What Causes Overheating in a 16A Plug for New Energy Vehicle Charging?
1 Answers
1. Material Issues: Currently, the metal materials used for manufacturing wires are mainly divided into copper and aluminum. Research shows that at 20°C, the resistivity of copper is 1.678, while that of aluminum is 2.6548. Therefore, using aluminum-core wires for new energy vehicle charging circuits results in higher heat generation compared to copper-core wires. 2. Wire Thickness: Under the same current, the resistance is directly related to the thickness of the wire. In other words, the thicker the wire, the lower the heat generation. Generally, household electrical sockets use wires with a cross-section of 1.5 square millimeters, which can safely handle a current of 10A. A 1.7KW portable charger has a charging current of only 7.7A, so connecting it will not cause overheating. However, a 3.3KW wall-mounted charger can reach a charging current of 15A. If it draws power from a standard socket, the 1.5 square millimeter wire will overheat due to excessive charging current and may even melt the socket panel. Therefore, a 3.3KW wall-mounted charging pile must use wires of at least 2.5 square millimeters, and the socket panel should be upgraded to 16A. 3. Loose Connections: If the connections between wires, or between wires and sockets or plugs, are not tight, the resistance at the connection points will increase, leading to higher heat generation. Additionally, poor-quality sockets or those that have been used for too long may develop loose connections due to metal fatigue from repeated plugging and unplugging.
