MCCB for 160 A feeder protection with high fault-current headroom
The Siemens 3VA2116-6KQ42-0AA0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker rated for 160 A continuous current across the full ambient range from 40 °C to 70 °C — no derating needed up to that ceiling. Its 242 kA interrupting capacity at 240 V means it can clear a bolted fault at the service entrance without upstream fuses or a current-limiting reactor; the 187 kA at 415 V and 440 V covers most industrial distribution panels. The 4-pole construction handles three-phase plus neutral, and the line-protection design (thermal-magnetic trip curve) suits feeder or main breaker duty in switchboards and panelboards. Communication function is built in, so it can report status and trip events to a BMS or PLC without an add-on module. Mounts in a standard panel or enclosure; the 140 mm width and 181 mm height fit the 3VA frame footprint, and the 86 mm depth leaves room for rear-connected busbars or cable lugs. Ground-fault monitoring uses summation current sensing on L+N, so it detects leakage without a separate GFCI module.
Interrupting performance by voltage level
The 242 kA at 240 V is the headline number, but the real-world selectivity picture changes as voltage climbs: 187 kA at 415 V and 440 V, then 121 kA at 500 V, and a sharp drop to 3.7 kA at 690 V. That 690 V figure is the limiting case — if your system runs 690 V line-to-line with available fault current above 3.7 kA, this breaker will not clear it. For 480 V or 600 V class panels the 121 kA at 500 V is the relevant spec; derate further if the actual system voltage sits between the tested points.
Environmental and electrical ratings
Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage from -40 °C to 80 °C. Insulation voltage rated at 800 V. Maximum power loss is 25.5 W at full load — relevant for enclosure thermal calculations if the panel is densely packed. No undervoltage release or voltage-trip accessory is included; the trip indicator is absent, so fault cause must be read from the communication interface or a downstream meter.