As is known, there exist numerous types of floating apparatus for use in water, for example, in the ocean. Some portions of the floating apparatus may be underwater and some portions may be on or near the surface of the water. The portion at or near to the surface of the water is often referred to as a buoy.
Buoys are used in a variety of applications. For example, both relatively large and relatively small buoys are used as ocean markers, to mark water channels or to mark obstructions in the water. Some conventional buoys used as markers are totally passive and may have one or more colors to represent information. Other conventional buoys used as markers have lights, visible to a person on a ship, or audible devices, such as bells or horns, which may be heard by a person on a ship. A conventional buoy used as a marker is generally not free-floating, meaning that the buoy is tethered to an anchor or other fixed object disposed on the ocean bottom.
More complex systems having buoys are used in conjunction with electronics as measurement platforms, which may, for example, provide measurements of temperatures of the ocean, or measurements of currents in the ocean. Conventional buoys used as measurement platforms may be either free-floating (i.e., without an anchor), or non free-floating (i.e., with an anchor).
Still more complex systems having buoys are used in conjunction with electronics as detection platforms, which may, for example, be coupled to acoustic sensors in order to detect vessels, for example, submarines, in the ocean. One such detection platform is conventionally referred to as a sonobuoy, of which there are many types. Most sonobuoys employ free-floating buoys, are battery powered, and have an operation lifetime of a few hours.
Still more complex conventional systems having buoys and used as detection platforms exist. One such system, made by Harris Corporation, Melbourne, Fla., provided a very large diesel powered buoy, anchored to the ocean bottom. This buoy transmitted radio signals to a receiving station. This buoy was large enough for a person to enter. This existing buoy suffered from large size and resulting difficult deployment and overall low power generating efficiency.
It would be desirable to have a buoy, which is self powered, which is able to generate a large amount of power, which has high overall power generating efficiency and resulting long operational life in the ocean, which is small and easily deployed, and which is mechanically angularly stable at higher seas states despite its small size, resulting is good signal integrity of radio frequency signals received from the buoy.