Fault Isolation in a network protector is designed to:

• A. Re-route power around a faulty section of the network.
• B. Isolate a faulty section of the network from the rest of the system.
• C. Provide temporary isolation for maintenance only during off-peak hours.
• D. Detect faults but not automatically isolate them.

Answer: (B)

Fault isolation in a network protector is designed to separate a faulty section from the rest of the system. When a fault occurs, the network protector automatically opens to create a boundary around the faulted area, stopping the fault current from propagating. This protects equipment downstream, reduces the size of the outage, and keeps the remaining healthy portions of the network energized so customers aren’t affected as much. It also supports faster restoration because the faulted section can be repaired without interrupting the entire system. This function happens automatically in response to faults, not just for maintenance, and it’s not primarily about re-routing power—the key purpose is to contain the problem by isolating the faulty part.