SENTRON 3VA2 — 250 A motor protection MCCB
The Siemens 3VA2325-5MN32-0HH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker from the SENTRON 3VA2 series, designed specifically for motor protection. It carries a continuous current rating of 250 A across the full ambient temperature range from 40 °C to 70 °C — no derating needed up to that ceiling, which matters when the breaker sits in a warm panel near the drives. The interrupting ratings climb to 187 kA at 240 V and hold at 121 kA through 440 V, dropping to 75.6 kA at 500 V and 7.5 kA at 690 V; that curve tells you where the fault-current headroom lives for your service voltage.
What the ratings mean for fit
The 250 A continuous rating is flat from 40 °C through 70 °C — that is unusual for an MCCB and tells you the thermal-magnetic or electronic trip is calibrated with headroom. You do not have to derate for a 65 °C panel ambient. The interrupting rating of 187 kA at 240 V is high for a 250 A frame; at 480/277 V systems the relevant number is the 121 kA at 440 V and 75.6 kA at 500 V. If your available fault current at 480 V is under 75 kA, this breaker covers it. The 7.5 kA at 690 V is a reminder that the frame is not sized for 690 V industrial mains at high fault levels — it is a 600 V class device.
Motor protection and auxiliary wiring
This variant is explicitly a motor-protection design, with phase failure detection built in. The factory-fitted auxiliary switch block carries two auxiliary switches plus one trip alarm switch, and a shunt trip (STL) is included for remote tripping. A voltage trigger and trip indicator are present on the front face. The base switch order code is 3VA2325-5MN32-0AA0 — this -0HH0 suffix adds the shunt trip and auxiliary switch complement. Panel builders should account for the 138 mm width, 248 mm height, and 110 mm depth when laying out the DIN-rail or mounting-plate footprint.