SENTRON 3VA2 — 160 A MCCB with adjustable trip and high SCCR
The Siemens 3VA2216-5KQ42-0AA0 is a SENTRON 3VA2 molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection in distribution panels. It carries a rated continuous current of 160 A across the full ambient range of 40 °C to 70 °C — no derating needed up to that ceiling, which simplifies panel thermal budgeting. The adjustable thermal-magnetic trip unit spans 240 A minimum to 1 920 A maximum, giving the specifying engineer a wide coordination window for downstream feeders or motor branch circuits. Short-circuit current ratings (SCCR) are published per voltage tier: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 4.5 kA at 690 V. The 187 kA figure at 240 V means this breaker can be applied on high-fault-capacity 240 VAC services without an upstream current-limiting fuse — a common requirement in North American panel schedules. At 690 V the 4.5 kA limit is a constraint; verify the available fault current at that voltage before specifying. The 4-pole construction suits three-phase systems with a fully rated neutral, typical in European TN-S or TT distribution where the neutral is switched and protected. The insulation voltage is rated 800 V, so the breaker is comfortable in 690 VAC line-to-line applications within its SCCR envelope.
Integration and panel fit
Dimensions are 140 mm wide, 181 mm high, and 86 mm deep. The 140 mm width is the 4-pole footprint. A communication function is built in, which on the 3VA2 platform typically means a modular communication-capable trip unit that can interface with fieldbus or Ethernet gateways for remote metering and trip indication. The ground-fault monitoring version uses summation current formation on L + N conductors — this is a residual-current detection method that sums phase and neutral currents to sense leakage, suitable for solidly-grounded systems where ground-fault coordination is required.