Efficient floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling

Abstract

The invention discloses an efficient floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downflow, which comprises a plurality of floating breakwater units, and the plurality of floating breakwater units are connected with one another through lock hooks and are arranged parallel to a crest line; each floating breakwater unit comprises a rectangular floating box, a truss structure, a manger board, an aquaculture net cage, a flexible downflow elbow, a curtain channel formed by a curtain, and a limiting weight; truss structures are connected to the two opposite sides of the rectangular buoyancy tank, manger boards are arranged at the ends, away from the rectangular buoyancy tank, of the truss structures, aquaculture net cages are arranged on the truss structures and located between the manger boards and the rectangular buoyancy tank, the periphery of the bottom of each aquaculture net cage is connected with a curtain channel, and a curtain and a downcomer elbow are connected through a limiting weight. The truss structure is connected with the anchoring system. Wave energy is converted into kinetic energy of artificial descending flow, ascending plume is formed through the artificial descending flow, and eutrophic substances in a deep water area are conveyed into an aquaculture net cage; and a good wave dissipation effect is achieved on medium-and-long-period waves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling, and belongs to the field of marine engineering. Background Art

[0002] Breakwaters are a common marine structure used primarily to defend against wave attacks, provide protection for nearshore structures such as docks and ports, and ensure relatively stable waters for safe navigation and loading and unloading operations. Traditional bottom-supported breakwaters have been widely used to protect harbors, but their structure hinders water exchange and sediment transport, easily causing water pollution within the protected area.

[0003] As ocean development gradually develops towards the deep sea, the construction difficulty and cost of traditional bottom-based breakwaters have increased dramatically. Floating breakwaters adapt to the characteristics of wave energy distribution, require less construction materials, and their construction costs are less affected by water depth and seabed foundation conditions. They also have the advantages of being movable, easy to arrange and reinstall, and allowing water and sediment exchange. They have broad application prospects in waters with greater water depth and soft foundations. At the same time, as ocean resources are gradually developed towards the deep sea, aquaculture cages are gradually deployed in sea areas with wind and waves. In areas with strong winds and waves, the wind and wave resistance of aquaculture cages alone is difficult to meet the needs of aquaculture production.

[0004] While traditional floating breakwaters generally offer good short-wave damping, they are less effective against long-period waves. These waves can cause large motion amplitudes and mooring system failures. CN201611137592.7, CN202111432036.3, and CN202210840786.2 all propose floating breakwater structures for damping medium- and long-period waves, but these structures are complex and have limited functionality.

[0005] For deep-sea aquaculture, when encountering strong wind and wave conditions, on the one hand, the aquaculture cages are subjected to a large impact force, which may cause damage to the cage system. On the other hand, the aquaculture objects are easily frightened by the invasion of wind and waves, and then collide with each other and die. In order to eliminate the destructive effects of strong winds and waves on aquaculture cages, the aquaculture cages can be sunk to a safe water layer, such as CN201911059995.8 and CN202210149191.2, or wave-breaking facilities can be arranged to resist waves. The former has an action actuator, a complex structure and low reliability under the action of waves, and has a high demand for offshore energy. The latter can arrange floating breakwaters to reduce waves according to demand, which is low in cost. In addition, the combination of aquaculture cages and floating breakwaters can make full use of ocean space, combining wave breaking and aquaculture functions, and has broad application prospects.

[0006] At present, in the combination of aquaculture and floating breakwaters, aquaculture cages are generally suspended under the floating breakwater, and there is no relevant wave-blocking design in the wave-facing direction. The aquaculture objects are generally directly affected by wind and waves. In deep-sea aquaculture, due to limited aquaculture space, aquaculture objects may move in deep-water areas where nutrients and oxygen are relatively scarce. The existing solutions do not fully consider the above needs and it is difficult to meet the production needs of deep-sea aquaculture.

[0007] Among the publicly available proposals, there is no efficient floating breakwater solution that combines aquaculture with artificial downwelling. Therefore, it is necessary to seek a floating breakwater technology solution with a simple structure, good wave dissipation for medium and long-period waves, and the ability to combine aquaculture with artificial downwelling. This solution could use artificial downwelling to transport highly oxygenated surface water to deeper waters, disrupting and buoying nutrient-rich substances from the deep waters to the surface. This would increase the application range of floating breakwaters and the survival rate of aquaculture species, reduce construction and aquaculture costs, and avoid economic losses caused by wind and waves. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is: how to convert wave energy into kinetic energy of artificial downwelling, and form an ascending plume through artificial downwelling to transmit nutrient-rich substances in deep water areas to aquaculture cages. At the same time, the floating breakwater has a better wave-dissipating effect on medium and long period waves.

[0009] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is to provide an efficient floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling, which is characterized in that it includes a plurality of floating breakwater units, which are interconnected by locking hooks and arranged parallel to the wave crest line; each floating breakwater unit includes a rectangular pontoon, a truss structure, a wave break, aquaculture cages, a flexible downwelling bend, a curtain channel formed by a curtain, a limit weight and an anchoring system; the truss structure is connected to opposite sides of the rectangular pontoon, the truss structure is provided with a wave break at the end away from the rectangular pontoon, the truss structure is provided with aquaculture cages between the wave break and the rectangular pontoon, the bottom periphery of the aquaculture cages is connected to the curtain channel, the curtain and the downwelling bend are interconnected by the limit weight, and the truss structure is connected to the anchoring system for fixing the rectangular pontoon;

[0010] There are multiple water channels on the rectangular pontoon, which run through both sides of the rectangular pontoon and the connecting truss structure. One end of each water channel is connected to one end of the downflow bend pipe. The downflow bend pipes are staggered on both sides of the rectangular pontoon connected to the truss structure. The downflow bend pipes pass through the water channels, the truss structure and into the aquaculture cage downward.

[0011] Preferably, the rectangular pontoon floats on the sea surface, and water holes are respectively provided on the wave-facing side and the wave-back side of the rectangular pontoon to form a longitudinal water channel.

[0012] Preferably, the water hole narrows longitudinally; the aperture of the end of the water channel not connected to the downflow bend is larger, and narrows toward the end of the water channel connected to the downflow bend; the floating breakwater can realize wave energy conversion through the water channel under the action of waves.

[0013] Preferably, the water passage is arranged below the waterline of the rectangular pontoon.

[0014] Preferably, the truss structures are arranged below the waterline of the rectangular pontoon.

[0015] Preferably, the truss structure is symmetrically arranged on the wave-facing side and the wave-repelling side of the rectangular pontoon; and a mounting and fixing space for wave-breaking boards, aquaculture cages and downflow elbows is provided inside the truss structure.

[0016] Preferably, the wave breakers are rigidly connected to the truss structure; and a plurality of openings are provided at the lower portion of the wave breakers.

[0017] Preferably, the downflow bend is divided into horizontal and vertical parts, both of which are flexible structures. The horizontal part is embedded in the water channel inside the rectangular pontoon, the upper end of the vertical part is fixed to the truss structure, and the lower end extends downward to the seabed and is interconnected with the curtain through a limit weight.

[0018] Preferably, the position-limiting weight block is provided with an opening based on the diameter and position of the downflow bend pipe, and the downflow bend pipe passes through the opening and is fixedly connected to the position-limiting weight block;

[0019] Preferably, each downflow bend is provided with a limit weight. Under the action of waves, the downflow bend, the curtain and the limit weight move together to ensure that nutrient-rich substances are captured by the aquaculture cages; the curtain is made of flexible and impermeable material, and the limit weight is made of rust-proof steel material to ensure that the curtain does not float upwards under the action of waves.

[0020] Preferably, the mooring system comprises a pull ring, an anchor chain and an anchor, the pull ring is connected to the truss structure, the anchor is fixed to the seabed, one end of the anchor chain is connected to the pull ring, and the other end of the anchor chain is connected to the anchor.

[0021] The working principle of the high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling provided by the present invention is as follows:

[0022] S1, installation and fixation of floating breakwater;

[0023] S2, the floating breakwater surges and rolls under the action of waves, the surface seawater is squeezed into the water channel, and the downflow is transmitted to the seabed through the downflow bend, and the wave energy is converted into downflow kinetic energy;

[0024] S3, downwelling disturbs nutrient-rich materials on the seafloor and forms an upwelling plume;

[0025] S4, the rising plume transports nutrients from the seabed into the aquaculture cages through the curtain channel;

[0026] S5, under the action of waves, continuously repeating steps S1, S2, S3 and S4 to achieve the evolution of wave energy-artificial downwelling-upward plume.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0028] 1. The present invention is a high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling. It combines aquaculture, artificial downwelling and floating breakwater with similar application scenarios. The design is ingenious and reasonable. While ensuring the functions of aquaculture, artificial downwelling and wave breaking, it achieves the mutual complementation and synergy of the three functions, broadening the actual application scenarios.

[0029] 2. The present invention provides a water channel and a flexible downflow bend inside the rectangular pontoon. The movement of the floating breakwater under the action of waves causes the oxygen-rich water on the surface to be squeezed into the water channel inside the rectangular pontoon. The water channel narrows longitudinally, thereby forming a downflow with a certain speed in the downflow bend. The downflow is discharged through the lower end of the vertical portion of the downflow bend. The discharged oxygen-rich water mixes with the oxygen-deficient water on the seabed to alleviate the problem of seabed hypoxia; at the same time, the downflow jet can lift and suspend nutrient-rich substances on the seabed, and the nutrient-rich substances can float upward along the curtain channel to the inside of the aquaculture cage along the rising plume, thereby capturing nutrients efficiently, increasing the nutrient concentration of the aquaculture waters, and improving the aquaculture efficiency and survival rate.

[0030] 3. In view of the fact that long-period waves are easily transmitted from the bottom of the breakwater, the present invention symmetrically arranges wave-breaking boards, aquaculture cages, curtain channels and flexible downflow bends to form a step-by-step wave-breaking structure, which can significantly improve the wave-breaking effect of the floating breakwater on long-period waves. At the same time, the flexible structure can avoid the problem of high stress caused by the long underwater additional structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 A side view of a high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling provided by the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 A top view of the arrangement of water passages in a rectangular buoyancy tank according to the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 for Figure 1 AA cross-sectional diagram;

[0034] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the evolution of wave energy-artificial downwelling-upward plume.

[0035] in:

[0036] 1. Rectangular pontoon; 2. Truss structure; 3. Wave breakers; 4. Aquaculture cages; 5. Downwelling elbow; 6. Pull ring; 7. Anchor chain; 8. Anchor; 9. Curtain channel; 10. Limit weight; 11. Water channel; Y, rising plume. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] To make the present invention more clearly understood, preferred embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] The present invention provides a high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling, which is composed of a plurality of floating breakwater units, which are connected to each other by locking hooks and arranged parallel to the wave crest line; Figure 1 As shown, each floating breakwater unit includes a rectangular pontoon 1, a truss structure 2, a wave break 3, aquaculture cages 4, a flexible downflow bend 5, a curtain channel 9 formed by a curtain, a limiting weight 10, and an anchoring system. The truss structure 2 is arranged on both the wave-facing and wave-back sides of the rectangular pontoon 1. The wave break 3 is provided on the end of the truss structure 2 away from the rectangular pontoon 1. The aquaculture cages 4 are provided on the truss structure 2 between the wave break 3 and the rectangular pontoon 1. The bottom periphery of the aquaculture cages 4 is connected to the curtain channel 9. The curtain and the downflow bend 5 are interconnected by the limiting weight 10. The downflow bend 5 passes through the water channel 11, the truss structure 2, and penetrates the aquaculture cages 4 downward. The truss structure 2 is connected to the anchoring system, and the floating breakwater is anchored to the sea surface via the anchoring system.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, a rectangular pontoon 1 floats on the sea surface. Water holes are provided on the wave-facing and wave-back sides of the rectangular pontoon 1. The water holes narrow longitudinally (i.e., the hole diameter of the water channel 11 at the end not connected to the downflow elbow 5 is larger and narrows toward the end of the water channel 11 connected to the downflow elbow 5), forming a longitudinal water channel 11. The water channel 11 is arranged below the waterline of the rectangular pontoon 1. The rectangular pontoon 1 has a simple and regular structure and can be made from precast concrete or by modifying the water channels using discarded containers.

[0040] The truss structure 2 is symmetrically arranged on the wave-facing and wave-reflecting sides of the rectangular pontoon 1. It defines internal spaces for the installation and fixing of wave breakers 3, aquaculture cages 4, and downwelling bends 5. The truss structure 2 is positioned below the waterline of the rectangular pontoon. The truss structure 2 is designed to be compatible with the wave breakers 3, aquaculture cages 4, and downwelling bends 5, ensuring a secure connection between the components. The truss structure 2 is constructed of rust-resistant steel to ensure structural strength.

[0041] The wave-breaking board 3 is rigidly connected to the truss structure 2, and a plurality of openings are provided at the lower portion of the wave-breaking board 3 to achieve relative stability of the water body in the aquaculture cage and to allow the water body to have a certain fluidity.

[0042] The breeding cage 4 consists of an outer contour frame and a net, which is arranged in the installation space reserved by the truss structure 2 and fixed to the truss structure 2 by fasteners. The outer contour frame of the breeding cage 4 is made of rust-proof steel material, and the net material can be nylon, polyester or cotton thread. The height of the breeding cage 4 can be determined according to the breeding density and the living range of the breeding objects.

[0043] The downflow bend 5 consists of flexible horizontal and vertical sections, each seamlessly connected to form a "7"-shaped structure. The horizontal section is embedded within the longitudinal water passage 11 within the rectangular pontoon 1. The upper end of the vertical section is fixed to the truss structure 2, and the lower end extends downward to the seabed. The flexible downflow bend 5 is a cylindrical hollow tube made of PVC.

[0044] The mooring system includes a pull ring 6, an anchor chain 7 and an anchor 8. The pull ring 6 is connected to both sides of the lower end of the truss structure 2, and the anchor 8 is arranged on the seabed. The upper end of the anchor chain 7 is connected to the pull ring 6, and the lower end is connected to the anchor 8. The floating breakwater is anchored by a parallel catenary slack anchoring method. The pull ring 6 and the anchor chain 7 are made of rust-proof steel materials, and the anchor 8 can be made of concrete or metal. Each floating breakwater unit is anchored by 1-3 pairs of anchor chains.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the limiting weight 10 is provided with an opening based on the diameter and position of the downflow bend 5. The downflow bend 5 passes through the opening and is fixedly connected to the limiting weight 10. Each downflow bend 5 is provided with a limiting weight 10. The curtain is made of flexible and impermeable material, and the limiting weight 10 is made of rust-proof steel material to ensure that the curtain does not float upward under the action of waves.

[0046] The working principle of the present invention is as follows:

[0047] The floating breakwater of the present invention will produce reciprocating motion with the waves under the action of waves. Under the action of the breakwater movement, the oxygen-rich water on the surface is squeezed into the water channel 11 inside the rectangular pontoon 1. The water channel 11 narrows longitudinally, and then forms a downflow with a certain speed in the downflow bend 5 (as shown by the downward arrow). The downflow is discharged through the lower end of the vertical part of the downflow bend 5. The discharged oxygen-rich water mixes with the oxygen-deficient water on the seabed to alleviate the problem of seabed hypoxia; the downflow is a jet with a certain speed. The downflow jet can flush and suspend nutrient-rich substances on the seabed. At the same time, the density of the downflow is lower than the density of the seabed water. After being ejected to the seabed, an ascending plume Y is formed (as shown by the upward arrow). The nutrient-rich substances can float upward along the curtain channel 9 to the inside of the aquaculture cage along the ascending plume Y, thereby increasing the nutrient concentration of the aquaculture water area and improving the aquaculture efficiency and survival rate.

[0048] Based on wave theory, most of the wave energy is mainly concentrated near the surface of the water body. When the incident wave propagates toward the floating breakwater and interacts with it, most of the wave energy concentrated on the surface of the water body is reflected by the wave-breaking board 3 outside the truss structure 2. Part of the incident wave passes through the aquaculture cage 4 area and is reflected by the rectangular pontoon 1, causing wave breaking and water turbulence, thereby causing wave energy dissipation, while keeping the water body inside the aquaculture cage 4 relatively stable; part of the wave energy is transmitted from the lower end of the wave-breaking board 3 to the back of the floating breakwater. In this process, the waves interact with the net of the aquaculture cage 4, the curtain channel 9 and the downflow bend 5. First, the wave energy is reflected by the net, the curtain channel 9 and the downflow bend 5. and reflection from the downflow bend 5; secondly, the waves cause the flexible structure to move, thereby enhancing the wave energy dissipation of the waves passing through the net; in addition, the floating breakwater of the present invention aims at the characteristic that long-period waves are easy to transmit from the bottom of the breakwater, and symmetrically arranges the wave-breaking plates 3, the aquaculture cages 4, the curtain channels 9 and the flexible downflow bend 5 to form a step-by-step wave-breaking structure. The additional mass of the floating breakwater is increased by the water-binding effect, the motion response of the floating breakwater under the action of waves is reduced, the mooring force of the anchoring system is reduced, and the wave-breaking effect of the floating breakwater on long-period waves can be significantly improved. At the same time, the flexible structure can avoid the problem of greater force caused by the longer underwater additional structure.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, the working principle of the high-efficiency floating breakwater combined with aquaculture and artificial downwelling provided by the present invention is as follows:

[0050] S1, installation and fixation of floating breakwater;

[0051] S2, the floating breakwater surges and rolls under the action of waves, the surface seawater is squeezed into the water channel, and the downflow is transmitted to the seabed through the downflow bend, and the wave energy is converted into downflow kinetic energy;

[0052] S3, downwelling disturbs nutrient-rich materials on the seafloor and forms an upwelling plume;

[0053] S4, the rising plume transports nutrients from the seabed into the aquaculture cages through the curtain channel;

[0054] S5, under the action of waves, continuously repeating steps S1, S2, S3 and S4 to achieve the evolution of wave energy-artificial downwelling-upward plume.

Claims

1. An efficient floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling, characterized in that: The invention comprises a plurality of floating breakwater units, which are interconnected by locking hooks and arranged parallel to the wave crest line; each floating breakwater unit comprises a rectangular pontoon (1), a truss structure (2), a wave break (3), a culture cage (4), a flexible downflow bend (5), a curtain channel (9) formed by a curtain, a limit weight (10) and an anchoring system; opposite sides of the rectangular pontoon (1) are connected to the truss structure (2); an end of the truss structure (2) away from the rectangular pontoon (1) is provided with a wave break (3); a culture cage (4) is provided on the truss structure (2) between the wave break (3) and the rectangular pontoon (1); the bottom periphery of the culture cage (4) is connected to the curtain channel (9); the curtain and the downflow bend (5) are interconnected by the limit weight (10); and the truss structure (2) is connected to the anchoring system; A plurality of water passages (11) are provided on the rectangular pontoon (1), and the water passages (11) pass through both sides of the rectangular pontoon (1) and the connecting truss structure (2). One end of each water passage (11) is connected to one end of a downflow bend pipe (5), and the other end of the downflow bend pipe (5) passes through the aquaculture cage (4) downward. The downflow bend pipes (5) are staggered and distributed on both sides of the rectangular pontoon (1) connected to the truss structure (2).

2. The high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The rectangular buoyancy box (1) floats on the sea surface, and water holes are respectively provided on the wave-facing side and the wave-back side of the rectangular buoyancy box (1) to form a longitudinal water passage (11).

3. The high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The water hole narrows in the longitudinal direction; the hole diameter of the end of the water passage (11) not connected to the downflow bend pipe (5) is larger, and narrows toward the end of the water passage (11) connected to the downflow bend pipe (5).

4. A high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The water passage (11) is arranged below the waterline of the rectangular pontoon (1).

5. The high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The truss structures (2) are all arranged below the waterline of the rectangular pontoon (1).

6. The high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The truss structure (2) is symmetrically arranged on the wave-facing side and the wave-back side of the rectangular pontoon (1); the truss structure (2) is provided with installation and fixing space for wave-breaking boards (3), aquaculture cages (4) and downflow bend pipes (5).

7. The high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The wave-breaking plate (3) is rigidly connected to the truss structure (2); a plurality of openings are provided at the lower portion of the wave-breaking plate (3).

8. The high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The downflow bend pipe (5) is divided into horizontal and vertical parts, both of which are flexible structures. The horizontal part is embedded in the water passage (11) inside the rectangular buoyancy box (1), the upper end of the vertical part is fixed to the truss structure (2), and the lower end extends downward to the seabed.

9. The high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting weight (10) is provided with an opening based on the diameter and position of the downflow bend (5); the downflow bend (5) passes through the opening and is fixedly connected to the limiting weight (10), and each downflow bend (5) is provided with a limiting weight (10); the curtain is made of a flexible impermeable material, and the limiting weight (10) is made of rust-proof steel material to ensure that the curtain does not float upward under the action of waves.

10. The high-efficiency floating breakwater combining aquaculture and artificial downwelling as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The mooring system comprises a pull ring (6), an anchor chain (7) and an anchor (8), wherein the pull ring (6) is connected to the truss structure (2), the anchor (8) is fixed to the seabed, one end of the anchor chain (7) is connected to the pull ring (6), and the other end of the anchor chain (7) is connected to the anchor (8).

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