The types of switches used in switchyards are circuit breakers and what?

• A. disconnects
• B. fuses
• C. relays
• D. reclosers

Answer: (A)

In a switchyard, you see two main switching roles: circuit breakers for protection and disconnect switches (isolators) to physically isolate equipment for maintenance. The correct option is disconnect switches because they provide a visible break in the circuit to ensure safe isolation, while circuit breakers handle fault currents and can trip under abnormal conditions. Fuses are protective devices that open when overcurrent occurs but aren’t used as the isolation switch in switchyards. Relays are protection/control devices that decide when to trip breakers, not switches themselves. Reclosers are fault-handling devices on feeders that automatically reclose after a fault, not the standard isolation switches in a switchyard.