The VW3A4611 is a passive harmonic filter from the Schneider Altivar accessory range, designed to sit between the line supply and the drive's input. It's a 3-phase unit rated 216 A at 400 V ±10 %, 50 Hz, built to knock down current harmonics from ATV61 and ATV71 drives into the 10 % THDI range at full load — specifically 10 % for the ATV61HC13N4 (132 kW / 200 hp motor) and ATV71HC13N4 (same), and 10 % for the ATV61HC25N4 (250 kW / 400 hp) and ATV71HC25N4 (250 kW / 400 hp) when paired with the correct quantity per drive. The filter's job is reduction of current harmonics — it's a line-side passive filter, not a DC choke or an active front end. It handles a maximum current of 1.5 x nominal current, so it can ride through short overloads without saturating the core. Efficiency sits at 98 %, meaning the power loss through the filter is low enough to ignore for most sizing calculations. The power factor correction side is worth noting: cos φ reaches 1 at 150 % of line current, drops to 0.85 at 75 % of line current, and sits at 0.99 at 100 % of line current — so it's most effective at pulling the PF back toward unity when the drive is working hard.
Lifecycle reality — obsolete, but still findable
These filters were pulled working from decommissioned lines and are available on a quoted-to-order basis — no factory lead time, no last-time-buy window left.
The filter carries an IP20 degree of protection — it's intended for enclosure mounting, not open-panel washdown areas. The electrical connection accepts bare wires up to 12.5 mm diameter, which is a substantial lug-size cable for the 216 A rating. Operating temperature range is 5...40 °C without derating; above 40 °C up to 55 °C, derate the current by 3 % per °C. Storage temperature spans -25...55 °C. Relative humidity tolerance is 5...85 % without condensation. Above 1000 m altitude, derate current 5 % per additional 1000 m up to 4000 m. Quantity per drive varies: one filter for the ATV61HC13N4 or ATV71HC13N4, two filters for the ATV61HC25N4 or ATV71HC25N4. That's because the larger drives draw enough current that a single 216 A filter won't cover the full input — the pair splits the harmonic load.