An adaptive water level floating wave-dissipating breakwater

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of marine engineering technology and discloses an adaptive-water-level floating wave-damping breakwater, comprising piles vertically fixed to the seabed and a pontoon with a closed internal cavity. Guide arms are provided on both sides of the pontoon, and guide restraint components are installed at the ends of the guide arms. The pontoon is fitted onto the piles via the guide restraint components and rises and falls vertically along the piles according to the design water level. A layered energy storage-dissipation device is provided between the guide arms and the guide restraint components for graded buffering and energy dissipation of horizontal wave loads. A roller guide mechanism, in conjunction with an eccentric shaft, annular scraper, and water-guiding and sand-discharging holes, realizes guidance, gap adjustment, and anti-siltation and sand-discharging. A wave-driven piston pump is installed inside the pontoon, and positive pressure flushing is performed on the guide contact points through an accumulator, flexible anti-siltation skirt, and micro-nozzles. This invention can adapt to water level changes, reduce the risk of guide jamming, and improve the structural impact resistance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine engineering technology, specifically to a floating wave-damping breakwater that adapts to water levels. Background Technology

[0002] Breakwaters are fundamental structures used in port and coastal protection projects to resist open sea waves and ensure stable berthing conditions in the water. Traditional breakwaters are mainly divided into two structural forms: sloping and vertical. Sloping breakwaters mainly rely on the pores and surface friction of riprap or artificial blocks to dissipate wave energy. This structure has a large cross-sectional volume, consumes a lot of stone, and the construction cost increases significantly with water depth, while also occupying a large amount of sea space. Although vertical breakwaters occupy a smaller area, their wave-blocking surface is a fixed structure, and their wave-dissipating efficiency is significantly affected by natural tidal changes. At low tide, if the depth of the wave-blocking plate is insufficient, waves will pass underneath, leading to a decrease in wave dissipation. If the downward extension length of the wave-blocking plate is increased to meet the wave dissipation requirements at all water levels, the horizontal wave load on the structure will increase dramatically, thereby increasing construction costs. Furthermore, at low tide, a large area of ​​the wall is exposed above the water, which can easily damage the natural coastal landscape. In addition, when traditional fixed breakwaters are constructed in complex terrain conditions such as islands or mountains, they usually require trench excavation or underwater blasting, which can damage the original coastline topography and local marine ecology.

[0003] To overcome the inability of fixed structures to adapt to water level changes, some floating breakwaters have been developed in engineering practice. However, existing floating breakwaters still have technical shortcomings in their long-term operational stability under complex marine environments. The guiding and restraining mechanisms of existing floating bodies mostly adopt conventional rigid connection designs. When encountering severe sea conditions such as extreme storm surges, the high-intensity impact force generated by waves is directly transmitted and concentrated on the guiding structure and pile foundations, easily leading to yielding or fatigue fracture of the stressed components. Simultaneously, the real marine environment contains a large amount of suspended sediment and active marine organisms, which easily enter and adhere to the sliding friction surfaces of the guiding components and piles. Over time, sediment accumulation and biological attachment can cause severe mechanical interference and structural jamming. Once the guiding mechanism jams, the pontoon cannot rise and fall vertically with the tides, not only losing its initial design function of adapting to water levels but also bearing abnormal wave stress under constrained conditions, thus accelerating the failure of the overall structure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem solved by this invention is that existing floating breakwaters are difficult to adapt stably to changes in water level, and when subjected to wave impact, horizontal wave loads are easily transmitted to the piles and pontoon body through the guide structure, resulting in yielding damage and fatigue failure of the guide structure, piles or pontoon body, and insufficient operational stability and durability of the overall structure.

[0005] To address the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: This invention provides an adaptive water level floating wave-damping breakwater, comprising: At least one vertical pile fixed to the seabed surface; A pontoon has a closed internal chamber, and each side of the pontoon is provided with an outwardly extending guide arm, the end of which is equipped with a guide restraint member. The pontoon is fitted onto the pile through a guide constraint member, so that the pontoon and the pile form a sliding connection; The guiding constraint component restricts the displacement of the pontoon in the horizontal plane and allows the pontoon to rise and fall vertically along the piles as the design water level changes; A layered energy storage and dissipation device is installed between the guide arm and the guide constraint member. The layered energy storage and dissipation device is located on the force transmission path from the guide arm to the guide constraint member to transmit the horizontal wave load. The stratified energy storage and consumption device includes a normal use layer, a buffer layer, and an extreme energy consumption layer connected in series. The normal operating layer uses a roller guide mechanism to maintain the vertical guidance of the pontoon along the piles; The buffer layer includes high-damping rubber blocks or pre-compressed metal springs to absorb kinetic energy and limit the displacement of the pontoon under wave impact. The ultimate energy dissipation layer comprises buckling-restrained braces or high-strength tear-resistant steel plates, used to dissipate impact energy through the plastic deformation of the metallic material under extreme storm conditions.

[0006] Furthermore, the roller guide mechanism includes three sets of vertical roller assemblies evenly distributed at 120° around the pile column, with the outer edge of each vertical roller assembly making rolling contact with the surface of the pile column; Each set of vertical roller assemblies is mounted on the guide arm via an eccentric shaft. The eccentric shaft is used to adjust the pre-tightening gap between the outer edge of the vertical roller assembly and the surface of the pile column by rotation. Each set of vertical rollers has an integrated annular scraper at both the top and bottom ends, and the inner diameter of the annular scraper matches the outer diameter of the pile. A funnel-shaped water and sand drainage hole is provided on the guide arm, directly opposite the contact surface between the vertical roller assembly and the pile. The water and sand drainage hole has a large inlet and a small outlet.

[0007] Furthermore, the normal use layer, buffer layer, and ultimate energy dissipation layer are sequentially arranged along the direction in which the horizontal wave load is transmitted from the guide arm to the guide constraint member, so that the horizontal wave load on the pontoon is transmitted to the pile column after passing through vertical guidance, elastic buffering, and plastic energy dissipation in sequence.

[0008] Furthermore, the surface of the pile in the water level fluctuation zone is covered with an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheath. The guide constraint component in contact with the pile is made of nylon material with embedded solid lubricant. The ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheath and the guide constraint component together form a low surface energy-self-lubricating friction pair.

[0009] Furthermore, the internal design of the pontoon includes a wave-driven piston pump connected to an accumulator; the upper and lower ports of the guide constraint components are equipped with multi-layered flexible anti-siltation skirts. Driven by the undulation of the float box, the piston pump pressurizes the filtered seawater and stores it in the accumulator. The accumulator is connected to a pressure trigger valve. When the water pressure in the accumulator reaches the set threshold, the pressure trigger valve opens, allowing the pressurized seawater to intermittently flush the contact point between the guide constraint component and the pile through a micro-nozzle set at the guide constraint component. The micro-nozzle is positioned at the contact point between the guide constraint component and the pile, and together with the multi-layered flexible anti-silt skirt, it forms an external barrier and an internal positive pressure flushing structure for the contact point.

[0010] This invention provides a floating, wave-damping breakwater that adapts to water levels. It offers the following advantages: 1. This invention achieves adaptive adjustment of water level through the sliding connection between the pontoon and the vertical pile; the pontoon always floats on the water surface, and its water depth is adjusted and kept constant through the cooperation of the internal solid fixed ballast tank and adjustable liquid ballast tank; this structure ensures that the wave-blocking section of the breakwater does not change with the rise and fall of the external tide, and can maintain a consistent wave-dissipating effect under all water level conditions, solving the problem of insufficient effective water-blocking depth of traditional vertical breakwaters at low tide.

[0011] 2. This invention prevents sediment buildup and marine organism attachment in the guiding structure through pure mechanical linkage and material coordination. By integrating annular scrapers at both ends of the vertical roller assembly and opening water-guiding and sand-draining holes with a large inlet and a small outlet on the guide arm, the float can simultaneously scrape off the attached materials on the pile surface when the pontoon moves up and down driven by waves, and utilizes the accelerated water flow generated by the contraction of the water flow section to scour the contact surface. In conjunction with the friction pair composed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheath and self-lubricating nylon material, the adhesion and friction coefficient of the contact surface are effectively reduced, ensuring the operational reliability of the guiding system in complex marine environments.

[0012] 3. This invention improves the structural survivability of breakwaters under conditions of large waves and extreme storms. By connecting a layered energy storage and dissipation device consisting of a normal use layer, a buffer layer, and an ultimate energy dissipation layer in series between the guide arm and the guide constraint component, the structure absorbs kinetic energy and restricts displacement by high-damping rubber blocks when subjected to moderate impacts. When subjected to extreme impacts, the ultimate energy dissipation layer is triggered, and huge amounts of energy are dissipated through the plastic deformation of metal components such as buckling constraint supports. This layered unloading mechanism avoids the direct transfer of rigid loads to the bottom foundation, protecting the piles and pontoon body from yielding failure.

[0013] 4. This invention introduces a wave energy self-powered positive pressure flushing system and a dynamic gap intelligent avoidance mechanism, which improves the green and intelligent operation level of the breakwater. The system directly converts the mechanical energy of wave undulation into the driving force of high-pressure flushing water flow. Relying on the pressure triggering mechanism, it can achieve long-term silt flushing without external power supply. At the same time, the openable clamping mechanism combined with sensors and hydraulic locks can intelligently identify destructive impact acceleration and instantly release the constraint gap, replacing rigid resistance with active avoidance, effectively mitigating the risk of structural fracture caused by the impact of large floating objects. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a front view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view of the roller-type guide constraint component of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a top view of the clamp-type guide constraint component of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal compartment structure of the pontoon of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the self-cleaning scraper and water guiding and sand discharge holes of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of the layered energy storage-energy consumption device of the present invention.

[0015] Among them, 1. Piles; 2. Floating boxes; 3. Guide restraint components; 4. Roller assemblies; 5. Annular scrapers; 6. Water guide and sand discharge holes; 7. Solid fixed ballast tanks; 8. Adjustable liquid ballast tanks; 9. Gratings; 10. Leak-proof empty tanks; 11. Eccentric shafts; 12. Guide arms; 13. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheaths; 14. Semi-circular clamps; 15. Non-metallic wear-resistant pads; 16. Disc spring assemblies; 17. Dovetail grooves; 18. High-damping rubber blocks; 19. Buckling restraint supports; 20. Seabed surface; 21. Design water level. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] Please see the appendix Figure 1 -Appendix Figure 7 This invention provides an adaptive water level floating wave-damping breakwater, comprising: At least one vertical pile 1 is fixed to the seabed surface 20. The pile 1 serves as the support and guiding foundation for the entire structure and bears the horizontal wave load. A pontoon 2 has a closed internal chamber for providing buoyancy so that the pontoon 2 floats on the water surface. A guide arm 12 extending outward is provided on each side of the pontoon 2. A guide restraint member 3 is installed at the end of the guide arm 12. The guide arm 12 and the guide restraint member 3 are used to establish a mechanical connection between the pontoon 2 and the pile 1. The guide arm 12 is not only a common connector between the pontoon 2 and the guide constraint member 3, but also provides an installation position for the stratified energy storage-dissipation device, so that the horizontal wave load on the pontoon 2 can be transmitted, buffered and dissipated in stages through the normal use layer, buffer layer and ultimate energy dissipation layer before being transmitted by the guide arm 12 to the guide constraint member 3 and the pile 1.

[0018] The pontoon 2 is fitted onto the pile 1 via the guide constraint member 3, forming a slidable connection between the pontoon 2 and the pile 1, which transmits the horizontal wave force to the pile 1. The guide constraint member 3 restricts the displacement of the pontoon 2 in the horizontal plane, maintains the stable wave-blocking posture of the pontoon 2, and allows the pontoon 2 to rise and fall vertically along the pile 1 as the design water level 21 changes, so as to maintain a constant water depth of the pontoon 2. The guide constraint member 3 at the end of the guide arm 12 works in conjunction with the layered energy storage-energy dissipation device, the sand scraping and desiccation structure, the wave energy positive pressure flushing structure, and the openable clamping mechanism to reduce the risk of failure caused by guide jamming, impact concentration, and external impact as the float box 2 rises and falls with the water level.

[0019] Specifically, the pontoon 2 floats on the water surface due to the buoyancy provided by its internal chamber. When the design water level 21 of the sea area rises or falls, the pontoon 2 slides vertically without power along the piles 1 fixed to the seabed surface 20 via the guide arms 12 on both sides and the guide restraint components 3. This structure ensures that the pontoon 2's water depth does not change with the external design water level 21, maintaining a consistent wave-blocking section and wave-dissipating efficiency under all water level conditions. At the same time, the horizontal load of waves acting on the pontoon 2 is directionally transmitted to the piles 1 on the seabed surface 20 through the guide arms 12 and the guide restraint components 3, with a clear force path, ensuring the stability of the overall breakwater structure. In the above-mentioned force path, the layered energy storage-dissipation device is set on the path from the guide arm 12 to the guide constraint member 3 to transmit the horizontal wave load. This means that the horizontal impact load borne by the pontoon 2 is not directly concentrated at the contact position between the guide constraint member 3 and the pile 1, but is first passed through the elastic buffer of the buffer layer and the plastic dissipation of the ultimate energy dissipation layer before being transmitted to the pile 1. This reduces the risk of yielding or fatigue damage to the guide structure and the pile 1 under extreme wave impact.

[0020] Please see the appendix Figure 1-Appendix Figure 7 As a further implementation of the normal use layer, the normal use layer is a roller guide mechanism, which includes three sets of vertical roller assemblies 4 evenly distributed around the pile column 1 at 120° circumference. The outer edge of each vertical roller assembly 4 rolls in contact with the surface of the pile column 1, converting the sliding friction during the guiding process into rolling friction, reducing the risk of structural jamming, and restricting the horizontal degree of freedom in all directions through the uniform 120° arrangement. Each set of vertical roller assembly 4 is mounted on guide arm 12 via an eccentric shaft 11. The eccentric shaft 11 is used to adjust the pre-tightening gap between the outer edge of the vertical roller assembly 4 and the surface of the pile 1 through rotational action, so as to accurately compensate for structural installation errors and long-term wear of the rollers during operation. Each set of vertical roller assembly 4 has an integrated annular scraper 5 at both the upper and lower ends. The inner diameter of the annular scraper 5 matches the outer diameter of the pile 1, so that the annular scraper 5 can simultaneously and physically scrape off the marine organisms and mud attached to the surface of the pile 1 when the assembly moves up and down, preventing impurities from being rolled into the inside of the roller. A funnel-shaped water guide and sand discharge hole 6 is provided on the guide arm 12 at the position of the contact surface between the vertical roller assembly 4 and the pile column 1. The water guide and sand discharge hole 6 has a large inlet and a small outlet. It uses the relative motion of the breakwater as it rises and falls with the waves to generate a water flow pressure difference, which accelerates the water flow to form a jet, and passively flushes and discharges sand from the contact surface area. The vertical roller assembly 4, eccentric shaft 11, annular scraper 5, and water-guiding and sand-discharging holes 6 are all arranged around the contact surface between the vertical roller assembly 4 and the pile 1, so that pre-tightening gap adjustment, rolling guidance, pile surface scraping, and contact surface flushing and sand discharge all act on the same guiding contact area during the lifting and lowering of the float 2. This structure does not rely solely on pulley friction reduction, but maintains the long-term movable state of the guiding contact area through gap compensation, mechanical scraping, and water flow sand discharge.

[0021] In other alternative embodiments, the guide constraint member 3 may also adopt a clamp-type guide structure, which includes a pair of semi-circular clamps 14. The pair of semi-circular clamps 14 are joined by fasteners to form a ring structure around the pile 1, providing another low-cost guide connection form based on clamping and sliding. The inner wall of the semi-circular clamp 14 is detachably fixed with a segmented non-metallic wear-resistant pad 15 through the dovetail groove 17. The non-metallic wear-resistant pad 15 slides in contact with the surface of the pile 1, avoiding direct friction and electrochemical corrosion between metal structures. The dovetail groove 17 and the segmented design support the quick replacement of vulnerable parts directly on water. A disc spring assembly 16 is installed at the fastener. The disc spring assembly 16 is used to automatically compensate for the wear gap between the non-metallic wear-resistant pad 15 and the pile 1, maintain the constant preload of the guide structure, and prevent impact loads caused by the increase of the contact gap.

[0022] Specifically, this section provides two guiding constraint system structures to meet different engineering scenarios. The roller-type guiding structure utilizes the mechanical linkage of the vertical roller assembly 4, eccentric shaft 11, annular scraper 5, and water-guiding and sand-discharging holes 6 to achieve low-resistance guiding, gap adjustment, and a self-cleaning function combining physical scraping and water flow scouring. The clamp-type guiding structure utilizes the cooperation of a semi-circular clamp 14, non-metallic wear-resistant pad 15, disc spring assembly 16, and dovetail groove 17 to achieve corrosion-resistant sliding guiding, wear gap adaptive compensation, and rapid pad replacement on water. Both guiding constraint components 3 overcome the problem of obstructed rise and fall caused by marine organism attachment and sediment entrapment in the marine environment, ensuring the smooth movement and long-term reliability of the breakwater structure as the water level rises and falls. Both the roller-type and clamp-type guiding structures maintain the long-term stability of the guiding contact surface through gap compensation and anti-siltation cleaning structures, and cooperate with the energy-dissipating, flushing, and avoidance structures at the guide arm 12 to adapt to the long-term operation of floating wave-dissipating breakwaters in complex marine environments.

[0023] Please see the appendix Figure 1 -Appendix Figure 7 A layered energy storage and dissipation device is provided between the guide arm 12 and the guide constraint member 3. The layered energy storage and dissipation device includes a normal use layer, a buffer layer and an ultimate energy dissipation layer connected in series, establishing a three-level progressive flexible impact-resistant constraint mechanism to avoid the traditional rigid guide structure from breaking and failing when subjected to wave impact. The layered energy storage and dissipation device is set on the force transmission path from the guide arm 12 to the guide constraint member 3 to transmit the horizontal wave load, so that the horizontal wave load on the pontoon 2 passes through the normal use layer, the buffer layer and the ultimate energy dissipation layer in sequence before being transmitted to the pile 1.

[0024] The normal operating layer uses a roller guide mechanism to maintain the stable vertical movement and guiding accuracy of the pontoon 2 under normal wave loads; The buffer layer includes a high-damping rubber block 18 or a pre-compressed metal spring to absorb kinetic energy and limit the displacement of the float 2, providing elastic buffer protection when moderate wave impact causes the float 2 to have a tendency to move horizontally. The ultimate energy dissipation layer includes buckling restraint braces 19 or high-strength tear-resistant steel plates, which are used to dissipate impact energy through the plastic deformation of metallic materials under extreme storm conditions, and to cut off the transmission path of destructive loads through the irreversible deformation of sacrificial components, thus protecting the safety of the main structure of the guide arm 12, pile 1, and pontoon 2. After a disaster, the function can be restored by replacing only the energy dissipation components. Thus, the horizontal wave load on the pontoon 2 is not directly rigidly transmitted to the pile 1 by the guide restraint component 3, but passes through three stages in sequence between the guide arm 12 and the guide restraint component 3: normal guidance, elastic buffering, and ultimate energy dissipation. This reduces the concentrated damage to the main structure of the pile 1 and pontoon 2 caused by jamming or impact at the guide contact surface.

[0025] The interior of the pontoon 2 is divided into multiple independent chambers by longitudinal and transverse bulkheads. The independent chambers include the solid fixed ballast tank 7 located at the bottom and the adjustable liquid ballast tank 8 located above the solid fixed ballast tank 7, which together constitute a solid-liquid combined ballast system. The solid fixed ballast tank 7 is filled with heavy concrete and is equipped with a grid structure 9 to prevent the heavy concrete from shifting. The high-density material is used to lower the overall structural center of gravity of the pontoon 2, providing a stable ballast for the foundation. The grid structure 9 also prevents internal load shift when the pontoon 2 shakes. The adjustable liquid ballast tank 8 is divided into multiple independent watertight compartments. Each independent watertight compartment is connected to an independent injection and discharge system. The independent injection and discharge system is used to precisely adjust the buoyancy of the pontoon 2 on the construction site. By controlling the inflow and outflow of different watertight compartments, manufacturing errors or changes in seawater density in different sea areas can be offset on site, thereby achieving control of the roll, trim and total depth of immersion.

[0026] Specifically, this section primarily enhances the breakwater's survivability and operational stability through a layered energy storage-dissipation device and a compartmented combined counterweight system. The layered energy storage-dissipation device between the guide arm 12 and the guide restraint component 3 defines three progressive states: normal use, buffer protection, and extreme energy dissipation. This allows the breakwater to meet daily precision guidance needs while dissipating destructive impact energy during extreme storms through high-damping rubber blocks 18 and buckling restraint supports 19. Simultaneously, the counterweight system inside the pontoon 2, consisting of solid fixed ballast tanks 7 and adjustable liquid ballast tanks 8, combined with the grid 9 and an independent injection and discharge system, provides precise on-site leveling and draft control capabilities while ensuring consistent wave-damping performance, based on the stability of the bottom center of gravity.

[0027] Please see the appendix Figure 1 -Appendix Figure 7 The bottom of the pontoon 2 is also provided with a leak-proof compartment 10. The leak-proof compartment 10 is located below the solid fixed ballast tank 7. The leak-proof compartment 10 is used to provide reserve buoyancy and serve as a safety redundancy barrier at the bottom to prevent the upper ballast tank from being damaged and flooded in an extreme collision accident, causing the pontoon 2 to lose all buoyancy and sink. The surface of the pile 1 in the water level fluctuation zone is covered with an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheath 13. The high strength and extremely low surface energy of this material reduce the adhesion of sediment and marine organisms in the marine environment to the sliding working surface from the physical source. The guide constraint component 3, which is in contact with the pile 1, is made of nylon material with embedded solid lubricant. The ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheath 13 and the guide constraint component 3 together form a low surface energy, self-lubricating friction pair. Through the physical properties of the paired materials, the sliding friction coefficient of the contact interface is continuously reduced, ensuring smooth lifting and delaying component wear.

[0028] Specifically, this section mainly improves the long-term operational reliability of the breakwater from two dimensions: anti-sinking safety assurance and material-level drag reduction and anti-fouling. The leak-proof cavity 10 at the bottom of the pontoon 2 is located below the solid fixed ballast tank 7, forming a passive survival defense line in the event of buoy failure. At the same time, the self-lubricating friction pair formed by the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheath 13 on the surface of the pile 1 and the guide restraint component 3 replaces the traditional simple steel body contact, overcoming the engineering problem of easy wear and peeling of conventional anti-corrosion coatings in the marine environment, which leads to jamming, and ensuring the long-term smoothness and stability of the structure as it rises and falls with the waves.

[0029] Please see the appendix Figure 1 -Appendix Figure 7 The internal design of the float 2 is equipped with a wave-driven piston pump, which is connected to an accumulator. The float 2 utilizes the mechanical energy of the undulating waves to achieve independent power supply without an external power source. The upper and lower ports of the guide constraint component 3 are equipped with multi-layered flexible anti-siltation skirts, which physically block most of the suspended sediment from entering the sliding mechanism while allowing minor structural misalignment. Driven by the undulation of the float 2, the piston pump pressurizes the filtered seawater and stores it in the accumulator. The accumulator is connected to a pressure trigger valve. When the water pressure in the accumulator reaches the set threshold, the pressure trigger valve opens, allowing the pressurized seawater to pass through the micro nozzles set at the guide constraint member 3 to flush the contact point between the guide constraint member 3 and the pile 1 with positive pressure water flow. This forms a dual cleaning mechanism that combines physical interception and active high-pressure jet to remove infiltrated fine particles. A hydraulically damped, openable clamping mechanism is provided between the guide arm 12 and the pile 1. The openable clamping mechanism maintains a preset guide gap under normal conditions and maintains the guiding accuracy and stability required for the vertical movement of the pontoon 2 under normal wave conditions. The openable clamp mechanism is connected to a control system, sensors, and a hydraulic lock. The control system has a preset acceleration safety limit. When the external impact acceleration detected by the sensor exceeds the acceleration safety limit, the control system releases the hydraulic lock, causing the openable clamp mechanism to open instantly. This increases the clearance between the openable clamp mechanism and the pile 1, allowing the breakwater to avoid impacts from large floating objects by using space instead of rigid resistance, preventing structural fracture. The wave-driven piston pump, accumulator, multi-layered flexible anti-silt skirt, and micro-nozzles are used to maintain the cleanliness of the guide contact points. The openable clamp mechanism is used to release the rigid constraint between the guide arm 12 and the pile 1 under abnormal impact conditions. Both components ensure the long-term lifting and lowering operation of the pontoon 2 along the pile 1 from the aspects of anti-jamming and anti-impact.

[0030] Specifically, this section addresses the risks of severe siltation and impacts from large floating objects in complex marine environments by constructing a wave-powered self-supplied positive pressure flushing system and a dynamic gap adaptive mechanism. For siltation prevention and removal, a flexible anti-silt skirt provides external physical interception, while natural wave energy drives a piston pump and accumulator to flush the contact area between the guide restraint component 3 and the pile 1 via micro-nozzles, ensuring the breakwater operates smoothly and without jamming over the long term. For collision avoidance, an openable clamp mechanism located between the guide arm 12 and the pile 1, in conjunction with sensors, a control system, and a hydraulic lock, enables intelligent identification and instantaneous release to avoid dangerous impacts, mitigating the engineering contradiction of maintaining guidance restraint while potentially being damaged by hard impacts.

[0031] Working principle: First, in basic operation, the pontoon 2 floats on the water surface relying on the buoyancy provided by its internal enclosed chamber. During construction, installation, and operation, heavy concrete is filled into the solid fixed ballast tank 7 to lower the structural center of gravity of the pontoon 2. At the same time, seawater is injected into and discharged into the independent watertight compartments of the adjustable liquid ballast tank 8 using an independent injection and discharge system to adjust the pontoon 2's heel and yaw attitude and overall water depth. When the tide level changes, the pontoon 2 is lifted by the water surface, causing the guide arms 12 on both sides and the guide restraint components 3 to move along the fixed... The pile 1 on the seabed surface 20 can be raised and lowered freely in the vertical direction; since the draft of the pontoon 2 is kept constant by the ballast system, the wave-blocking section of the breakwater does not change with the rise and fall of the external tide, thus maintaining a consistent wave-dissipating capacity under different water level conditions; in this process, the solid fixed ballast tank 7, the adjustable liquid ballast tank 8 and the leak-proof empty tank 10 are used to maintain the stable floating state of the pontoon 2 and reserve buoyancy, and the guide arm 12, the guide restraint component 3 and the layered energy storage-dissipation device are used to disperse and dissipate the horizontal wave load while raising and lowering the guide. Secondly, during the daily raising and lowering of the pontoon 2, the anti-siltation and anti-jamming mechanism works simultaneously; the guide constraint component 3 restricts the horizontal displacement of the pontoon 2. When a roller-type guide structure is used, the three sets of vertical roller assemblies 4 roll purely on the surface of the pile 1, and the pre-tightening gap is adjusted by the eccentric shaft 11; when a clamp-type guide structure is used, which is installed alternatively to the roller-type guide structure, the wear of the non-metallic wear-resistant pad 15 is automatically compensated by the disc spring assembly 16; during this relative movement, when a roller-type guide structure is used, the annular scrapers 5 at both ends of the vertical roller assembly 4 physically scrape away marine organisms and silt from the surface of the pile 1; at the same time, the water flows through the funnel-shaped water guide and sand discharge hole 6 on the guide arm 12, and the accelerated jet is generated due to the change in cross-sectional area from large to small, which performs dynamic water flushing and sand discharge on the contact surface; in addition, the pontoon 2 is driven by waves. The generated undulating mechanical energy drives the piston pump to pressurize and store seawater in the accumulator. When the water pressure in the accumulator reaches a set threshold, the pressure trigger valve automatically opens, spraying intermittent high-energy positive pressure water flow through the micro-nozzle to the contact point between the guide constraint component 3 and the pile 1. The aforementioned mechanical scraping and water flow scouring, together with the low surface energy friction pair composed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheath 13 and self-lubricating nylon material, jointly maintain the smooth sliding of the guide system. Among them, the eccentric shaft 11 is used to maintain the pre-tightening gap between the roller assembly 4 and the pile 1, the annular scraper 5 is used to remove the adhering material on the surface of the pile 1 in the lifting direction, and the water guide and sand discharge hole 6 and the micro-nozzle respectively use passive water flow and positive pressure water flow to scour the same contact area, so that the guide contact area remains movable in the long-term marine environment. Furthermore, when encountering wave impacts of varying intensities, the layered energy storage and dissipation device responds sequentially according to set levels to protect structural safety. Under normal wave action, the roller guide mechanism of the normal service layer maintains stable and high-precision guidance. When the wave intensity increases and the pontoon 2 exhibits an uncontrollable horizontal displacement tendency, the impact load is transferred to the buffer layer. The high-damping rubber block 18 or the pre-compressed metal spring undergoes elastic deformation under pressure, absorbing wave kinetic energy and limiting the horizontal displacement amplitude of the pontoon 2. When encountering extreme storms or other conditions exceeding the absorption limit of the buffer layer, the buckling restraint support 19 or the high-strength tear-resistant steel plate of the ultimate energy dissipation layer... Activated, the enormous energy is irreversibly dissipated through the plastic deformation of the metal material, thereby cutting off the transmission path of the destructive load to the main body of the pile 1 and the pontoon 2; this layered response process allows the guide structure to have different stress states under three working conditions: normal lifting, impact buffering, and ultimate energy dissipation, avoiding the direct concentration of the horizontal impact load of the pontoon 2 on the contact position between the guide constraint member 3 and the pile 1; compared with the structure that simply uses the guide ring to sleeve the pile to achieve lifting guidance, the guide arm 12 in this embodiment not only undertakes the connection function, but also forms a graded unloading path for the horizontal wave load together with the layered energy storage-energy dissipation device; Finally, when facing the risk of impact from large floating objects and damage to the floating body, the breakwater relies on active avoidance and physical redundancy mechanisms to maintain its survivability. When the sensor detects that the external impact acceleration is greater than the acceleration safety limit preset by the control system, the control system triggers an action to release the hydraulic lock, causing the openable clamp mechanism with hydraulic damper to open instantly, increasing the avoidance gap between the guide structure and the pile 1, and releasing rigid impact stress to avoid structural fracture. At the same time, if the upper compartment of the pontoon 2 is damaged and flooded in an extreme accident, the leak-proof empty compartment 10 located below the solid fixed ballast tank 7 provides bottom reserve buoyancy to prevent the pontoon 2 from losing all buoyancy and sinking. Therefore, this embodiment maintains the guiding reliability and structural survivability of the breakwater in complex marine environments through a combination of adaptive water level raising and lowering, layered energy storage and dissipation, wave energy positive pressure flushing, and active avoidance.

Claims

1. A floating wave-damping breakwater that adapts to water level, characterized in that, include: At least one vertically fixed pile (1) to the seabed surface (20); A pontoon (2) has a closed internal chamber, and a guide arm (12) extending outward is provided on each side of the pontoon (2), and a guide constraint member (3) is installed at the end of the guide arm (12). The pontoon (2) is sleeved on the pile (1) by the guide constraint member (3), so that the pontoon (2) and the pile (1) form a slidable connection; The guiding constraint member (3) restricts the displacement of the pontoon (2) in the horizontal plane and allows the pontoon (2) to rise and fall vertically along the pile (1) as the design water level (21) changes; A layered energy storage and dissipation device is provided between the guide arm (12) and the guide constraint member (3). The layered energy storage and dissipation device is located on the force transmission path from the guide arm (12) to the guide constraint member (3) to transmit horizontal wave loads. The layered energy storage-energy consumption device includes a normal use layer, a buffer layer, and an extreme energy consumption layer connected in series. The normal use layer is a roller guide mechanism used to maintain the vertical guidance of the pontoon (2) along the pile (1); The buffer layer includes a high-damping rubber block (18) or a pre-compressed metal spring, used to absorb kinetic energy under wave impact and limit the displacement of the pontoon (2); The ultimate energy dissipation layer includes buckling restraint braces (19) or high-strength tear-resistant steel plates, used to dissipate impact energy through plastic deformation of the metallic material under extreme storm conditions.

2. The adaptive water level floating wave-damping breakwater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The roller guide mechanism includes three sets of vertical roller assemblies (4) evenly distributed around the pile (1) at 120° circumference, and the outer edge of each vertical roller assembly (4) rolls in contact with the surface of the pile (1). Each set of vertical roller assemblies (4) is mounted on the guide arm (12) via an eccentric shaft (11). The eccentric shaft (11) is used to adjust the pre-tightening gap between the outer edge of the vertical roller assembly (4) and the surface of the pile (1) by rotation. Each set of vertical roller assemblies (4) has an integrated annular scraper (5) at both the upper and lower ends, and the inner diameter of the annular scraper (5) matches the outer diameter of the pile (1). The guide arm (12) has a funnel-shaped water guide and sand discharge hole (6) at the position of the contact surface between the vertical roller assembly (4) and the pile (1). The water guide and sand discharge hole (6) has a large inlet and a small outlet.

3. The adaptive water level floating wave-damping breakwater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The normal use layer, the buffer layer and the ultimate energy dissipation layer are arranged sequentially along the direction of the guide arm (12) to transmit the horizontal wave load to the guide constraint member (3), so that the horizontal wave load on the pontoon (2) is transmitted to the pile (1) after passing through the vertical guide, elastic buffer and plastic energy dissipation in sequence.

4. A floating wave-damping breakwater with adaptive water level as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The pile (1) is covered with an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheath (13) on the surface of the water level fluctuation zone. The guide constraint member (3) in contact with the pile (1) is made of nylon material with embedded solid lubricant, and the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheath (13) together with the guide constraint member (3) constitutes a low surface energy-self-lubricating friction pair.

5. A floating wave-damping breakwater with adaptive water level as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The floating box (2) is internally designed with a wave energy driven piston pump, which is connected to an energy accumulator; the upper and lower ports of the guide constraint member (3) are equipped with multi-layered flexible anti-siltation skirts. The piston pump is driven by the undulation of the float (2) to pressurize and store the filtered seawater in the accumulator. The accumulator is connected to a pressure trigger valve. When the water pressure in the accumulator reaches a set threshold, the pressure trigger valve opens, so that the pressurized seawater is flushed intermittently with positive pressure water flow through the micro nozzle set at the guide constraint member (3) to the contact point between the guide constraint member (3) and the pile (1). The micro-nozzle is positioned toward the contact point between the guide constraint member (3) and the pile (1), and together with the multi-layered flexible anti-silt skirt, forms an external blocking and internal positive pressure flushing structure for the contact point.

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