how much amps can the 6 AWG wire handle? we went on the belken site and got lost…
Might we say adequate for the 120 A circuit breaker, given that breakers will handle overcurrent for a while before opening ?
According to the data tables on http://www.rbeelectronics.com 6 AWG wire should be able to handle up to a little over 200 Amps. In fact I know it can handle 200 Amps from personal expierence. Unless your team builds a machine that has high current draw, you should have no problems with 6 AWG wire
viper,
The current rating on #6 wire is based on it’s capabilities in free air and according to National Electrical Code it is capable of 105 Amps continuous for THHN type wire. Part of this spec is that the insulating jacket will not melt below 90 deg. C. However, this spec is based on continuous current over long period of time, not over the two minutes of match time we will encounter. What is more important to us is the resistance of the wire (length) used. A longer wire will drop more voltage at high currents so it is important to keep high current runs as short as possible. Don’t forget that the total resistance is the sum of the positive wire, negative wire and all of the connection points. All things being equal, the 120 amp circuit breaker should adequately protect the #6 wire in our application.