F1technical.net

Can Aluminum be used as a conductor? i know it's good for home wiring but what about racing?

I don't know very much about it, but i think that it could be used for its electrical conductivity property per weight versus copper.

To make a realistic comparison of the basic cost of copper versus aluminum for conducting electricity, the conductivity and density of the two materials must be considered. Electrical conductor (EC) grade aluminum is rated at 63% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard). Combining this conductivity measure, which is on a volume basis, with the densities of the two metals yields the result that 0.22 kg of aluminum has the same conductive capability as 0.45 kg of copper. To complete the cost comparison it is, of course, necessary to make allowances for fabricating both materials into final form.

For the characteristics of wiring systems of cars, i don't think that a substantial amount of weight could be saved by using aluminum. Maybe it could be used in F1, don't know.

Now, in high power applications such as transmission lines, it is used for this property. With this in mind, it could be used in KERS power conductors to reduce weight, or in the motor/generator windings. Maybe scarbs could know something about this if it's indeed true. However, it need to be said that aluminum opens a lot of new problems in the motor design.

For more info: http://www.keytometals.com/Article91.htm
Another link: http://www.achrnews.com/Articles/Featur ... 32a8c0____

Hope it helps...

this is really a old hat:
http://imperia.mi-verlag.de/imperia/md/ ... 03_044.pdf
took me 3sec to google...
I assume its not just a german thing...

Doesnt the new McLaren road car used Al wiring to save weight?

marcush. i don't understand german, what is being said in that article?
looks good

the article is presenting the advances in aluminium flatbar type conductors in the automotive field.
Their point is cost reduction,weight savings and the possibility to tailor the product exactly to the shape of the package space available ,as movement of the
wiring is not necessary in all areas of a loom.
of course a lot of pr blabla ....
But I know all OEM s are working on these concepts .

Maybe you also look into Beru F1 s site :they do moulded,lightweight looms covered ,wich can be tailored exactly to the needed shape.

Thanks a lot! Very much appreciated

pipex,

The approach used in vehicles to reduce the weight of wiring, is to increase the system voltage. A higher voltage requires less amperage. And since the conductor size is based on amperage, less amperage means a smaller conductor.

Copper is preferred over aluminum for electrical conductors, since pure copper conductors have less resistance, better thermal conductivity, and have somewhat better corrosion resistance.

There are practical limits to increasing automotive electrical system voltages however. The auto OEMs have determined that 42 volts is the maximum safe limit for most of a production car's electrical system. Anything over 42 volts could potentially cause a heartbeat stoppage if a person was shocked by the system. Higher voltages are used in the electrical drivetrain of some hybrid cars, but these systems are carefully enclosed and sealed to prevent an owner from accessing them (and likely killing themselves).

Regards,
Terry