seized bikes

[cyclebuddy]

I'd be more concerned at the fatigue life of the cable rather than it's current carrying capacity. Aluminium is fine for fixed rigid cables, it is not really suitable for small diameter flexible cables.

Says who? BS7671 doesn't say anything other than it needs to be sized according to load. If you think about it, our national network of Pylons that run for hundreds of miles invariably use Aluminium at 400kv/275kv, and they're flexing and stretching in the wind, heat and cold all the time... why would small diameter be different?

 

[saneagle]

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Copper is less susceptible to fatigue than aluminum:

• Copper
  Copper is harder and more flexible than aluminum, which helps it avoid nicks and breaks. Copper's higher fatigue strength also makes it more reliable, especially in overhead transmission lines where vibrations can cause fretting fatigue.
  
  
  
• Aluminum
  Aluminum's thermal expansion rate is higher than copper's, which can cause minor flaws to deteriorate into areas of high resistance. These flaws can lead to hot spots or even breakage of the conductor. Cracks in aluminum generally grow from the surface, where water vapor can cause hydrogen embrittlement.
  
  

However, some say that there is little evidence that the material of the winding conductor has a significant bearing on the service life of distribution transformers.

 

[cyclebuddy]

Each material has its properties, strengths and weaknesses, benefits and drawbacks... yet still both copper and aluminium is used in flexible power cables. It's not going to fatigue to the point of failure in normal service life otherwise it wouldn't be used/be acceptable to use. It's a daft argument.

 

[soundwave]

 

[chris_n]

Says who? BS7671 doesn't say anything other than it needs to be sized according to load. If you think about it, our national network of Pylons that run for hundreds of miles invariably use Aluminium at 400kv/275kv, and they're flexing and stretching in the wind, heat and cold all the time... why would small diameter be different?

Large cables with not

Each material has its properties, strengths and weaknesses, benefits and drawbacks... yet still both copper and aluminium is used in flexible power cables. It's not going to fatigue to the point of failure in normal service life otherwise it wouldn't be used/be acceptable to use. It's a daft argument.

If aluminium was perfect for use in small sizes with potentially considerable flexing it would be used in all mains cables as it is much cheaper than copper. It is perfect for the pylons etc as you mentioned previously because it is much lighter but even then it is usually strengthened by a steel core.

 

[soundwave]

silver is the best conductor for electric and is a option if jimmy still makes batts but its not much better than copper but way better and stronger than nickle strips.

if they used copper for over head power cables they would have to be a lot stronger to hold the waight until it is all stolen and sold as scrap.