ALSTOM MVAJ53H1LB0856A – Heavy‑Duty Auxiliary Tripping Relay for Substation and Industrial Protection

The ALSTOM MVAJ53H1LB0856A is part of the well‑known MVAJ family of attracted‑armature auxiliary and tripping relays. From my experience, this series is often chosen to interpose between protection elements and circuit-breaker trip coils, especially where a fast, robust, and visible hand-reset latch is preferred. One thing I appreciate is how it fits legacy panels without drama—draw‑out construction, clear mechanical indication, and contacts that are genuinely built for switching trip duty. In many cases it ends up as the “go‑to” device for trip multiplication, interlocking, and breaker fail schemes across substations, power plants, and heavy industry.

Order Placement Process and Guarantees

• Warranty: 365 days
• Lead time: typically 1 week if in stock; no more than 1 month at the latest
• Payment: 50% advance payment; full payment prior to delivery
• Express options: FedEx, UPS, DHL
• Pre‑shipment checks: model/coil rating verification against nameplate, contact condition, and functional pickup/reset test

Key Features

• Attracted‑armature tripping design – Built for dependable trip duty in protection schemes with fast operate characteristics.
• Hand‑reset latch with target – Mechanical flag gives a clear, non‑volatile indication; hand reset avoids inadvertent re‑energization.
• High‑capacity contacts – Suited for circuit breaker trip coils; typically used to multiply outputs from protection relays.
• Low burden on protection elements – Coil burden is kept reasonable so upstream protection contacts aren’t overstressed.
• Draw‑out, panel‑mount case – Makes installation and replacement straightforward in existing relay panels.
• No communication dependency – Purely electromechanical; immune to network or firmware issues.
• Legacy compatibility – Often drop‑in compatible with existing GEC/ALSTOM installations, which typically keeps retrofit costs down.

Technical Specifications

Brand / Model	ALSTOM MVAJ53H1LB0856A (MVAJ series tripping relay)
HS Code	8536.49 (Relays, other than for ≤60 V)
Function	Auxiliary/tripping relay with hand‑reset latch and mechanical indication
Power Requirements	DC coil (variant‑dependent; commonly supplied in 110 V DC or 220/250 V DC). We verify the exact coil rating on the nameplate before shipment.
Signal I/O Types	Mechanical trip contacts for breaker coils and interlocking (NO/NC per variant); coil input from protection device trip output
Operate / Reset	Fast operate (typically single‑digit milliseconds under rated voltage); hand‑reset latch with visible flag
Communication Interfaces	None (electromechanical device)
Installation Method	Panel flush‑mount, draw‑out relay case with screw terminals; front hand reset and flag
Operating Temperature	Typically −10 °C to +55 °C for this series
Dimensions & Weight	Standard ALSTOM draw‑out relay case (commonly the E‑series footprint used in protection panels); weight is typically in the 1.5–2.0 kg range depending on element count.

Application Fields

You might notice that the MVAJ53 variants show up all over the grid. Typical uses include:

• Substation protection tripping – interposing between distance, differential, or O/C relays and CB trip coils
• Trip multiplication and interlocking – distributing a single protection output to multiple breakers
• Breaker fail and lockout schemes – where a latched, hand‑reset action is preferred
• Power plants and heavy industry – turbine‑generator and transformer protection auxiliaries
• Oil & gas, mining, metals – harsh environments where a simple, visible, and testable trip element is valued

“We swapped in MVAJ relays during a feeder panel refurbishment. The hand reset target makes post‑event checks quicker, and the draw‑out case saved us time on replacement.” – Protection supervisor, utility client

Advantages & Value

• Reliability – A simple electromechanical mechanism that, in many cases, outlasts the surrounding equipment with routine maintenance.
• Compatibility – Fits established ALSTOM/GEC panel standards, reducing retrofit effort and wiring changes.
• Cost Control – Avoids costly redesigns of protection schemes; keeps critical spares standardized across bays.
• Support – We check coil voltage and contact configuration against your scheme drawings before shipment to avoid onsite surprises.

Installation & Maintenance

For panel installations, I typically recommend a clean, ventilated relay cubicle with stable DC supply and proper segregation of trip wiring.

• Mounting – Flush/panel mount in a standard draw‑out case. Ensure adequate front clearance for hand reset and flag visibility.
• Wiring – Use ferruled conductors, tighten to specified torque, and keep trip circuits segregated from CT and communication circuits. Verify polarity and DC supply rating.
• Environment – Keep within the typical −10…+55 °C range; avoid vibration and conductive dust. Provide modest ventilation if grouped densely.
• Routine checks – Quarterly or semi‑annual: contact resistance check, functional pickup/reset test, flag and hand‑reset mechanism inspection, and cleaning of terminals.
• Documentation – Label coil voltage and contact assignment on the panel door; it saves time during fault investigations.

Quality & Certifications

• Conforms to IEC 60255 practices for protection relays (series standard)
• CE marking typically applied for EU deliveries
• Manufactured under ISO 9001 quality systems (manufacturer)
• Warranty: 365 days from delivery

Related and Supporting Components

• ALSTOM MVAA series – auxiliary relays for signaling and interlocking
• Lockout/86 device (e.g., ALSTOM lockout relay variants) – for system lock/trip retention
• Trip circuit supervision relays – to monitor trip coil health and circuit continuity
• Test plugs and links for draw‑out cases – to simplify commissioning and routine testing

If you share your coil voltage and contact requirements, we’ll confirm the MVAJ53H1LB0856A build against your scheme and ship the matching unit with test results attached.