What the interrupting ratings mean for your panel
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2110-5JQ32-0JL0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, carrying a continuous current Iu of 100 A. Its interrupting capacity hits 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 79 kA at 500 V, and 4.25 kA at 690 V — so the same breaker handles high-fault service entrances (187 kA at 240 V) and downstream distribution (121 kA at 415 V) without needing a current-limiting upstream device. The 4.25 kA at 690 V figure is the ceiling for 690 V line-to-line circuits; if your panel feeds a 690 V motor drive, verify the available fault current stays under that.
Thermal derating and ambient limits
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, at 65 °C to 88.75 A, and at 70 °C to 85 A. If the breaker lives in a non-ventilated enclosure near other heat sources, use the 55 °C column for sizing. Operating range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C.
Trip unit and auxiliary configuration
The overcurrent release is an ETU560 electronic trip unit — that means adjustable long-time, short-time, instantaneous, and ground-fault protection curves, plus communication capability. The breaker ships with a shunt trip (STL) auxiliary release, so you can remotely trip it from a safety PLC or E-stop circuit. Auxiliary contact configuration is 2 auxiliary switches + 1 trip alarm switch + 1 electrical alarm switch HQ, giving you separate dry contacts for status feedback, remote alarm, and a dedicated high-quantity (HQ) alarm output. There is no undervoltage release and no phase failure detection on this variant. Ground fault monitoring uses summation current formation on the L-conductor.
Panel fit and mechanical endurance
Dimensions are 181 mm high × 105 mm wide × 86 mm deep — a standard SENTRON 3VA2 frame footprint. It mounts on a DIN rail or can be screw-fixed to a mounting plate. Mechanical endurance is rated at 20 000 operations, which is typical for a distribution MCCB used as a main or feeder breaker. Maximum power loss at rated current is 10 W, so the heat load in a sealed enclosure is manageable.