What this 100 A MCCB is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA2010-5JQ46-0AA0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection — the primary job of guarding feeders and distribution panels against overloads and short circuits. It's a 4-pole unit rated at 100 A continuous current, with an insulation voltage of 800 V. The real story is in the interrupting capacity: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 3 kA at 690 V. That means it can safely clear a fault up to 187,000 A at 240 V without welding its contacts or rupturing the case — critical for high-fault-capacity service entrances or industrial switchboards where the available fault current is substantial.
Mounting and panel fit
This MCCB measures 86 mm deep, 140 mm wide, and 181 mm tall. It's a panel-mount design typical of the SENTRON 3VA series — four-pole breakers this size take up a standard cutout and bolt directly to the mounting plate. The 140 mm width means it needs roughly 5.5 inches of horizontal space per unit. If you're swapping into a panel that was built around a different 4-pole 100 A MCCB, check the mounting centers and bus-bar takeoff points; the 86 mm depth usually clears standard gland plates and backpanel wiring troughs.
Thermal performance and operating range
The breaker holds its full 100 A rating across the ambient temperature band from 40 °C to 70 °C (through) — no derating needed up to 70 °C, which is useful in hot enclosures or outdoor panels in direct sun. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range goes from -40 °C to 80 °C. Max power loss at full load is 13.5 W — that's the heat it dumps into the enclosure, so account for it in your thermal budget.
Built-in communication and monitoring
This variant includes a communication function and ground-fault monitoring via summation current formation on L + N conductor. That means it can talk to a higher-level control system and detect ground faults by summing the phase and neutral currents — a practical feature for distribution panels where you want to know about leakage before it trips the main.