Aluminum Bus Bar Ampacity Calculator

Understanding bus bar ampacity charts.

Aluminum bus bar ampacity calculator.

In the plating and anodizing area where bus bars tend to be say 5 to 50 foot long and the current is low voltage dc we figure 1000 amps sq. And b 317 00 aluminum alloy extruded bar rod pipe and structural shapes for electrical purposes for alloy 6101. The aluminium bus bar widely used and most popular than copper busbar. 30 c rise 50 c rise 65 c rise sq.

Then check the ampacity table to verify that size selected has the necessary ampacity. The aluminium bus bar is cheaper than copper busbar but the resistivity of the aluminium busbar is high as compared with copper busbar. Current rating of rectangular aluminum bus bar arrangements amperes for 6101 t61 alloy 57 iacs conductivity sizes inches 1 bar 2 bars 3 bars 4 bars. Assume that required ampacity is 185 amps at 30 c rise.

This article presents a brief overview of ampacity charts for both copper and aluminum bus bar and shows how to interpret the data within. Vertical bar ampacity based on work by house and tuttle. Dc resistance at 20 c microhms ft. However these charts can only tell you so much.

A bus bar also spelled busbar buss bar or busbar is a strip or bar of copper brass or aluminum that conducts electricity within a switchboard distribution board substation battery bank or other electrical apparatus. Wire size awg or kcmil. The calculator uses empirical formulas that consider all heat generated by i 2 r losses in the conductor during an overcurrent condition to be absorbed by the conductor and that. Afl aluminum bus conductors are manufactured to meet appropriate astm specifications.

The following calculator computes the expected time for a cable conductor or bus bar to rise in temperature under short circuit or short time overcurrent conditions. Horizontal bar ampacity from industry sources. Space between bars is assumed equal bar thickness. Bus bar ampacity table ampacities of copper bus bars alloy uns c11000 dimension in.

14 awg 12 awg 10 awg 8 awg 6 awg 4 awg 3 awg 2 awg 1 awg 1 0 awg 2 0 awg 3 0 awg 4 0 awg 250 kcmil 300 kcmil 350 kcmil 400 kcmil 500 kcmil 600 kcmil 700 kcmil 750 kcmil 800 kcmil 900 kcmil. Knowing required ampacity determine possible bus bar dimensions from this table. For copper bus bar and half of that for aluminum. Wire ampacity calculator enter the information below to calculate the maximum allowable ampacity for current carrying conductors.

So you would be looking for 0 125 square inches 1 4 x 1 2 inch or 1 8 x 1inch. These include b 241 00 aluminum alloy seamless pipe and tube for alloys 6063 and 6061. Its main purpose is to conduct electricity not to function as a structural member. In mcm thousand circ mils skin effect ratio at 90 c 60 hz ampacity amp skin effect ratio at 90 c 60 hz ampacity amp skin effect.