Siemens 3VA2216-6KQ42-0AA0 SENTRON MCCB — 160 A, 4-Pole, Line Protection
The Siemens 3VA2216-6KQ42-0AA0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection in distribution panels and industrial switchgear. It carries a continuous current rating of 160 A across the full ambient temperature range from 40 °C to 70 °C, with no derating needed up to that ceiling — the rated current holds at 160 A from 40 °C all the way through 70 °C, which simplifies panel sizing in warm enclosures. The adjustable thermal-magnetic trip unit covers a range from 240 A minimum to 1 920 A maximum, giving you selectivity headroom for downstream feeders. The 4-pole configuration handles three-phase plus neutral protection, common in North American and IEC distribution schemes where the neutral must be switched or monitored. Breaking capacity is the headline number here: 242 kA at 240 V, 187 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 121 kA at 500 V, and 4.5 kA at 690 V. That 242 kA at 240 V is a high-interrupting rating — it safely clears a fault up to that level without cascading upstream, which matters when the breaker sits close to a large transformer or a utility feed with high available fault current. At 690 V the rating drops to 4.5 kA, so verify the system voltage and available fault current before specifying this breaker on a 690 V line.
Integration and Mounting
The breaker measures 181 mm high, 140 mm wide, and 86 mm deep — a standard MCCB footprint that fits most Siemens SENTRON panelboards and third-party enclosures with a 140 mm-wide mounting cutout. The 86 mm depth leaves room for rear-connected busbars or cable lugs in a shallow enclosure. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so the internal clearances and creepage distances are designed for 690 V systems with margin. Maximum power loss is 19.7 W at rated current — factor that into enclosure thermal calculations if you're packing several breakers in a sealed cabinet.
Communication and Monitoring Capability
This variant includes a communication function and an other measurement function, plus ground-fault monitoring via summation current formation on the L + N conductor. That means it can report current, power, and ground-fault data over a bus — typically PROFIBUS or PROFINET on the 3VA2 platform — without an external CT or metering module. The ground-fault detection sums the phase and neutral currents to sense leakage, which is useful on solidly-grounded systems where you want to alarm on residual current without a separate GFCI.