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DC voltage on an AC line

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I have a main line stretching about 1200 feet. I would like know if the line has been cut when the main line doesn't have voltage. I'm currently thinking of putting a 100K resistor between the hot wire and the ground wire at the end of the line and applying a 3.3VDC or 12VDC voltage with a resistor to the hot line at the beginning of the circuit. This would create a simple voltage divider that I could measure. If it is a 3.3VDC, I'd know the line was cut. If it is lower, the set voltage of my voltage divider, I'd know the line is cut.

The biggest problem is knowing how to put 3.3VDC on a line that sometimes has 120VAC. I would never try when 120VAC is on the wire, but my worry is someone will accidentally apply 120VAC to this line when I am applying 3.3VDC. Obviously this would destroy my DC circuit. I've thought about using an isolated dc-dc convertor to apply the voltage just for that line to reduce the risk of the rest of my circuit being damaged. Is there a good protection method I can use to make this safe?

Screen Shot 2017-09-28 at 4.03.09 PM.png
 
With a 100K buildout resistance, the reverse current from 120 Vac would be 1.2 mA rms, or +/-1.7 mA peak-to-peak. Other *lethal* lack-of-isolation issues notwithstanding, that should not be a problem for whatever small power supply is supplying the DC.

Note: *lethal*

ak
 
Dc isnt good for things like transformers and through a resistor would probably be decked to ground by some connected load triggering your loss circuit.
A better way would be to use a 555 and a 567, the 555 generating an audio tone applied to the power line via a suitable cap, and the '567 tone decoder detecting said tone at 'tother end, this would work with power applied or not, and with a load or not, if your working with processors you could do this in code.
Obviously I need to point out mains and power lines are dangerous dont mess with them.
 
What dr pepper said..... motors and transformers present a very low impedance at DC and would completely shunt it out.
 
Dc isnt good for things like transformers and through a resistor would probably be decked to ground by some connected load triggering your loss circuit.
A better way would be to use a 555 and a 567, the 555 generating an audio tone applied to the power line via a suitable cap, and the '567 tone decoder detecting said tone at 'tother end, this would work with power applied or not, and with a load or not, if your working with processors you could do this in code.
Obviously I need to point out mains and power lines are dangerous dont mess with them.

This sounds like a good idea. If I put a 555 timer at the beginning, how could I use the 567 decoder to read it also at the beginning? You post suggests a circuit on both sides, but my application really needs to be all at the beginning.

Also, how would I connect a 555 and a 567 to a line that has 120vac main voltage? Could a frequency generated by the 555 and not drop the voltage enough to be detected by the 567 decoder after a 3000ft round trip on 12 gauge wire?
 
If the line doesn't have 120Vac on it, what is its equivalent circuit looking back toward the source end from the load end? Neutral still connected? Line side opened by a switch/relay/breaker?

While you are checking the integrity of the line, what is connected across the line at the load end?
 
If the line doesn't have 120Vac on it, what is its equivalent circuit looking back toward the source end from the load end? Neutral still connected? Line side opened by a switch/relay/breaker?

While you are checking the integrity of the line, what is connected across the line at the load end?

Ground and Neutral will still be connected, but the line wire goes through a switch so it is unconnected. The end has a 120VAC relay.
 
Ground and Neutral will still be connected, but the line wire goes through a switch so it is unconnected. The end has a 120VAC relay.

So you are trying to test the integrity of a line that looks like this:
line.png


If the relay is in circuit while measuring, I would need to know R1, R2, L1 and R3.
What is the measurement system referenced to?
 
So you are trying to test the integrity of a line that looks like this:
View attachment 108271

If the relay is in circuit while measuring, I would need to know R1, R2, L1 and R3.
What is the measurement system referenced to?
Your diagram is correct.

Using a wire resistance calculator, I find that the resistance of line R1 and R2 to be 1.906 ohms (length=1200, gauge=12). I'm not sure of the resistance (R3) and inductance (L1) of the relay, but here is the datasheet.
 
Your diagram is correct.

Using a wire resistance calculator, I find that the resistance of line R1 and R2 to be 1.906 ohms (length=1200, gauge=12). I'm not sure of the resistance (R3) and inductance (L1) of the relay, but here is the datasheet.
Can you measure the DC resistance of the contactor coil using an Ohmmeter?

There has to be a separate data sheet for the contactor coil?
 
Here is an approach. Relay can be left connected at the load end. I'm guessing at its inductance. You really need to measure it. Add the network at the source end. The oscillator circuit can be left connected.

Here is V(out) with switch open: Note the frequency.
line1.png

Here is Vout with the switch closed: Note the frequency.
line2.png
 
Here is an approach. Relay can be left connected at the load end. I'm guessing at its inductance. You really need to measure it. Add the network at the source end. The oscillator circuit can be left connected.

Here is V(out) with switch open: Note the frequency.
View attachment 108273

Here is Vout with the switch closed: Note the frequency.
View attachment 108274
Wow this looks great. I need to test the line integrity from the other side.
Screen Shot 2017-09-29 at 1.04.27 PM.png
 
Oops I must not have read your post proper.
You probably could get a tone to make the 3000ft round trip, it has the same chance as the Dc would, but both at the same end is tricky, you could do it but you'd need a big choke in one of the lines so probably isnt practical.
 
I misunderstood. Ignore the previous post #15.
Twisted pair has a capacitance of ~20pF/ft
1200 ft of line would have a capacitance of ~20*1200 = 24000pF = 24nF
If the line is intact, that is shunted at the far end by 282Ω in series with whatever the solenoid inductance is.
If the line is open, it will have a bit of residual capacitance but the solenoid inductance and resistance would not be there.
Your idea of injecting some DC bias through a 50K to 100K resistor will work (use high voltage resistors for R1 and R2, check breakdown voltage).

Here is my proposal:

line.png

There are three periods shown, each lasts 50ms in the sim.
1. normal 120Vac applied to distal relay.
2. normal line, 120Vac is off.
3. Faulted line, 120Vac is off.

Note V(out) at each period. V(out) is sampled by the AD in your microprocessor. You will have to discriminate as to what is happening on the line in your processor.
 
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This looks really good. What kind of voltage source would I use for V1, V3, V4? I typically use something like this. How can I safely connect it?
V1 is the Vdd for your microprocessor. It could be 3.3V or 5V...

V3 and V4 are just for simulation; they control when the simulated switches open/close. Think of "switch" and "fault" as being time-delay relays.

V3 opens the 120Vac switch S1 at 50ms in the simulation.

V4 opens switch S2 to create the simulated fault on the line at 100ms in the simulation.

With the circuit I showed, the microprocessor can tell if the ac is on/off. It can tell if the line is continuous to the relay or not. It cannot tell if the line is shorted; the ac breaker will blow in that case.

You are obviously confused by a simulation schematic and how to convert that to a circuit schematic. C1, R4, R5 are not "real" components; they represent the line resistance and capacitance. Just like R6 and L2 represent the relay.
 
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