What this line choke does
The Schneider Altivar VW3A68501 is a 3-phase line choke rated for 160 A continuous current, with 0.22 mH inductance, designed for 400/500 Vac mains supplies. Its primary job is reducing current harmonics drawn by variable-frequency drives — it sits between the mains and the drive input, smoothing the current waveform and limiting harmonic distortion that would otherwise stress upstream transformers and trip nuisance breakers.
Rated 160 A (In) continuous. That's the current the choke can carry indefinitely at rated conditions — size it for the drive's input current, not the motor nameplate. For overloads, it handles 1.65 × In for 60 seconds, which covers the typical inrush and acceleration peaks on a standard VFD. Voltage drop at rated load is 5 %, which is typical for a line choke of this size and inductance. That drop is predictable and the drive compensates for it; what matters is the choke's impedance limiting the rate of rise of fault current and smoothing the rectifier's current pulses. Thermal losses of 220 W at rated current. The choke is Class F insulated (155 °C hot-spot rating), so it can run warm, but the surrounding air temperature must stay within the derating curve: 0 to 45 °C without derating, 45 to 55 °C with a 2 % per °C current reduction. Altitude derating: from 1000 to 3000 m, reduce current 1 % per 100 m. Above 3000 m, the air density is too low for reliable convection cooling — consult the drive application manual if you're working above that.
The terminals are IP20 (finger-safe). Dimensions: 280 mm wide, 305 mm tall, 210 mm deep. That's a substantial block; confirm your panel's backplate space and the gland-plate clearance for the incoming cables. Electrical connection is via a 6 mm² / AWG 8 terminal, torque 0.8 to 1.0 N·m. That's sized for the 160 A rating — you'll need parallel cables or larger lugs if your run is long; the terminal itself is the bottleneck only for the connection point. Environmental class per IEC 721-3-3: 3B1 (moderate biological), 3C2 (moderate chemical), 3S1 (low mechanical active contaminants). That's a standard industrial panel environment — not for outdoor, washdown, or corrosive atmospheres without additional enclosure protection.
Designed to VDE 0160 level 1, EN 50178 (electronic equipment for power installations), and IEC 60076 (power transformers, with HD398). Clearance distance 5.5 mm, creepage 11.5 mm per IEC 60664, pollution degree 2. These are the insulation coordination standards that let it sit on a 400/500 V mains circuit without flashover. Shock rated 15 gn for 11 ms per IEC 60068-2-27; vibration 1 gn at 13-200 Hz and 1.5 mm peak-to-peak at 3-13 Hz per IEC 60068-2-6. That's standard for fixed industrial installation — not for mobile or shipboard without additional qualification. No end-of-life notice or successor part has been issued. This is a current-production item in the Altivar accessory range.