Siemens 3VA2116-7HL36-0AH0 — 160 A SENTRON MCCB with ETU320 Trip Unit
The Siemens 3VA2116-7HL36-0AH0 is a 3-pole SENTRON molded case circuit breaker rated for 160 A continuous current at 40 °C, with the same rating holding flat through 70 °C — no derating needed across the full operating temperature range. The interrupting capacity reaches 330 kA at 240 V AC, 242 kA at 415 V, and 187 kA at 500 V, dropping to 3.7 kA at 690 V. This is a high-interrupting MCCB sized for main or feeder protection in distribution panels where fault current levels are substantial. The electronic trip unit is an ETU320, a fixed-setting, non-communicating release with thermal-magnetic-like curves but better selectivity coordination than a thermal-magnetic breaker. The front face carries IP40 protection, suitable for enclosed panel mounting where the breaker is behind a closed door.
What the Ratings Mean for Your Panel
The 160 A rating is continuous at 40 °C ambient, and critically, it does not derate at 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, or 70 °C — the full 160 A is available all the way to the maximum operating temperature of 70 °C. That simplifies thermal calculations in a crowded enclosure. The 800 V rated insulation voltage (Ui) means the breaker is suitable for 690 V line-to-line systems with margin. The 330 kA interrupting rating at 240 V tells you this breaker can clear very high fault currents at lower voltages — typical for a main breaker position on a large transformer secondary. At 690 V the rating drops to 3.7 kA, which is still adequate for most 690 V motor circuits but not for high-fault buswork. The ETU320 release provides adjustable overload and short-circuit protection bands, though the exact settings are fixed at the factory per the order code variant. Power loss is 25.5 W maximum at rated current — a figure to include in enclosure thermal calculations, especially if multiple breakers are ganged in a single panel.
Integration and Mounting
The breaker occupies 105 mm width × 181 mm height × 86 mm depth — a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for 160 A frame size. It mounts on a DIN rail or directly to a backplate via the integrated mounting points. The auxiliary switch configuration is 2 auxiliary switches plus 1 trip alarm switch (HQ), factory-installed, which provides status feedback for the open/closed and tripped conditions without additional wiring.