PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Magnetic actuator driven switchgear is a new medium voltage switchgear technology. In this switchgear, the conventional spring mechanism which is used to operate the circuit breaker is replaced with a magnetic actuator mechanism. The suitability of this technology in the Malaysian utility network specifically in highly loaded areas with frequent switching was assessed via a field evaluation. Preliminary results indicated that magnetic actuator driven switchgear perform commendably on the safety aspect, on-site performance monitoring and online diagnostic test results. However, there are several concerns that need to be addressed such as the ease of installation, substation system requirements, high life cycle cost and reliability of components, before this technology can be used widely.