Numerical Simulation of Ampacity in Advanced Electrical Conductors

Abstract Elevated temperature performance of advanced conductors are investigated with a one-dimensional joule heating model. Step-by-step development and validation of the ampacity prediction model are discussed and results from case studies are provided. A potential advantage of advanced electrical conductors is their relatively low density. Copper — as reference — is compared with carbon-based conductors and copper nanocomposites, on the basis of equivalent volume and equivalent weight. It is shown that while doped carbon nanotube (CNT) conductors may potentially result in an improved conductor compared with copper on a weight basis, ultra-conductive copper (UCC) can outperform copper on both volume and weight bases.