Ampacity refers to the maximum current load a cable can carry. Copper is a better conductor than aluminum. The amplitude can vary due to internal and external factors, such as insulation and cable size. Larger diameter cables tend to have greater ampacity.
Ampacity is an electrical term used interchangeably with the term current carrying capacity. These words refer to the maximum current load a cable can carry. The amplitude can vary greatly from one cable to another. The variance can be based on internal factors, external factors, or both.
To understand this, it can be helpful to have a basic understanding of electrical conduction. Copper and aluminum are considered good conductors of heat. This means that large amounts of electricity can pass through them from one point to another without them disintegrating. Of the two, copper is the better conductor. This is why it is so commonly used in electrical cables.
The electricity moving through a copper wire is actually a bunch of electrons pushed by the voltage. The higher the voltage, the more electrons that can be sent flowing through the wire. Amplitude refers to the maximum number of electrons that can be pushed.
It might be easy to mistakenly think that the maximum amount of electricity that can flow through copper is equal to the width of the wire it’s in. This conclusion, however, is false. There are several factors that can cause a cable to have lower capacitance than its internal wire.
The conductor of a cable is insulated. If it weren’t, the part of the cable that can be touched, also called the sheath, would burn out. When current travels within that insulation, heat is generated. That insulation can tolerate less heat than the conductor inside. If this is ignored, the insulation and possibly the entire cable will burn out.
The amplitude is also influenced by external factors. Even a cable exposed to the sun is affected by a high level of external heating. The cable must be able to withstand this and the heat generated by the current flowing through it. A cable in a cool area, such as underground, may have a greater range because outside temperatures can help lower the temperature of the cable. The amount of heat a cable can sustain while operating normally and safely is its temperature rating.
Another factor affecting amplitude is the size of the conductor. When carrying electricity, a piece of copper is like a tunnel. The smaller the tunnel, the more restricted the flow. If a larger tunnel is made available, the flow can increase. Larger diameter cables tend to be like this because the conductor inside is larger. This results in greater ampacity.
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