Inventing Solar Energy Rotating Lantern for Lighthouses and Light Beacons of Hydrographic Department, Royal Thai Navy

Abstract

The solar energy rotating lantern is the main part of light source for lighthouses or light beacons but the lantern is expensive and has to be imported from other countries. Thus, the Hydrographic Department, Royal Thai Navy, efforts to invent a prototype of a low-cost solar energy rotating lantern for installing in the lighthouses or light beacons in the areas where are interfered with background light but important for navigation in Thai Waters. The invented lantern should save cost from importing the lantern abroad. At fixed state, the prototype of solar energy rotating lantern has luminous intensity at 210,000 candelas, and at rotating state is about 206,000 - 136,000 candelas.  The Luminous Range is 20 - 21.4 nautical miles depending on operated Luminous Intensity.  The lantern durability is compatible with the IP 65 standard. One unit of invented lantern is about 400,000 baht, 14 components and weight 67 kilograms, whereas the whole system is about 600,000 – 700,000 baht. It is significantly cheaper than imported solar energy rotating lantern system which is around 2,500,000 – 3,400,000 baht.