Rated current and interrupting capacity — what they mean for your panel
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2010-5HN32-0AE0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 100 A continuous current across the full ambient range from 40 °C to 70 °C — no derating needed up to that ceiling. That 100 A holds steady at every 5 °C step, which simplifies panel calculations when the breaker sits near other heat sources. The interrupting capacity climbs to 187 kA at 240 V, drops to 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, then to 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 3 kA at 690 V. For a 480 V panel, the 75.6 kA figure gives solid SCCR headroom for most downstream coordination studies. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so the breaker is electrically rated for 690 V systems with margin. Maximum power loss hits 13.5 W — a useful number when calculating enclosure heat rise, especially in a packed panel.
Auxiliary switch configuration and line protection design
This variant ships with four auxiliary switches (HQ type) integrated. That means status feedback for open/closed and tripped conditions is available without adding external relay blocks — saves DIN rail space and wiring time. The design is explicitly for line protection, not motor or generator protection, so it's the right choice for feeder and distribution circuits where overcurrent is the primary fault mode. Dimensions are 105 mm wide, 181 mm tall, 86 mm deep. That 105 mm width on a 3-pole 100 A frame is standard for panel cutout planning; verify the mounting footprint against your existing backpanel layout.