What it is and what it does
The SENTRON 3VA1150-5EF36-0AC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated 50 A at 40 °C, designed for line protection in distribution panels. Its TM240 thermal-magnetic release provides overload and short-circuit protection for feeder and branch circuits. The 187 kA breaking capacity at 240 V means it can safely interrupt very high fault currents without upstream damage — a key spec for high-available-fault installations like industrial switchboards.
Key ratings and what they mean for fit
Rated current holds at 50 A from 40 °C up to 50 °C, then derates to 49 A at 55 °C, 48 A at 60 °C, 46 A at 65 °C, and 45 A at 70 °C. If the panel ambient runs above 50 °C, the continuous load must be reduced accordingly — a common oversight in non-climate-controlled enclosures. Breaking capacity varies with system voltage: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 500 V and 690 V. For a 480 V system, the 75.6 kA figure governs the SCCR rating of the downstream panel. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so the breaker is suitable for 690 V line-to-line systems.
Panel integration notes
The breaker occupies a 76.2 mm wide (3 in) footprint on the DIN rail or mounting plate, with a depth of 70 mm (2.76 in) and height of 130 mm (5.12 in). It ships with two auxiliary switches (HQ design) pre-installed for status feedback to the PLC or annunciator. No undervoltage release or ground-fault monitoring module is fitted on this variant — those are add-on accessories if needed.