, high noise immunity, and symmetric controlled rise and fall times.
2) 1N4148 High speed switching diodes
These have high switching speed up to4ns and have continuous reverse voltage upto 100 volts, repetitive peak reverse voltage; max:100V and repetitive peak forward current; max:450mA.
3) BC547 transistor
4) Resistors
    47 ohm
    1M ohm
    560 ohm
    220 ohm
5)1.5 x 2 AG13 or LR44 type button cells
6) LEDs
7) Bread board
8) 2200P capacitor
9) Connecting wires and probe
10)Switch

FEATURES

1) Wide supply voltage range: 3V to 15V,
2) High noise immunity,
3) Operating temperature range :  -55 C to  +125 C,
4) Portable,
5)No physical disturbance,
6) Contactless detection,
7) Low power requirements,
8)Accurate,
9)Easy to use ,
10)Useful and handy instrument.

RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS

Thus the circuit was made successfully which can easily detect broken point in the wire inside PVC jacket without physically disturbing it.
The whole circuit can be accommodated in a small PVC pipe and used as a handy broken-wire detector. This will make the circuit more compact and east to handle. The handy broken-wire is portable and less prone to damage.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The circuit is made cheap and best. It would not only be able in reducing wastage of time but resources too.
Thus using just a hex inverter and few resistors we are able to construct a device which can easily detect a faulty broken wire and thus save the extra cost of a user which is incurred on replacing it which is otherwise too difficult.

FUTURE SCOPE

We can use an inverter in between the led and the oscillator which will then turn on the LED only when the broken point is detected and keeping it off when wire is not broken. By making this change we can make our detector more user-friendly which now directly shows the broken point.

REFERENCE
www.google.com
www.extermecircuits.net