(Continued on page 38)
Benefits
of New
Technology
Meters
By Otto Fest, Otek Corporation.
Otto Fest
Otto Fest graduated from Polytechnic
University in Mexico (IPN) with
a Bachelors of Science Electrical
Engineering (B.S.E.E.). During
his college years he also taught in
vocational schools and was assistant
professor at the university until
offered a scholarship by Heidelberg
University and Armour Research
Foundation in 1960. Dr. Fest opted to
attend Illinois Institute of Technology
Research Institute (IITRI), where he
graduated in with a
Ph.D. in Electrical
Engineering (EE).
While studying at
IITRI, he worked for
Armour Research
Foundation (ARF)
in advance solid
state research and
co-authored several
patent papers. He
was a contributor to
the development of
the Private Telephone
Exchange (PBX) at
Automatic Electric
Co. (Sylvania), and co-authored
several Resistor-Transistor Logic/
Diode-Transistor Logic/Transistor-
Transistor Logic (RTL/DTL/TTL)
patents. He joined the Zenith Radio
Corp. Aerospace division under
contract with NASA and worked on the
Apollo program until 1972. In 1972
he started Otek Corporation in Tucson
Arizona.
Dr. Fest holds several patents
individually in several fields and his
latest is the Powerless Technique of
100% loop/signal powered digital
tricolor barmeters. This technology
has taken him 40 years to accomplish
and he credits Sir Edward Weston
(inventor of the Analog Meter in 1893)
for being his mentor and challenger.
Analog meter replacements are
gaining popularity despite their initial
costs, especially in critical applications
such as nuclear, aerospace, military, life-
support and industrial markets.
Why are the analog meters falling
out of grace with the design engineers?
A) Electromechanical technology (de-
veloped in 1893 by Sir E. Weston) is
subject to wear and tear, shock, vibra-
tion, magnetism and requires continu-
ous recalibration. B) Analog meters
are not easily and accurately read by
operators, Human-Machine Interface
(HMI). C) Analog meters are not accu-
rate enough (~5%) for today’s demand-
ing requirements. D) Analog meters are
not MMI (machine to machine interface)
due to lack of data communications.
During the American Nuclear Society
Utility Working Conference 2013 in Hol-
lywood, Florida, I learned how important
(and expensive) maintenance can be for
the nuclear industry.
This is especially true
if an analog meter’s
needle gets stuck (a
common occurrence)
during an emergency
such as in Fukushima
(2011), Chernobyl or
3 Mile Island. The
Instrument and Con-
trol (I&C) manager of
Point Beach NPP vis-
ited my booth, where
I was introducing
our New Technology
loop/signal powered
barmeters. The following is the con-
versational excerpt which highlights the
cost-saving benefits of Otek’s New Tech-
nology meters.
Q: How
often
do
they
need
calibration?
A: Seldom if ever. We have had similar
technology in NPPs for over 15 years
without recalibrating them.
Q: What if the signal fails?”
A: Our New Technology LPD series
will never need to be tapped to see
if the signal has failed. If the signal
fails, the meter gives the operator a
visual warning (“Dead Loop”) for
approximately 20 seconds.
Q: Does the warning come before or
after the signal fails?
A: After the signal fails.
Q: How is this accomplished without a
signal?
A: The patent pending technology not
only provides a visual warning by
flashing “Dead Loop,” it also serially
transmits the data to your DataAcqui-
sitions System/Distributed Control
System (DAS/DCS). Even if the op-
erator misses or ignores the “Dead
Loop” flashing, the failure will be
recorded in memory or your DAS.
Q: How much power does it take to run
the LPD?
A: The same as the analog.
Q: What if the LPD fails?
A: It goes dark. No display, a dead
meter.
Q: What is the life expectancy of the
LPD compared to an analog meter?
A: The life expectancy of the analog
meter depends on several factors,
such as wear, over-range, shock,
vibration, etc. The average life
expectancy of an analog meter is 2-5
years to specs, including the need
for a calibration check 3-4 times per
year. The life expectancy of the LPD
is estimated to be over 40 years, with
bi-yearly calibration checks.
Q: Does the LPD use electrolytic
capacitors?
A: No. We only use tantalum and 1%
50PPM resistors.
Q: What are the dimensions of the LPD
versus the standard analog meter?
A: A standard DB40 “switchboard”
meter is approximately 4" deep
versus the LPD-Nwhich has no depth
Analog Meter (1893).
36
NuclearPlantJournal.com Nuclear Plant Journal, September-October 2013
