Research Progress and Prospect of Wave Attenuation Performance and Integration of Wave-Energy Converter of Floating Breakwater

Abstract

A floating breakwater can significantly reduce the wave invasion of marine structures and provide a safe construction environment and service environment for wave attenuation protection for marine structures. With the development and utilization of marine resources, the application of floating breakwaters in engineering is becoming more and more important; research on integrated systems of a floating breakwater and wave-energy converter (WEC) is also valuable. However, existing research has not yet systematically improved the influencing factors of wave attenuation performance of floating breakwaters and the summary of the wave attenuation mechanism; there are few summaries about the integration of floating breakwaters and wave-energy converters. Therefore, the research progress on the wave attenuation performance and wave-energy integration of floating breakwaters is reviewed and summarized. Firstly, according to the structural shape, floating breakwaters are divided into three types: box type, floating cylinder type, and other types. Secondly, the wave attenuation performance of three types of breakwaters and the research progress of floating breakwater-WEC integrated devices are discussed and reviewed. Finally, the problems to be solved in the study of various breakwaters and the key directions for future research are summarized. This review is helpful to deepen the cognition and understanding of wave attenuation performance of floating breakwater and floating breakwater-WEC integration devices, which can provide reference for the optimization research and engineering application of floating breakwaters.