The advantages of fixed circuit-breaker switchgear

The purpose of this paper is to question established practice in the United Kingdom with regard to the layout of medium voltage metal-enclosed switchgear. The population of metal-enclosed medium voltage circuit-breakers in the UK, both on public supply networks, and in industry, is almost totally dominated by designs in which the circuit-breaker can be physically disconnected from the busbars, and circuit connections by moving the complete circuit-breaker either horizontally, or much more commonly vertically. This paper reviews the reasons this is the current situation, and considers whether or not these reasons are still applicable today