Electrical – PCB design issues for handling 50A current

heathigh-currentpcbpcb-designpower-dissipation

I am working on a combiner circuit that will monitor the current and voltage rating of my device. The device and the combiner must handle 50A Current. Im using a shunt on my combiner PCB to measure the voltage/current. Now while testing as I increased the current supplied above 20 25 A, the PCB track started to melt and smoke up. Im using a 2oz thickness and a pretty wide track. Are there any ways to manage heat dissipation or even generation(Im measuring Current, so the only parameter that I can control at source is resistance. While beyond a limit isnt the best solution)

Best Answer

For 50 A with a copper busbar of 1.3 mm square results in a 10'C internal rise.

Larger is recommend for minimal drop in voltage or other materials or lower temp rise.