The current carrying capacity of a wire refers to the amount of current that the wire can withstand. In household electricity use, we often hear about the "capacity" of wires, in other words, the current carrying capacity of the wires.
The current carrying capacity of a wire refers to the amount of current that the wire can withstand. In household electricity use, we often hear about the "capacity" of wires, in other words, the current carrying capacity of the wires.
The current carrying capacity of a wire is related to factors such as the specification, length, conductor material, ambient temperature and internal temperature of the fuselage. Today, ZhuFeng Wire and Cable will focus on the current carrying capacity of wires to find out!
We need to know that the wire carrying capacity refers to the cross-sectional area of the wire. The larger the cross-sectional area, the greater the current it can withstand, and vice versa. The formula is: wire carrying capacity = wire cross-sectional area × wire carrying capacity coefficient. The wire ampacity factor is usually 1 because other factors are taken into account.
Secondly, we need to know that different types of electrical appliances require different amounts of current, which also has an impact on the current carrying capacity of the wire. In household electricity, the current required by small and medium-power appliances is within 10A, while the current of high-power appliances (such as air conditioners, washing machines, etc.) is generally around 16A, so thicker wires are required as their power supply lines.
In addition, ambient temperature is also an important factor affecting the current carrying capacity of wires. As the temperature increases, the current carrying capacity of the wire decreases. This is because the conductor material of the wire is easily damaged at high temperatures, resulting in a reduction in conductor cross-section, causing the wire to easily heat up, even damaging other electrical appliances, and even causing fires. Therefore, when the ambient temperature is high, thicker wires should be used to improve the problem of insufficient current carrying capacity. At the same time, the use time of electrical appliances should also be controlled within an appropriate range to avoid wire aging and damage due to long-term overload use. risk.
In real life, the temperature inside conventional household electrical wires is generally higher than the outdoor temperature. This is because when electrical appliances are used, a certain amount of heat is inevitably generated inside the electrical wires. Therefore, when purchasing wires, you should pay attention to the ambient temperature range they can withstand, so as to predict the required wire carrying capacity.
Let’s talk about the specifications of the wires. The specifications of the wire are usually expressed by the nominal cross-sectional area. The larger the nominal cross-sectional area, the greater the current the wire can withstand. For example, a wire with a nominal cross-sectional area of 2.5mm² can carry a current of up to 13A, while a wire with a nominal cross-sectional area of 4mm² can withstand a current of up to 21A.
To sum up, the current carrying capacity of a wire involves factors such as the cross-sectional area of the wire, the current required by the electrical appliance, the ambient temperature, and the specifications of the wire. When purchasing wires, you should select appropriate wire specifications based on your own needs and the power of the electrical appliances used to avoid dangerous situations such as damage to electrical appliances or even fires due to insufficient current carrying capacity of the wires.