250 A SENTRON MCCB with ETU560 Trip Unit
The 3VA2225-5JQ32-0CA0: Breaking capacity is the headline spec here: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 79 kA at 500 V, and 5.1 kA at 690 V. That 187 kA at 240 V means this breaker can safely interrupt a fault current up to that level without welding contacts or cascading upstream — critical for high-fault panels near large transformers or service entrances. At 690 V the capacity drops to 5.1 kA, so verify your available fault current at the installation voltage.
Thermal Derating and Panel Fit
The 250 A rating holds flat from 40 °C to 50 °C, then derates linearly to 200 A at 70 °C. If this breaker lives in a non-air-conditioned enclosure near other heat sources, use the 55 °C row (238 A) or 60 °C row (225 A) for your actual continuous load calculation — don't spec it at the 250 A nameplate and hope the ambient stays cool. Dimensions are 181 mm height, 105 mm width, 86 mm depth. The 105 mm width is standard for a 3-pole SENTRON frame — it drops into the same panel cutout as the 3VA2 family without re-drilling. The 86 mm depth includes the handle and terminals; allow clearance for cable bending radius below the line-side lugs.
Trip Unit and Auxiliary Functions
The ETU560 electronic trip unit provides adjustable overload and short-circuit protection curves. This variant includes an undervoltage release (UVR) — wired separately, it trips the breaker when control voltage drops below a threshold, useful for safety circuits or coordinated shutdown sequences. Ground-fault monitoring uses summation-current sensing on the L-conductor, not a separate neutral CT. No auxiliary contact is built in, but the breaker accepts the 3VA9608-0BB24 auxiliary trip block as a field-installable add-on. Communication function is present on this variant.