What this MCCB carries
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2116-5JQ32-0AC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, with a full-scale current of 160 A that holds flat across the entire 40 °C to 70 °C operating range — no derating needed as the panel warms up. Interrupting capacity hits 187 kA at 240 V, drops to 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, then 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 3.7 kA at 690 V — the steep roll-off above 500 V means you need to check the available fault current at the installation point if you're running a 690 V distribution. It ships with two HQ auxiliary switches and a ground-fault monitoring module configured for summation current formation on the L-conductor — that's the branch-level leakage detection, not a full residual-current device, so it pairs with an upstream RCD for complete ground-fault protection. Communication function is onboard, meaning this breaker can talk to a higher-level controller or energy management system — useful for selective coordination and load shedding in a SENTRON power distribution setup.
Sourcing and lifecycle
Maximum power loss is 25.5 W at rated load; factor that into enclosure thermal calculations if you're packing several breakers in a sealed panel. Storage range runs -40 °C to 80 °C, operating range -25 °C to 70 °C — the storage ceiling is the one that matters if the breaker sits in an unheated warehouse before installation.
Panel fit and dimensions
Footprint is 105 mm wide, 181 mm tall, 86 mm deep — the 105 mm width is the standard SENTRON 3VA2 three-pole mounting pitch, so it drops into an existing 3VA2 busbar or panel cutout without adapters. The supplied basic switch order code is 3VA21165JQ320AA0 — that's the bare switching mechanism; the -0AC0 suffix adds the auxiliary switches and ground-fault monitoring as a factory-assembled variant.