What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1196-4EE36-0AA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for 16 A continuous current, with a TM220 thermal-magnetic trip unit. It's designed for line protection — meaning it sits upstream of a load or subpanel, not as a motor-protective device with integrated overload class. Breaking capacity is the headline figure here: 121 kA at 240 V AC, tapering to 75.6 kA at 415 V, 52.5 kA at 440 V, and 11.9 kA at both 500 V and 690 V. That 121 kA at 240 V tells you this breaker is sized for high-fault-current panels — think transformer secondaries or large bus risers where the available fault current is substantial. The TM220 trip unit means thermal-magnetic, fixed-trip, no electronic adjustment. The '220' designates the frame size and trip curve family. No undervoltage release, no shunt trip, no communication module — this is a straight-ahead thermal-magnetic breaker for basic overcurrent and short-circuit protection.
Thermal performance and panel fit
The breaker holds its 16 A rating from 40 °C up to 55 °C ambient. At 60 °C and 65 °C it derates to 15 A; at 70 °C it stays at 15 A. If your panel ambient runs above 55 °C, plan on that 1 A derate. The maximum operating temperature is 70 °C, storage from -40 °C to 80 °C. Dimensions are 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, 70 mm deep. That 76.2 mm width is a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint — it'll fit existing SENTRON mounting bases and busbar systems without surprises. Power loss at rated current is 10.6 W, worth factoring into your enclosure thermal budget if you're packing several breakers in a small box. Insulation voltage is rated 800 V, so the breaker is suitable for 690 V AC systems with margin. No ground-fault monitoring, no communication function — this is the base-line-protection variant.