Current capacity of plates

[bradg]

I am designing a community gutter and will be using busbars. I can not find current ratings for different sizes of buses. Any suggestions?

 

[electricpete]

I don't have any references handy. But I'm curious... are we talking gutter as in rain gutter? When would it have to carry current?

 

[bradg]

This is an auxiliary gutter associated with a meter center. Refer to NEC Article 374.

 

[busbar]

Maybe? 99NEC374-6(a). ...copper bars in sheet metal auxiliary gutters shall not exceed 1000 amperes/in² of cross section of the conductor. For aluminum bars, the current carried continuously shall not exceed 700 amperes/in²...

IIRC, copper-bus lap joints are limited to 200A/in².

 

[jbartos]

Suggestions:
1. Check this Forum for similar posting. It was discussed in the past
2. Visit

http://busbar.copper.org/ampacity/busbar.htm

for more info