What it is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA1116-5FE42-0AA0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated 80 A continuous, with four poles and a TM220 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release. It's designed for line protection — meaning it sits at the feeder or main in a distribution panel, not on a motor branch. The 187 kA breaking capacity at 240 V tells you it can interrupt a fault up to that level without the arc re-striking; at 415 V that figure is 121 kA, at 440 V it's 75.6 kA, and at 500 V or 690 V it holds at 17 kA. That's a high-interrupting rating for a frame this size — it's built for high-fault locations like a transformer secondary or a service entrance.
Thermal derating and real-world current
The 80 A rating is the nominal frame current, but the breaker's actual continuous current depends on ambient temperature. At 40 °C, 45 °C, and 50 °C it carries 160 A — that's the thermal-magnetic trip curve's base. At 55 °C it's 158 A, at 60 °C it's 155 A, at 65 °C it's 153 A, and at 70 °C it's 150 A. So if your panel runs hot — say 55 °C inside the enclosure — you still have 158 A of headroom before the thermal element starts to drift. The maximum power loss is 38 W, which is modest for a 4-pole breaker at this current; helps keep the internal temperature rise manageable.
Physical fit and panel integration
Dimensions: 70 mm deep, 101.6 mm wide, 130 mm high. That's a 4-inch wide footprint on the DIN rail or panel-mount plate — standard for a 4-pole MCCB in this frame class. The front face carries an IP40 protection rating, so it's fine inside a closed cabinet but not for washdown areas. No undervoltage release, no communication module, no ground-fault monitoring — it's a straight thermal-magnetic breaker with a trip indicator (none fitted) and no voltage-trigger accessory. Keep it simple: wire it, torque it, move on.