Abstract
A study of the feasibility of utilizing wave energy to provide the electrical power to operate the Buzzards Bay Light Tower has been carried out. It was concluded that a pneumatic buoy attached to the light tower would be the best solution. Experiments were conducted in the MIT Towing Tank to estimate the performance of such a device. The loads imposed by the wave energy device on the tower during an extreme storm were estimated and were predicted to be very large. Theoretical and experimental studies have indicated a possible method of reducing the size of the wave energy device by controlling the air pressure in the buoy.