What gauge mag wire is the best?

[Rhett]

Hello,

I'm new to these forums and to tinkering with OU. Recently I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

So i'm in the process off teaching myself the basics of electricity, circuitry, and all that other good stuff.

I've done a few experiments so far with electro-magnets (thinking of building a pulse motor).

I'm trying to figure out which gauge wire will be best to use in my stator once my magnets get delivered.

From my experiments, it seems that thicker wire makes more powerful electromagnets. I made 2 of them by wrapping the wire around 2 identical nails.

the gauges i used were 22 and 30.

even though the 30 gauge got considerably more wraps, i made them so that they both weighed the exact same (to a 1/10 of a gram accuracy).

the wrappings on both are also the same length from north to south pole (although i'm curious to test how their strength is affected by distance between poles eg: if you make 2 electromagnets from the same gauge and length of wire, but make one with the poles 2 inches apart and the other 4 inches apart, which would be stronger?)

the 22 gauge electro magnet seems to have an affect on paper clips almost double the distance of the 30 gauge magnet.

can someone EXPLAIN THAT ^^^ to me please

the only thing i can think of is that maybe the enamel-coating to copper ratio on the 30 gauge wire is higher than the 22 gauge. thus the 30 gauge magnet actually has less copper than the 22 gauge making it less powerful.

this seems a little out of whack though when you consider that the 22 gauge seems almost twice as strong.

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so to me it seems like thicker wire would make for better stator coils also as you would get more copper per volume.

but every stator coils i've seen seems to be wrapped with the thinnest wire possible.

if someone could set me straight on the matter i would appreciate it

Thanks

[z.monkey]

Howdy Rhett,

That is called Amp Turns.  The magnetomotive force (magnetism) produced by the electromagnet is is a combination of two factors.  The number of windings and the amount of current supplied to the electromagnet determine how large the magnetic field is.  The thicker wire allows more current to flow in the electromagnet and generates a larger magnetic field than the smaller wire.

Do yourself a favor and get textbooks about basic electricity and electronics before you try and invent something.  Electrical physics are a very complex field of study and it is easy to fool yourself into thinking that you have achieved something when in fact your circuit is working just the way that the physics dictate.  Believe me, I know from experience.

Blessed Be Brother...