OPTICAL STABILIZATION SYSTEM FOR BUOYS

THIS PROPOSAL PRESENTS A NEW AND INNOVATIVE CONCEPT FOR THE STABILIZATION OF THE OUTPUT OF LIGHTED BUOYS. CONVENTIONAL DEVICES STABILIZE THE ENTIRE LENS-SOURCE ASSEMBLY TO KEEP THE OUTPUT BEAM HORIZONTAL AS THE BUOY TIPS DUE TO SEA MOTION. IN THIS NEW CONCEPT THE LENS ASSEMBLY IS FIXED SECURELY TO THE BUOY, AND A MOVABLE SOURCE STABILIZES THE OUTPUT BEAM. AS THE BUOY TIPS, THE SOURCE IS MOVED HORIZONTALLY BY THE MOTION OF THE BUOY. THIS MOTION, IN COMBINATION WITH A NOVEL LENS DESIGN, KEEPS THE BEAM HORIZONTAL. THE MOVING PARTS ARE ENTIRELY WITHIN THE LENS HOUSING, WHICH IS SEALED TO THE BUOY WITH A FIXED SEAL. THESOURCE MOVES ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF THE HOUSING DIAMETER. THE SYSTEM WILL BE MODELED THEORETICALLY, AND SIMPLE LENSES AND HOLOGRAPHIC LENSES WILL BE TESTED EXPERIMENTALLY. THE ULTIMATE DESIGN WILL BE AN APPROPRIATE FRESNEL LENS.