The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2110-5JQ32-0AG0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 100 A continuous current at ambient temperatures up to 50 °C, with a 187 kA interrupting capacity at 240 V AC. It carries the ETU560 electronic trip unit, which provides adjustable overload and short-circuit protection curves — useful for coordinating with downstream breakers in a selective distribution scheme. The IP40 front panel protection keeps debris and incidental contact out of the breaker face, though the body itself is not sealed for washdown environments.
Breaking capacity and selectivity headroom
At 415 V and 440 V the breaker holds 121 kA, and at 500 V it still delivers 79 kA. The 690 V rating drops to 4.25 kA — that sharp roll-off is characteristic of the air-break arc chamber design, not a fault in the unit. For a 480 V distribution panel feeding motor control centers, the 79 kA SCCR at 500 V gives solid headroom above typical available fault currents in most industrial installations.
Thermal derating and panel integration
The breaker carries its full 100 A rating from 40 °C through 50 °C ambient. At 55 °C it derates to 96.25 A, at 60 °C to 92.5 A, and at 70 °C to 85 A. In a closed steel enclosure with multiple breakers side-by-side, internal ambient can easily hit 55 °C — factor that derating into your BOM current budget. The 181 mm height and 105 mm width fit the standard 3VA mounting footprint; depth is 86 mm. The 10 W maximum power loss at rated current is modest, but in a densely packed panel it contributes to the internal temperature rise you need to calculate.
Trip unit and auxiliary contacts
The ETU560 electronic trip unit supports communication functions, making this breaker suitable for integration into a power monitoring or energy management system. It ships with one auxiliary switch and one trip alarm switch (HP version) for remote status indication. The 20 000-cycle mechanical endurance is typical for a 100 A frame MCCB in distribution duty — not a frequent-switching application, but adequate for routine isolation and fault clearing.