Simpson Electric Century Models Replaced by PNP Technology

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Functioning as a reseller, Weschler offers the Simpson 2142, 2143, 2152, 2153, 2144, and 2154 analog meters. Branded under the once-popular “Electric Century Style”, and ranging in size from 2 ½ to 4 ½ inches, these analogs feature an acrylic glass display with a thin needle for readings, and are housed in a rugged Phenolic case. Additional features include a purported 2% accuracy, operating temps of -20 to 65 degrees Celsius, and overload thresholds of 10 times the full-scale reading.

Finding suitable replacements at a fair price for obsolete analogs like the Simpson century style has proven to be an arduous task. Otek’s new Plug & Play (PNP) meters makes that process a whole lot easier with its ability to replace any and all meters in a control room, regardless of size, shape, or function. PNP meters accomplish this by way of a unique HUB unit—a cylindric tube—which houses a universal I/O board capable of accommodating up to four signal conditioners and over 50 input signals; all of which conveniently plugs into the existing wiring and paneling without any significant change to either.

But what if the new PNP meter does not match the exact dimensions of the old meter needing to be replaced? The answer is simple, and the Simpson electric century models are a perfect example. Provided there is enough space on the panel, any size of meter can be replaced using Otek’s One-Size-Fits-All adapter plates, that are mounted between the PNP meter and the panel itself, to ensure cohesion and proper functionality with regard to wiring. Standard adapter plate sizes range from ANSI 2 ½ to ANSI 4 ½ inches, but as with all Otek products, customizations are possible and welcomed.

     

For more information on the PNP or other replacement instrumentation, please call (520) 748-7900 or email sales@otekcorp.com

 

 

 

 

 

Weschler VX-252 Replaced by PNP-9

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Weschler offers its VX-252, VC-252, and VR3-252 edgewise instruments for use in the nuclear industry. Boasting a rugged design and calibrating ability to 1% accuracy, the 252 class are magnetically shielded with self-contained inputs and a scale length of 4 ½ inches. These instruments adhere to IEEE standard 420-1973 and can be expected to meet or exceed seismic qualifications as stipulated by IEEE Standard 344. As analog meters they use the standard taut-band suspension system that has been recycled throughout the last several decades, as analog meters became the standard measurement devices in nuclear I&C rooms sometime in the mid 1950’s.

Well, that was nearly 70 years ago, and that standard, frankly, is no longer the standard. It is well-documented that since the turn of the 21st century and even before, digital instrumentation as largely replaced their analog ancestors in terms of improved reliability, accuracy, and functionality—but to nuclear I&C engineers and managers tasked with not only running the plant, but also maintaining profitability, overcoming analog obsolescence is only half of the problem facing the industry. Under NRC operational mandates, these old analogs, as well as their newer digital counterparts, require multiple spare units to support each and every meter being used in the control room, as well as the simulator. Quite simply, this adds up to millions of dollars sunk into spare inventory that rarely, if ever, generate and return on investment by being put into use. So how does one combat analog obsolescence, while at the same time maintaining a healthy maintenance budget and profitability?

Weschler VX252                                                            PNP-9 

The answer is a digital instrument that does both. Otek’s Plug & Play meter is that very answer. The PNP-9 model is designed to replace both the VX252 as well as any meter ranging from 1½” to any size or shape of meter in the I&C room and simulator. It accomplishes this by using the universal input assembly, known as the HUB, that accepts any signal or power offered, by just selecting signal conditioners (up to four per I/O module) that cover over 50 input signals and either 100% signal power like analog meters (such as current loops [4-20 & 10-50 mA], VAC to 260V, VDC to 300V, AC Amps to 5Amps (AC & DC, Watts & Hertz). For units requiring external power (such as RTD, TD, S-G, pH, ORP, etc.) or even 4-20mA retransmission, PNP technology uses universal power modules that are plugged, inside the hub, into the instrument, requiring no solder or otherwise alteration to the surrounding wiring and panel displays that might void certification.

General specifications include a 4½ digit display, ± 0.5% accuracy of the full scale ±1 LSD, temperature coefficient: ± 50 PPM/°C, an operating temp of -20 to +70°C, CMRR: >90dB@ 50-60Hz, humidity levels of 5-95% (non-condensing), front panel options for NEMA 3 or NEMA 4X, EMI/RFI Class1E adherence, power requirements for loop powered options at >10<100mW and external requirements at >50<200mW, with a conversion rate of 3 seconds, and recalibration suggested every 2 years. Additionally, PNP meters make use of Otek’s newly designed “Sticky” scale plate designs, which allows the user to change the scale plate of any instrument to any color, language, or scale, simply by peeling off the old design and affixing the new scale plate onto the front cover of the instrument—all without having to open the instrument itself.

For more information on the PNP or other replacement instrumentation, please call (520) 748-7900 or email sales@otekcorp.com

SSAM-N Replaces the Ametek/Dixson BW051P

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Weschler Instruments offers the Ametek Dixson model BW051P as a replacement for all 4½ inch standard ANSI switchboard meters. Directly, the BW051P serves as a form, fit and function replacement for the GE/Yokogawa DB40 meters that were immensely popular across several industries during the heyday of analog technology. Additionally the BW051P can also serve as a replacement for Weschler’s own K231/241 instruments. This instrument utilizes a solid-state concept that takes advantage of a microprocessor-driven design, red LED visibility, front panel programmable configurations, switch-selectable input ranges, an auto-calibration algorithm, and optional RS-422 communication. Weschler proports the BW051P to be interchangeable with any major manufacturer or panel cutout.

SSAM-N

Unfortunately, the BW051P has also become obsolete by way of new and dramatically improved digital technology. As a direct replacement for the BW051P, Otek offers its vastly superior solid-state instrument, the SSAM-N. Improving upon the BW051P’s solid state makeup, the SSAM-N was designed without critical digital assets, such as a microprocessor, thereby eliminating the instrument from cyber security protocols as stipulated by NEI 08-09. The SSAM also mimics its analog predecessors with the ability to be powered by the signal it measures, while offering vast improvements in control room visibility with near-organic, pure white, LED technology that powers intensely bright bar graph and numerical displays, as well as the ability to customize the display colors beyond the simple “red” offered by the BW051P. Otek’s unique scale plate design can accommodate any language or color, with customized “stick-on” adhesives that can be applied directly to the meter without having to remove it from the surrounding panel. Highlight features of the SSAM-N include a 4½ digit display at 0.1% accuracy, optional isolated H.V. SPDT dual alarms for enunciator panel lamps & 4-20mA outputs, a power requirement of 10-100mW, and a signal failure alarm that alerts the operator in the event of a dead or lost signal.

For more information on the SSAM-N, the NTM and UPM series, or Otek’s brand new Plug & Play (PNP) line, please call 520-748-7900 or contact sales@otkecorp.com

Hoyt 5000 Series Replaced by PNP Technology

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Often dabbling in the reselling and distribution business, Weschler Instruments offers many of the 5000 series analog meters originally manufactured by Hoyt Electrical Instruments. Once a staple across many industries, analogs like the 5000 series (including the 5015/5016, 5025/5026, and 5035/5036) have mainly been relegated to the I&C rooms of aging nuclear facilities, where NRC regulation and licensing mandates make it difficult to modernize.

Ranging in size from 1 ½ inches to 3 ½ inches, these small displays, commonly used on generators, operate primarily on DC moving coils and AC rectifiers. The traditional dust restraint and gasket sealing technique designed to allow for scale changes has long proved cumbersome and inefficient. Additionally, the troublesome needle of the analog era renders these units a paltry 2-3% accuracy range, with no background lighting to enhance the display from across a control room. Power requirements also check in with outdated specifications of 3–18VDC, 60mA max. It is clear that the 5000 series, along with its analog brethren, should have long been relegated to the nostalgic pages of instrumentation history. So why are they still on the market?

The answer is largely found in the difficulty and frustration common to finding suitable replacements for obsolete analog and even digital meters. This is doubly true of industries like the nuclear sector, where a spare unit must be on-site for every active instrument in the control room. If the inhibitive nature of finding replacements is why obsolete meters such as the Hoyt 5000 series are still used, then what can be done to facilitate modernization two decades into the twenty-first century?

Otek proposes a direct, efficient, and effective solution in its innovative Plug & Play (PNP) technology. From the 1 ½ inch size of the 5000 series to any size, shape, or function of any meter in an I&C room, Otek’s PNP series streamlines the replacement search with a single I/O module. This universal module, able to carry up to four signal conditioners at a time and covering over 50 input signals, fits into a compact Hub casing that plugs into the back of a PNP meter without any changing to the surrounding panel or wiring, and all without any soldering. The aforementioned scale changes of the 5000 series become infinitely more streamlined with the PNP’s unique “stick-on” scale plate design that uses One Size Fits All technology to apply directly to the front of the instrument, allowing for easy interchangeability of the scale plate without having to remove the instrument from surrounding panels.

Applicable to Mil-Spec and Class 1E standards, the PNP carries general specifications of ± 0.5% accuracy of the full scale ±1 LSD, temperature coefficient: ± 50 PPM/°C, an operating temp of -20 to +70°C, CMRR: >90dB@ 50-60Hz, humidity levels of 5-95% (non-condensing), front panel options for NEMA 3 or NEMA 4X, EMI/RFI Class1E adherence, power requirements for loop powered options at >10<100mW and external requirements at >50<200mW, and all with a 4½ digit display.

Whether you’re struggling to find a digital replacement that fits your wiring and panel requirements, or you’re simply looking to save money on your maintenance budget by reducing spare inventory, the PNP series can help revolutionize your application and overall efficiency.

For more information on the forthcoming PNP series or any of Otek’s other product lines please call (520) 748-7900 or contact Sales: sales@otekcorp.com

Weschler H6856 Replaced by PNP Technology

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Obsolete analog meters, or refurbished units still on the market and in many instrumentation and control rooms (I&C), have long posed a tedious challenge to operators looking to replace them. Often the arduousness of finding suitable replacements can also accrue higher expenses as newer technology demands higher operating costs. However, the most common problem operators and engineers face when trying to replace obsolete instrumentation is matching dimensions and specifications. A newer digital unit might perform the functions of your old analog meter, it might offer a brighter display or bar graph reading, but does it match your panel space? Can it fit inside the panel cutout without necessitating changes to surrounding wiring or the panel itself? The inverse is also true—dimensions may align, but functions/specifications are not met. Additionally, in certain industries like the nuclear sector, most instruments in the control room need to be backed up by a spare unit, should the functioning meter fail.

All of this can lead to an exhaustive and cost prohibitive search for the proper replacement. Is there an easier way? The industry has evolved to the point where plug and play technology can not only solve the analog/digital replacement challenge, but eliminate the need for overloaded spare inventory as well. Otek’s latest contribution to this effort is our Plug & Play (PNP) series of digital instrumentation.

For example, Weschler offers its edgewise analog H6286 to replace the obsolete Yokogawa 286. Weschler’s H6286 are 1 to 1 ½ inches, which makes finding a digital replacement that small very difficult in today’s market. With the PNP series, finding a replacement can be as simple as selecting a 1 ½ housing, an adapter plate if required, and plugging the PNP meter into the surrounding panel. How can it be that simple?

PNP technology is designed to replace meters ranging from 1½” to any size or shape of meter in the I&C room and simulator. It accomplishes this by using the universal input assembly, the Hub, that accepts any signal or power offered, by just selecting signal conditioners (up to four per I/O module) that cover over 50 input signals and either 100% signal power like analog meters (such as current loops [4-20 & 10-50 mA], VAC to 260V, VDC to 300V, AC Amps to 5Amps (AC & DC, Watts & Hertz). For units requiring external power (such as RTD, TD, S-G, pH, ORP, etc.) or even 4-20mA retransmission, PNP technology uses universal power modules that are plugged, inside the hub, into the instrument, requiring no solder or otherwise alteration to the surrounding wiring and panel displays that might void certification.

General specifications include a 4½ digit display, ± 0.5% accuracy of the full scale ±1 LSD, temperature coefficient: ± 50 PPM/°C, an operating temp of -20 to +70°C, CMRR: >90dB@ 50-60Hz, humidity levels of 5-95% (non-condensing), front panel options for NEMA 3 or NEMA 4X, EMI/RFI Class1E adherence, power requirements for loop powered options at >10<100mW and external requirements at >50<200mW, with a conversion rate of 3 seconds, and recalibration suggested every 2 years. Additionally, PNP metering technology can be applied to mil-spec and Class 1E applications, as the construction of the instruments would be designed to be obsolescence-hardened and sourced from universal components, often exceeding the 40-year parts availability required by the military and nuclear industries.

Replacing obsolete technology like Weschler’s H6286 does not have to be as complicated and expensive as it once was. With Otek’s PNP technology, the replacement process as well as spare inventory can be streamlined in an effective, efficient, and forward-thinking manner. Look for the PNP to hit the market in the summer of 2021.

For more information on the PNP or other replacement instrumentation, please call (520) 748-7900 or email sales@otekcorp.com

NRC Ponders 100-year License Extension

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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission convened Thursday to discuss the possibility of a 100-year license for nuclear plants in the United States. The meeting is expected to revolve around potential safety-related issues such an extension could incur—such as the long-term effects of aging concrete, electrical wiring, instrumentation and process-driven components—in addition to the bureaucratic feasibility of such a move.

Operating a nuclear power plant a century after its initial construction poses serious questions for a country with over half of its nuclear facilities operating at 30 years or older. There are currently 56 nuclear plants operating commercially in the U.S. with 94 reactors backing them up—and each plant, under NRC mandate, was initially given a 40-year license to operate. More than 70 reactors have received 2-year extensions, and two plants—Florida’s Turkey Point and Pennsylvania’s Peach Bottom—have successfully received 80-year extensions. A spokesman for the NRC, Scott Burnell, estimates that every plant in the country has undergone renewal procedures at least once. Second renewals were first discussed by the NRC nearly a decade ago.

“With the way that our procedures are set up, you wouldn’t see any applications for a potential third renewal for about a decade,” Burnell said, “nuclear plants would need to operate for at least another 10 years before they could even have enough information to pursue a third renewal from the NRC.” At this time no nuclear plants have applied for the 100-year renewal.

For the past two decades Otek’s niche in the nuclear market has been to keep aging plants operating with Plug & Play, obsolescence-hardened digital instrumentation that offers an efficient, reliable, accurate, and innovative alternative to expensive flat-screen technology or obsolete analog meters. The company is expected to unveil its solution to obsolescence and overloaded spare inventory with its PNP (Plug N’ Play) line of fully interchangeable “One Size Fits All” instrumentation, later this year.

For more information please call (520) 748-7900 or contact Sales: sales@otekcorp.com

Raytheon Acquires Blue Canyon Technologies

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Raytheon Technologies has completed an acquisition to acquire Blue Canyon Technologies, a satellite manufacturer based out of Boulder, Colorado. The move was completed ahead of schedule on December 22nd, 2020, after initially being disclosed in early November. Blue Canyon will now join the business unit of Raytheon, the defense contractor’s Intelligence & Space sector, with an operational base Arlington, Virginia.

While the company has investments in commercial satellite sales, it has made a concerted effort to increase its relationship with the Department of Defense in recent years—with over 90 satellites currently in operation for the NASA and U.S. Air Force’s joint Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Results of this effort bore fruit quickly as last year Blue Canyon was awarded a $14.1 million contract to build satellite stations for DARPA.

The acquisition by Raytheon is expected to mutually benefit both companies—with Raytheon finally acquiring the satellite manufacturer it has sought for years, and Blue Canyon gaining access to Raytheon’s diverse customer base. “Raytheon Intelligence & Space delivers the disruptive technologies customers need to succeed,” Blue Canyon president and CEO George Stafford said. “Joining this team will enable our innovative small-satellite solutions to continue to transform the space industry and drive our customers’ success.”

At the time of this article Raytheon has not disclosed the financial value of its acquisition.

Mirion Technologies Acquires Sun Nuclear

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In a move announced January 7th, Mirion Technologies, Inc. is set to acquire noted radiation oncology provider Sun Nuclear, in a transaction of yet to be disclosed financial value. The acquisition is expected to aid Mirion’s effort to diversify its portfolio across a broad range of industries that include nuclear, military, research, and medical markets.

A worldwide solutions provider for radiation therapy and related diagnostic imaging centers, Sun Nuclear’s technology is present in over 5,000 global caner centers in more than 100 countries, with a maintained presence in an estimated 60% of global cancer treatment centers and over 90% of U.S. facilities. Moving under the Mirion umbrella is expected to bolster Sun Nuclear’s vision of streamlining the quality and safety of radiotherapy, as the technology continues to grow two decades into twenty-first century.

“We’ve built Sun Nuclear into the undisputed innovation and global market leader in our space, redefining the boundaries of radiotherapy patient safety and treatment accuracy” says Sun Nuclear CEO Jeff Simon, “I’m extremely proud of the work we’ve done and the team we have built. Mirion’s shared mission in radiation safety expertise, and demonstrated global operational excellence, are a perfect match for Sun Nuclear as we enter this exciting next stage of growth and service of our customers.”

As a global leader in the measurement, detection and monitoring of radiation—particularly knowledge of the ionization process—Mirion Technologies gains a major player in the radiation field with a reach that extends to nearly all markets across the planet. Mirion CEO Thomas Logan echoed the company’s vision in a statement released to coincide with the merger, “We are incredibly excited to welcome Sun Nuclear to the Mirion family. Together, we will leverage our technological expertise, brand equity, and relationship capital to extend our leadership position in the cancer therapy market.”

Otek, a frequent supplier to both the nuclear industry and radiation services in the process and measurement fields, recently completed a contract with Mirion Technologies in July of last year.

Cyber Attack Compromises U.S. Nuclear Facilities

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As the U.S. reels from a blistering cyber security attack this week that has infected over a dozen federal agencies, the nation’s nuclear power facilities may have been breached as well. Reports from the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration indicate that hackers have indeed accessed their internal networks as part of a larger espionage operation, which cyber security experts say bears all the hallmarks of Russian intelligence services.

The attack was only recently discovered by the Department of Homeland Security, but may have been in progress for an undetermined number of weeks before detection, the department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) confirmed in a statement released to CNN. “We have been working closely with our agency partners regarding recently discovered activity on government networks” the statement read, “CISA is providing technical assistance to affected entities as they work to identify and mitigate any potential compromises.”

While the potential damage, in terms of compromised data, has yet to be fully assessed, the point of entry appears to be a well-known IT contractor, SolarWinds, which is utilized by several civilian federal agencies to manage potential data breaches. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the nuclear facilities at the Sandia and Los Alamos laboratories reported unidentified intrusions into their cyber networks. The extent of the damage, including what has been potentially discovered or stolen, by the suspected Russian hacking group APT29, remains unclear or at least undisclosed at this time.

Heeding the November 30th proclamation from the Department of Defense (DoD), calling on U.S. military suppliers to comply with the new cyber security regulations of NIST 800-171, Otek is earnestly preparing its products for a new age in the industry where protection from cyber attacks will be a priority. Our SSAM smart meter was designed especially for this endeavor, as it is invulnerable to cyber attacks by way of being designed without any critical digital assets such as microprocessors.

Otek remains a faithful supplier to the nuclear and military industries, and as 2021 ushers in a new climate for cyber vulnerability, we look forward to the challenge of designing new innovations that help protect American industries.

For more information please call 520-748-7900 or contact sales at sales@otekcorp.com