What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2110-5MN32-0CA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) in the motor protection version, rated for 100 A continuous current (Iu) and built around the ETU350M electronic trip unit. It's designed to protect motor feeders and branch circuits where adjustable overload and short-circuit protection is needed, with phase failure detection built in. The interrupting ratings are serious: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 17 kA at 690 V. That means it can handle high-fault-current scenarios downstream of large transformers or in industrial distribution without cascading failure — the 187 kA figure at 240 V is the headline number for most US-style 240 V delta or 277/480 V wye panels where the available fault current is high. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so it's comfortable on 690 V systems. The thermal derating curve is flat to 50 °C (full 100 A), then drops to 96 A at 55 °C, 94 A at 60 °C, 92 A at 65 °C, and 90 A at 70 °C — useful for panels in hot environments or near heat sources.
What the trip unit means for fit
The ETU350M is an electronic trip unit with LSI protection curves: long-time (overload), short-time (short-circuit with adjustable delay), and instantaneous. That's the standard for motor protection where you need coordination with motor starting inrush and selective tripping downstream. The undervoltage release (UVR) is integrated as standard — part number 3VA9608-0BB24 for the auxiliary trip module. No auxiliary contacts, no communication module, no ground-fault monitoring on this variant. Latching endurance is 20,000 operations. Dimensions: 105 mm wide, 181 mm high, 86 mm deep. That's a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for the 3VA frame size — fits existing SENTRON mounting plates and busbar systems without panel rework.
Panel integration and environment
Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C, storage from -40 °C to 80 °C. Maximum power loss is 75 W at rated current — account for that in enclosure thermal calculations, especially in a sealed panel with multiple breakers. No trip indicator on the front, so you'll need a remote indication solution if you're monitoring breaker status from a PLC or SCADA. The undervoltage release provides one form of remote trip capability, but it's not a status output.