Quick question about wire guage and inductance!!!

Thread Starter

bmxerds

Joined Sep 4, 2012
16
Hello everybody my question is what awg magnet wire should i use to wind a toroid. does wire resistance affect the toroid much. If i use a slightly larger gauge will it affect inductance?
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,285
The wire gauge affects inductance only indirectly, since the wire size determines how many turns you can wind on a given toroid and, of course, inductance is proportional to the number of turns.
 

Austin Clark

Joined Dec 28, 2011
412
The wire gauge affects inductance only indirectly, since the wire size determines how many turns you can wind on a given toroid and, of course, inductance is proportional to the number of turns.
Of course, wire gauge also affects resistance, effectively meaning you'll need higher voltage to get the same amount of current. That's the payoff for getting tighter coils (with more, and closer, turns).
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Depending on frequency, DC resistance is a trivial contribution to impedance. For a DC coil, wire gauge and thus resistance matters a lot. For high frequency, inductance contributes far more to the total impedance.
 

Austin Clark

Joined Dec 28, 2011
412
Depending on frequency, DC resistance is a trivial contribution to impedance. For a DC coil, wire gauge and thus resistance matters a lot. For high frequency, inductance contributes far more to the total impedance.
Ah, great point. I hadn't even considered AC, I was thinking in terms of a coil-gun, or something similar. I guess the only thing I'd add to that is, resistance matters in determining waste heat.
 
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