A historical note [Nils Gustaf Dalen]

A fact of some historical interest to automatic control engineers, but one which is Swedish engineer Nils Gustaf Dalen was apparently not widely known, is that the awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1912 for the invention of an automatic control system. Dahlen's invention was an acetylene gas accumulator and a regulating valve which together formed a system for automatically lighting signal beacons and buoys. Dalen's system greatly reduced the cost of maintaining remote, unmanned lighthouses, and at thsea me time improved their lighting efficiency, thereby providing a significant improvement in the safety of maritime navigation. Further details of Dalen's engineering career and his inventions may be found in the book .Vobel Prize Winners in Physics 1901-1950, by Heathcote (New York: Schuman, 1953).