Does anyone know where I can find out how much current specific gauges of wire can handle? I've looked up web pages on it, but can't figure out what they mean... for example at
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There's a column that says: Current Carrying, and another that says Fusing Current
I'm interested in figuring out if 20 AWG wire can handle steady DC of
7.25 Amps, for 20 AWG is says Current Carrying: 1.46 Fusing Current: 58.4
? I don't get what they're saying.... other websites have been similarly confusing..
# 20 wire can carry any current you like, up to the fusing current. It is all a matter of how hot you are willing to let the wire get. The referenced table above will let you calculate the temperature rise of a wire over ambient for any arbitrary current and gauge.
The Current Carrying is how much current the wire can handle for a given rise in temperature over ambient. There should also be a note that the temperature rise will be more than calculated if the wires are in a bundle together. An unbundled #20 wire at 7.5 amps will rise about 30F (15C) over ambient, which is pretty warm. Your call.
Fusing current is the current at which the wire will melt.
The current carrying capacity in the listed table is based on 700 circular mills per amp, a very conservative number for wire wound inside a transformer where heating is an issue.
The National electric code specifies current carrying capacity for open wires or house wiring for example about twice that or 300 to 350 circular mills per amp. This gives 20 AWG wire about a 3 Amp rating.
What is your application? What is the duty cycle? What is the thermal environment, how hot can it get? Is it in a transformer or in open air and how insulated? How much voltage drop can you tolerate?
Back in the day, the usual rule of thumb for low-frequency power transformers in continuous use was 1000 circular mils per amp, where a 'circular mil' is the square of the diameter in mils (thousandths of an inch), i.e. 1 circular mil = (pi/4) square mil. The 1000 circular mils per amp rule comes out to 5.07e-6 square metres per amp.
But before the wire gets too hot, there will probably be so much voltage drop that the voltage at the load is too low, so that might be the more important criterion.
You didn't read the rest of the page: "Current Notes: The current shown per wire size listed above is based on 1 amp/ 700 Circular mils, other tables provide different current per wire size, and different current for open air ~ check your local electrical code for the correct current capacity [Ampacity]. The 1 amp/ 700 Circular mils seems to be the most conservative, other sites provide/allow for 1 amp per 200 or 300 Circular mil. For shot wire lengths use 1A/200 Circular mil, for longer wire runs use 300 Circular mil, and for very long wire runs use the table above, 1 amp / 700 Circular mil.
The current rating is listed based on permissible voltage drop and not conductor heating.
The ability of a wire to carry a given amount of current is affected by a number of additional factors, which are not accounted for in the AWG table above. The ambient temperature of the surrounding air, wire insulation, and number of other wires bundled together [provided below].
Ampacity relates to the ability of the conductor to carry current [amps] before the cable over heats. I understand there are hundreds of Ampacity tables for many different conditions. The numbers above are but one example. Ampacity Tables for many conditions:"
AC 43.13-1B shows AWG 20 okay for about 16.5A if you don't mind 80°C rise (eg. very high temperature rated insulation in moderate ambient).
That's for *one wire in free air*, deratings for bundles (two wires are a bundle), and altitude, of course, and the detailed calculations are shown for various situations. May be available on the FAA dot GOV website.
Mostly you'll not want to get anywhere near those current levels or voltage drop will kill you.
How can a voltage drop kill someone? The lower the voltage at the outlet, the safer it is!
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OK, if that thought is what it takes to make you feel like a man. You constantly post misinformation that can cause problems, or cost someone their life. In my book, you are a pathetic fool.
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That would be almost everything you've ever posted.
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As soon as somebody buys you a clue. Your Siglines speak volumes - someone not sure enough about the relevance of his posts that he has to post a joke-de-jour as a sigline by way of an apology for his lack of wit... If you have a relevant response to make, then make it - otherwise leave this newsgroup to those who seriously want to discuss electronics!
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Mil is confusing. A lot of folk in metric countries say "mil" short for millimetre. A metre is considerably different to an inch.
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