Experimental Investigation of the Performance of Porous-Slope Floating Breakwater

Abstract

Floating breakwater is an alternate solution to traditional breakwaters that can be applied effectively in coastal zones with a moderate wave. In this study, five physical models of the porous-slope floating breakwater have been tested on regular waves in a wave flume. The variations have been applied in wave height, wave period, and mooring angle. The performance of floating breakwater has been evaluated on transmission and reflection coefficient. Under conditions of low wave parameters, the transmission coefficient is higher compared to the high wave parameter. Moreover, the best transmission coefficient value has been found at 60o slope and 5% porosity combination, since the porous-shaped structure has caused large wave dissipation. The slope has caused an increasing value of the average transmission and reflection coefficient at 3.85% and 21.67%, respectively for floating breakwater without porosity. At 5% of porosity, the same improving behavior of transmission and reflection coefficient has been investigated at 2,95% and 27,22% for slope changing as 15° (from 45° to 60°). The result shows that the larger the slope is, the larger the value of the hydrodynamic coefficients is. On the other hand, the porosity has put an effect on transmission and reflection coefficient as well. Floating breakwater with 5% porosity causes an increasing value on the transmission coefficient as 5% and decreases the reflection coefficient value at 8-10% for 45° and 60° slopes respectively.