MCCB for line protection — 16 A, 75.6 kA interrupting at 240 V
The Siemens 3VA1096-3ED32-0AE0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) sized for line protection in distribution panels. Three poles, rated 16 A at 40 °C with a TM210 thermal-magnetic release, it clears faults up to 75.6 kA at 240 V and 52.5 kA at 415 V — enough headroom for high-fault commercial and light industrial service entrances where the available fault current runs above 50 kA. Rated insulation voltage sits at 800 V, and the 16 A rating holds flat from 40 °C through 55 °C; only above 60 °C does it derate to 15 A. That thermal stability means the breaker can be packed into a warm panel without losing capacity at typical operating temperatures. The TM210 release is a fixed thermal-magnetic type — no interchangeable trip units, no ground-fault module. It ships without undervoltage release, without communication function, and without a trip indicator. What it does carry is four HQ auxiliary switches, enough to signal breaker position back to a PLC or status lamp without an add-on block.
Panel fit and integration
The 3VA1096-3ED32-0AE0 occupies a 76.2 mm wide by 130 mm tall by 70 mm deep footprint — three-inch wide, five-inch tall, 2.76-inch deep. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C. Maximum power loss at rated load is 10.6 W — modest enough that forced ventilation is not required inside a typical IP54 enclosure, but worth counting in a sealed panel thermal budget.
Breaking capacity across voltages — selectivity planning
The interrupting curve drops from 75.6 kA at 240 V to 52.5 kA at 415 V, then to 32 kA at 440 V, and finally to 7.5 kA at both 500 V and 690 V. For a 400 V three-phase system (line-to-line 400 V), the 52.5 kA rating at 415 V is the applicable figure — sufficient for most industrial services up to about 2000 A transformer secondary. At 690 V the 7.5 kA figure means this breaker is not a primary choice for 690 V drives or mining gear unless the available fault current is known to be under that threshold.