Floating wave attenuating breakwater

Abstract

A floating wave attenuating breakwater(500,600,700) comprises: a wave baffle panel (150) having a first end (152) and a second end (154) opposite to said first end (152); an anchor (40) firmly secured to the underwater ground; and a mooring line (42) for tethering the first end (152) of the panel (150) to said anchor (40). The wave baffle panel (150) is constructed from a plurality of floating buoys (200, 200a) joined together by a reinforced structure (100) such that there are a number of openings (62) or through-holes (210) between the buoys (200, 200a). The wave baffle panel (150) further comprises at least one row of ballast weights (110) attached to said wave baffle panel (150) near said second end (154) proximate to the rear side(R), for adjusting inclination of the wave baffle panel (150) in accordance with height of the water surface level. The first end (152) of the panel (150) points downwards, while said second end (154) is high above the water surface level.

Description

[0001] TITLE OF INVENTION

[0002] FLOATING WAVE ATTENUATING BREAKWATER

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present invention is related to a field of engineering, especially relates to a floating wave attenuator breakwater.

[0005] BACKGROUND ART

[0006] At present, due to severely fluctuating of the global climate conditions, this results in increasingly severe climate change. This causes frequent severe storms or persistent droughts resulting in changes of water levels in rivers or seas, in some regions, rising significantly or falling unpredictably. This is a consequence of global climate change. Wave attenuation dams, therefore, play an important role in protecting coastlines and river banks from erosion by tidal waves and storm winds. In the past, cement, soil, construction debris, crushed stone, sand, rubber scraps or steel plates, etc., were piled up or landfilled as breakwaters in some needed areas to create barriers to prevent wave erosion along coastlines or river banks.

[0007] However, the construction of breakwater lines by such methods has a permanent or semi-permanent nature, making it rather difficult and time-consuming to move the breakwater lines, or extend them to be higher, or remove some of them to be lower according to the severity of the floods or changes in water levels. This might endanger passing ships that may collide with the breakwater crests, which are lower than the abnormally high rising water levels, or the breakwater crests may protrude above the water to an extent that obstructs visibility due to abnormally low water levels. Permanent breakwaters may therefore not be able to adequately respond to rapid changes of weather conditions.

[0008] Moreover, the side effects of constructing permanent wave attenuating breakwaters may also cause uncontrollable changes to the environmental landscape of the ground, banks, or mangrove forests in the neighboring areas. For example, in addition to blocking waves, the breakwaters also trap natural sand and sediment carried by the waves, preventing them from reaching the coastline in areas barricaded by the wave attenuators. This may cause sand spits to form in areas outside the breakwater lines, or lead to erosion on coastlines outside the breakwater protection, creating indented and irregular beaches that spoil the scenery and beauty, impacting tourist areas or aquatic culturing grounds. It may also unexpectedly cause whirlpools or changes in water current directions. This unavoidably impacts fishing activities, the livelihoods of humans, aquatic animals, and the surrounding ecosystems. The ability to adjust the size, relocate the position, or even dismantle the wave attenuating breakwaters has become increasingly important in dealing with current situations. For this reason, floating wave attenuating breakwaters are gaining more interest, as they are more flexible in terms of installation, size adjustment, position relocation, or even dismantling, which is easier and much faster compared to traditional permanent breakwaters.

[0009] Thai Patent Application Publication No. 18832 entitled "Easily Constructed and Assembled Water Breakwater" discloses a submersible breakwater constructed from a concrete frame with internal compartments divided into pockets to be filled with materials, such as stones, soil, gravel or sand. The assembly, installation and height adjustment of the breakwater is done by stacking the concrete frames on top of each other or arranging them side by side. However, the breakwater according to this patent application’s publication is semi-permanent in nature. Although relatively low cost, its heavyweight causes the relocating or adjusting the height of the breakwater is quite difficult as it requires large machinery and large labor forces in order to move it to new construction site.

[0010] Korean Patent No. KR 102289392 Bl entitled "Scattering Chamber Type Floating Breakwater using PE Multi-room Float and Balance Block" discloses a wave attenuating breakwater constructed from multiple polyethylene plastic floats. Each float unit of the multiple floats is stacked and secured together sideways with pins to form a large block structure extending sideways and vertically. On the topmost row of the float block, the uppermost floats have a plurality of inserting holes at the center to allow inserting therethrough by a shaft of a heavy concrete block that is placed on top of the topmost row of the float block. This secures the float blocks to the concrete blocks. The concrete blocks provide stability and maintain the appropriate floatation level for the wave attenuating floating breakwater. With this design, the breakwater is able to float due to the buoyancy force provided by the floats, while being weighted down by the concrete blocks on top. In operation, waves approaching the front of the breakwater will impact its front surface, while some waves can pass through the gap between the bottom of the floating breakwater and the seabed. Some of the impacting waves can also overtop the concrete blocks on top of the breakwater. The bottom of the breakwater is secured to the underwater ground using mooring lines, such as ropes, rubber strips, or slings attached to anchors or concrete piles firmly embedded in the seabed. This keeps the floating breakwater in a predetermined position and elevates its bottom end above the seabed, allowing some waves to passing underneath to be partially attenuated.

[0011] However, the wave attenuation breakwater according to the Korean patent having heavy concrete blocks placed on its top which makes transporting, relocating, and constructing the wave attenuation breakwater time-consuming and relatively difficult. Additionally, since this floating wave attenuation breakwater directly impacts waves at all times, the surface area at the front of the breakwater has a higher chance to be worn off more than other areas of the breakwater. There will be some maintenance costs for replacing damaged components after being use for some period of times.

[0012] German patent publication DE 199716484 Al discloses a wave attenuation breakwater comprising a number of concrete wave-blocking elements arranged with spacing between them to allow incoming waves to pass through the gaps. Each block is secured within a vertical and horizontal frame, oriented to face the incoming waves. The arrangement may have the blocks placed horizontally adjacent to each other, and the blocks may be stacked vertically to attenuate wave forces. The top of the frame is supported by a number of floating buoys, and the bottom is securely attached to an anchor driven firmly into the seabed, keeping the frame of the wave attenuation breakwater positioned and maintained below the water surface level.

[0013] However, the wave attenuation breakwater disclosed in that publication still has a drawback in that it cannot protect against the surface waves, since the structure is maintained below the water surface. This means that waves at the surface level, which have greater force than waves below the surface, are not attenuated. The waves can still flow over the breakwater and cause damage to the coastline.

[0014] Korean patent application publication No. KR20110069408A entitled "Floating Type Breakwater" discloses a floating wave attenuation breakwater comprising two main parts. The lower part has the form of a floating block with an internal air chamber that allows it to float and the lower part is fully submerged under water. The bottom of the block is secured by anchors. The upper part is the wave energy attenuation section, with some portions extending above the water surface. There are two uprising wave-blocking plates with a plurality of holes or openings in the first plate as an entrance of the incoming waves, and a plurality of holes or openings in the second plate being disposed parallel to the first plate for the exit of the waves. There is also an upper cover plate placed on top of the two wave-blocking plates. The surface waves, which contain the highest energy, will flow through the openings in the first wave-blocking plate toward the second waveblocking plate, where their energy is attenuated.

[0015] However, the wave attenuation breakwater disclosed in said publication is in the form of a single large floating body. If the structure of the floating body is damaged, the entire unit is needed to be replaced, resulting in relatively high maintenance costs. Additionally, this breakwater can effectively protect against waves only close to the surface level. Waves can still pass under the breakwater and erode the coastline. Furthermore, the height of the portion above the water surface cannot be suitably adjusted according to changes in the water level, such as during high or low tides.

[0016] Chinese patent application publication No. CN 116289750 A entitled "Bottom- Sitting Type Breakwater Capable of Being Transported In Floating Mode" discloses a floating transportable wave attenuation breakwater comprising a floating base section and a wave attenuation section installed on the floating base section. The wave attenuation section includes a wave attenuation panel with a large number of vertical perforations for wave absorption. Multiple wave attenuation panels are stacked in layers with vertical spacing and connected to the base section by legs. The base section is submerged under the water to stand on the underwater floor during usage, or may be made buoyant when it is needed to be transported to another location. However, this wave attenuation breakwater cannot float during operation, so the height of the portion above the water surface cannot be suitably adjusted when the water level changes due to high or low tides. Additionally, waves directly impact the front area, where the perforations in the wave attenuation panels do not aid in attenuating wave forces, but rather allow drainage of water accumulated on top of the breakwater, providing wave attenuation performance similar to a conventional stone-piled breakwater.

[0017] German patent no. DE 2140187 discloses a floating wave attenuation device having a flat panel shape, divided into two continuous sections. The first panel section is inclined and submerged under water to receive the waves, while the second panel section floats parallel to the water surface. Both panel sections have a number of floating buoys to help maintain them in the proper position. The device is anchored in place by ropes tied to anchors embedded in the underwater ground.

[0018] However, the aforementioned floating wave attenuation device comprises a wave baffle panel that is inclined at a fixed angle which cannot be adjusted. The top of the single panel is flat. Surface waves and incoming waves that impact the panel can easily flow over it, resulting in low wave attenuation efficiency. Additionally, the wave baffle panel receives the waves directly, making it susceptible to damage. Replacing a damaged panel requires changing the entire wave baffle panel, resulting in relatively high costs. Moreover, sediments carried by the waves will be trapped, preventing sand from being deposited and naturally replenishing the shoreline area behind the wave attenuator. This could lead to scouring and erosion of the shoreline area behind the device.

[0019] Chinese patent application publication No. CN 105421290 A entitled “Dual -Body Floating Type Wave Suppressor Additionally Provided With Horizontal Plates” discloses a floating type breakwater in a box form having a wave baffle panel and a porous bottom side made from a porous sheet to attenuate the waves. Inside of the box is divided into compartments having air boxes that allows the box to float in water. The box is tethered to an anchor at the underwater floor in order to control the breakwater into the desired position.

[0020] However, the breakwater disclosed in the publication has a form of a box made of solid plates with a porous front and bottom to attenuate the energy of the impacting waves. Therefore, its size is fixed and make the expanding or reducing the size of the breakwater sideways or in depth is quite difficult.

[0021] United States Patent US 9,340,940 B2, entitled "Floating breakwater," discloses a floating type breakwater that consists of floating buoys tethered to the underwater floor. Underneath of the floating buoys is provided with at least one baffle panel which has been arranged to be submerged at a predetermined depth to attenuate wave energy. The panels are arranged with pores scattered throughout the panel to reduce the impact force of the waves.

[0022] However, disassembling or assembling such floating wave attenuating breakwater for resizing or relocation can be quite challenging. Additionally, the baffle panels are prone to wear and tear due to direct wave impacts over time, necessitating maintenance or replacement after being used for a certain period of time. United States Patent US 10,550,534 Bl, entitled "Method for Damping Ocean Waves in a Coastal Area," discloses a method for arranging a number of wave baffle panels to reduce wave energy. These panels are securely anchored to underwater floor with some parts protruding from the water. Each panel is placed vertically, at a specified distance from each other. The number of the baffle panels and percentage of porosity calculated from the area of the pores per total area of the wave baffle panels are determined so that wave attenuation efficiency will be maximized.

[0023] However, due to the wave baffle panels being secured in place vertically, the installation or relocation of the wave baffle panels is quite challenging. Additionally, adjusting the height of the wave baffle panels at the portion above the water surface in related to the changes of water levels is difficult. Moreover, since each wave baffle panel directly encounters waves, they experience relatively high rates of erosion, necessitating periodic maintenance or replacement. This results in high maintenance costs.

[0024] SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0025] Given the aforementioned problems, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a floating wave attenuating breakwater that can be easily and quickly installed. Additionally, the floating wave attenuating breakwater can be easily added, reduced, or extended in both height and width directions. The floating wave attenuating breakwater is also conveniently transported to new location and capable of self-adjusting the height of the protruding above the water portion of the floating wave attenuating breakwater in responds to varying height of water. Furthermore, maintenance or repairing can be easily made by replacing only the damaged parts.

[0026] The floating wave attenuating breakwater according to the invention, comprises a wave baffle panel having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end; an anchor firmly which is secured to the underwater ground at a predetermined position; and a mooring line for tethering the first end of the wave baffle panel to the pile to maintain the wave baffle panel in a predetermined position. Said wave baffle panel is constructed from a plurality of floating buoys joined together by a reinforced structure such that there are a number of openings between said floating buoys, or there are at least one through-hole extending through the body of said floating buoys, so that parts of the incoming waves impacting with the front side of the wave baffle panel flow pass through said openings and / or said through -holes to the rear side of said wave baffle panel (150), thereby partially atenuating and reducing the wave velocity. Meanwhile, some of the sediments carried by the waves falls downward and is carried further and accumulates in the coastal area behind the wave baffle panel, helping to partially mitigate coastal erosion. The first end of said wave baffle panel points downwards, while the second of the wave baffle panel end is left free and positioned to be above the water surface level. The wave baffle panel further comprises at least one row of ballast weights atached to the wave baffle panel in a region near the second end proximate to the rear side of said wave baffle panel for adjusting the wave baffle panel to a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, thereby being able to automatically adjust the angle and the height of the exposed above the water portion of the wave baffle panel according to the changing water level.

[0027] By providing a floating wave baffle panel, and fixing one side of the wave baffle panel to an anchor that is firmly fixed to the underwater ground with a mooring line, the wave atenuating breakwater according to the present invention, can be easily installed or dismantled, and relocated.

[0028] Furthermore, by providing the row(s) of ballast weights to the rear of said wave baffle panel, this allows the user to adjust buoyancy of the wave baffle panel in order to increase or decrease the buoyancy as desired. This in turn adjusts the height of the portion projecting above the water surface and the angle of inclination of the wave baffle panel, raising or lowering it in response to condition or intensity of waves. The ballast weights thus help adjust the height of the exposed end and the inclination angle of the wave baffle panel to remain optimized at all times.

[0029] Additionally, because the wave baffle panel is constructed from a plurality of floating buoys interconnected in a modular form with a reinforced structure, therefore, the wave atenuating breakwater can be extended, added to, or reduced in size as desired by the user. For maintenance, the user can also replace only the damaged floating buoys, allowing an easy and low-cost maintenance. Furthermore, the evenly distributed through- holes across the wave baffle panel help dissipate the force of incoming waves striking the panel, thereby reducing potential damage to the baffle panel itself.

[0030] In addition, the wave baffle panel assembled from a plurality of floating buoys may be arranged in a rectangular plate-like configuration, arranged in rows or layers, and joined together by a reinforced structure. This allows the user to increase or decrease the height and width dimensions of the wave baffle panel as needed for a particular application.

[0031] Moreover, the wave baffle panel comprising at least one row of the ballast weights may be inclined at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal during use.

[0032] Adjusting the wave baffle panel to incline at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane helps dissipate the force of incoming waves striking the wave baffle panel, thereby reducing potential damage to the wave baffle panel.

[0033] Furthermore, at least one row of the ballast weights may be constructed from buoys fdled with water or a material denser than water, such as sand or concrete etc., to add weight and adjust the inclination angle of the wave baffle panel with respect to the horizontal plane as desired. Increasing the weight of the rear ballast row causes the panel to tilt at a lower angle to the horizontal plane (i.e. the wave baffle panel will have a lower slope, allowing more waves to pass over the panel). In addition, during operation, the second end of the wave baffle panel protrudes above the water surface, with this exposed portion helping prevent wave crests from reaching the shoreline.

[0034] Additionally, the floating buoys used to construct wave baffle panels may be made from materials such as rubber, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, or nylon, either individually or in combination, which are strong and resistant to corrosion from seawater.

[0035] Advantageously, some of these floating buoys assembled into wave baffle panels may be filled with water or materials denser than water, such as sand or concrete, inside their closed bodies. This allows adjusting the buoyancy force of the wave baffle panels as desired.

[0036] Furthermore, a plurality of wave baffle panels of the floating wave attenuating breakwater according to the invention may be arranged alternatively in a zigzag-like pattern. Each of the plurality of wave baffle panels may be arranged with its front substantially facing against a direction of the incoming waves running toward the coastline to be protected. Providing this configuration creates gaps between each wave baffle panel, which will allow small boats to more conveniently pass through the gaps between the rows of wave baffle panels when traveling between the sea and the coastline. At the same time, it still maintains the ability to prevent coastal erosion. The foregoing and other objectives and features of this invention will become more clearly apparent from the following detail description of this invention when taken in to consideration in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0037] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0038] Figs.1 A and IB are top and side views of one embodiment of a wave attenuating breakwater 500 according to this invention, respectively.

[0039] Fig.2 shows a perspective view of the wave attenuating breakwater 500 of Fig.1 A and IB.

[0040] Fig.3 shows details of a floating buoy 200 and a reinforced structure 100.

[0041] Fig.4 shows one example of a wave attenuating breakwater 500 in another embodiment, where the wave attenuating breakwater comprised a wave baffle panel 150 assembled from multiple floating buoys 200 into a 6-row by 6-column panel.

[0042] Figs.5 A - 5E show the operating configuration, where the wave baffle panel 150 is tilted at angles of 0 degrees, 5 degrees, 15 degrees, 25 degrees, and 35 degrees from the horizontal plane, respectively.

[0043] Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a wave attenuating breakwater 600 according to this invention.

[0044] Fig.7 is a two-dimensional side view in the direction of arrow A in Fig.6.

[0045] Fig.8 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the wave attenuating breakwater 700 according to the invention.

[0046] Fig.9 shows the floating buoy 200a used with the wave attenuating breakwater 700 in Fig.8.

[0047] Fig.10 is a top view showing an example of using the wave attenuating breakwaters 500, 600 according to the invention.

[0048] DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0049] The description of the present invention is given by way of exemplary embodiments of this invention with reference to drawings in order to be examples and assist in more clearly description, in which like elements in these drawings are identified by like reference numerals. While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, they are not intended to limit this invention, and the scope of this invention is defined in the appended claims. Figs.1 A and IB show a top view and side view, respectively, of one embodiment of the wave attenuating breakwater 500 according to this invention. Fig.2 shows a perspective view of the wave attenuating breakwater 500 from Fig.lA and IB.

[0050] According to Figs. lA and IB, the floating wave attenuating breakwater 500 comprises a wave baffle panel 150 having the first end 152 and the second end 154 opposite to said first end 152. An anchor 40 is firmly secured to the underwater ground E at a predetermined position, and a mooring line 42 connects the first end 152 of the wave baffle panel 150 to the anchor 40 to maintain the wave baffle panel 150 in the predetermined position.

[0051] The anchor 40 may be made of a concrete block, reinforced concrete pile, wooden pile, or steel pile that is embedded deeply into the underwater ground E at an appropriate depth, for example, 5 to 10 meters, down to a dense rock layer to serve as a foundation for securely anchoring the floating wave attenuating breakwater by tying the mooring line 42 between the first end 152 of the wave baffle panel 150 and the anchor 40. The anchor 40 will have a loop or ring for attaching the mooring line 42, which may be made of material such as rope, nylon line, chain or sling corrosion-resistant metal etc.

[0052] According to Figs. 1A and IB, the wave baffle panel 150 is constructed from a number of floating buoys 200 that are secured together with a reinforced structure 100, in a configuration that provides at least one through-hole 210 extending through the bodies of the floating buoys. The wave baffle panel 150 shown in Fig. l is constructed from floating buoys arranged in 6 rows (horizontally) and stacked in 1 column (vertically), firmly secured together by the reinforced structure 100. The reinforced structure 100 will be described in more detail later.

[0053] Additionally, the wave baffle panel 150 further comprises at least one row of ballast weights 110. According to Figs. 1A, IB, and Fig. 2, at least one row of the ballast weights 110 is secured to the wave baffle panel 150 in an area near the second end 154 at the rear side R of the wave baffle panel 150. The row(s) of ballast weights 110 are installed to adjust the inclination angle of the wave baffle panel to a suitable slope, such as approximately 30-60 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. This is performed by adjusting the number of rows of ballast weights 110 or by adjusting the installation position of the row(s) of ballast weights 110. For example, if the row(s) of ballast weights 110 are positioned closer to the second end 154, the inclination angle of the wave baffle panel with respect to the horizontal plane increases accordingly. The mass of the row(s) of ballast weights 110 pulls the wave baffle panel 150 downwards against the buoyancy force of the wave baffle panel 150 that tries to push the panel upright, making it steeper. Therefore, increasing the mass of the row(s) of ballast weights 110 or moving the row(s) towards the second end 154 causes the wave baffle panel 150 to tilt down and become less steep with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0054] As shown in Fig.2, the row(s) of ballast weights 110 may be constructed from a number of floating buoys 200 (shown in Fig.3) that are filled inside with water or materials denser than water, such as sand or concrete, in order to adjust the inclination angle of the wave baffle panel 150 with respect to the horizontal plane as desired. If the row(s) of ballast weights 110 are weighted too heavily, it will cause the wave baffle panel 150 to tilt so flat that the second end 154 becomes submerged below the water surface. Conversely, if the row(s) of ballast weights 110 are weighted too lightly, it will cause the wave baffle panel 150 to be so much steeply inclined that the second end 154 protrudes excessively above the water surface level.

[0055] However, it should be well understood that the row(s) of ballast weights 110 are not limited solely to the configurations described above. The row(s) of ballast weights 110 may be further constructed from other materials such as concrete slabs. Additionally, the row(s) of ballast weights 110 may be also attached by tying to the rear side of the wave baffle panel 150.

[0056] During operation, said at least one row of the ballast weights 110 will function in adjusting the wave baffle panel 150 to incline at a certain angle between 0 and 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. Preferably, this angle should be within the range of 30 to 60 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, and more preferably, the inclination angle should be 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0057] With reference to Fig.3, which illustrates details of two floating buoys 200 installed in a stacked configuration and a reinforced structure 100, each of the floating buoys 200 comprises a hollow closed body 205, allowing the wave baffle panel to float and at least one through -hole 210 extending from one side of the closed body 205 to the opposite side, penetrating through the closed body 205 while still enabling the closed body 205 to float without leaking of air inside. According to Fig.3, the floating buoy 200 comprises an upper surface, a lower surface, and side surfaces connecting the circumference of the upper surface to the lower surface of the floating buoy 200. The upper and lower surfaces of the floating buoy 200 have a number of grooves 202 for installing the reinforced structure 100 on the upper and lower surfaces of the floating buoy 200. Each groove 202 extends from the midpoint of one edge of the floating buoy 200, passing through the center of the floating buoy 200, to the midpoint of the opposite edge of the floating buoy 200. The grooves 202 will be sized and have sufficient depth to accommodate rebar 12 within the groove 202 without the top of the rebar 12 protruding above the groove 202 on the upper and lower surfaces of the floating buoy 200, which could cause tripping. For example, if the rebar 12 has a diameter of 1 inch, the groove 202 should be deeper than 1 inch. Threaded studs 14 may be encased with sleeves 13 made of a material softer than steel, such as plastic or rubber, to reduce wear from direct contact between the threaded studs 14 and the floating buoy 200, which could damage the floating buoy 200. The rebar 12 may be made of a non-corrosive metal rod or rigid plastic such as nylon, and have sufficient length to span across to connect a number of the floating buoys 200 together.

[0058] The floating buoy 200 may be constructed from materials such as rubber, high- density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, or nylon, either individually or in combination, which are sturdy materials resistant to corrosion from seawater. Furthermore, the floating buoy 200 may also be coated externally with an ultraviolet (UV) protective layer to prevent material degradation from UV radiation under operating conditions.

[0059] According to Fig.3, each floating buoy 200 comprises a through-hole 210 extending vertically from the upper surface to the lower surface in the central area of the floating buoy 200. When the individual floating buoys 200 are assembled into a wave baffle panel, the through-holes 210 will extend from the front face to the rear face of the wave baffle panel. A number of these through-holes 210 are distributed evenly across the surface of the wave baffle panel 150, such that a portion of the incoming waves impacting the front of the wave baffle panel can pass through the through-holes 210 to the rear side. Meanwhile, the remaining portion of the waves impacting the wave baffle panel with greater force will flow over the top of the wave baffle panel 150 towards the rear side, dissipating wave energy. A fraction of the sediment carried by the waves W will settle and accumulate in the coastal area behind the wave baffle panel 150, as illustrated in Fig.5D. Furthermore, the threaded studs 14, which are part of the reinforcing structure 100, can also be inserted through the through-holes 210 of each of the adjacent floating buoys 200 in order to securely connect each floating buoy 200 to the next adjacent floating buoy 200, joining the two floating buoys tightly together in a side-by-side configuration.

[0060] During operation, the wave baffle panel 150 will be positioned with its front face F oriented against the direction of the incoming waves W impacting the wave baffle panel 150 (please refer to Fig.5D). The first end 152 of the wave baffle panel 150 points downwards, while the second end 154 of the wave baffle panel 150 is left unrestrained, with the second end 154 significantly elevated above the water surface level. During operation, the second end 154 of the wave baffle panel 150 should protrude above the water level, and it is advisable to install audible or visible light signals that can be detected from a distance. This is to prevent potential accidents involving vessels transiting the area from colliding with any part of the wave attenuating breakwater 500.

[0061] Additionally, a number of floating buoys 200 of the wave baffle panel 150 may be arranged in a stacked rectangular configuration with more than one layer. This allows the wave baffle panel 150 to have increased strength. At least one of the through-holes 210 in each layer of the floating buoys 200 will be aligned vertically from the front face F to the rear face R of the wave baffle panel 150. This permits waves to pass through the through- holes 210 across the wave baffle panel 150.

[0062] Fig.4 illustrates another embodiment of the wave attenuating breakwater 500, wherein the wave attenuating breakwater 500 comprises a wave baffle panel 150 constructed from a number of floating buoys 200 arranged in a 6-row by 6-column array.

[0063] In general speaking, the wave baffle panel 150 is constructed as a rectangular panel with a number of floating buoys 200 arranged in an array comprising multiple rows and at least one column stacked in at least one layer, as required for the application. For example, if the floating buoys 200 have dimensions of 120 x 120 cm and a buoyancy force of approximately 340 kg / m2, the wave baffle panel shown in Fig.4 would have dimensions of 7.2 x 7.2 m and a buoyancy force of approximately 17,625.6 kg. In the design, the anchors 40 and mooring lines 42 must be designed and selected from materials capable of withstanding the combined buoyancy force of the floating buoys 200 and the wave impact forces to prevent the anchors 40 from dislodging from their foundations or the mooring lines 42 from breaking due to excessive tensile forces. Additionally, in the event of severe wave conditions where it is necessary to increase weight to the wave attenuating breakwater, users can add weight to the wave baffle panel 150 by filling a portion of the floating buoys 200, for example approximately 5% to 30% or more of the total floating buoys 200, with water or denser materials inside the closed body of the selected floating buoys 200. This adjusts and reduces the overall buoyancy force of the wave baffle panel 150 to an appropriate level. Furthermore, adding weight also increases the stability of the wave attenuating breakwater 500, enhancing its ability to withstand wave impact forces.

[0064] Figs.5A - 5E show the operating configuration, where the wave baffle panel 150 is tilted at angles of 0 degrees, 5 degrees, 15 degrees, 25 degrees, and 35 degrees from the horizontal plane, respectively.

[0065] The wave baffle panel 150 will tilt at a greater angle when the waves are stronger, allowing more waves to pass over the wave baffle panel 150 towards the shoreline.

[0066] Similarly, if the water level rises, for example, in Fig.5D the water level is at height hl, while in Fig.5E the water level is at the higher height h2. In Fig.5D, the wave baffle panel 150 has a tilt angle of 25 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, and in Fig.5E, the wave baffle panel 150 has a tilt angle of 35 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. That is, the wave baffle panel 150 can adjust its tilt angle according to the water level by itself. In summary, when the water level changes, the wave baffle panel 150 of this wave attenuating breakwater 500 according to this invention will be able to automatically adjust the height of the exposed portion of the wave baffle panel 150 above the water by adjusting the angle and height of the end of the wave baffle panel 150 according to the changing water level. This is achieved with a row of ballast weights 110 that functions to adjust the tilt angle of the wave baffle panel 150. Since the wave baffle panel 150 is subjected to the buoyant force of the floating buoys 200 that make up the wave baffle panel 150, causing it to float vertically upwards, combined with the resistance force of wave W and the weight of the row of ballast weights 110, which preferably should be filled with water to balance and prevent the wave baffle panel 150 from excessively rising up. According to Figs.5A- 5E, it can be noticed that the row of ballast weights 110 will always be substantially at the water surface level, regardless of the height of water level. This causes the wave baffle panel 150 to be at an angle with respect to the incoming wave direction, with the second end 154 always remaining above the water surface. This prevents the wave baffle panel 150 from directly perpendicularly impact with the waves, thereby reducing damage to the wave baffle panel from the wave impact. Therefore, this wave attenuating breakwater according to the invention is more effective at preventing waves compared to conventional permanent wave attenuating breakwater made of cement or soil, which have a fixed height.

[0067] However, in practical use, the user should be aware that the length of the wave baffle panel 150 from the first end 152 to the second end 154 should be determined appropriately so that the vertical height d measured from the second end 154 to the underwater ground level E (see Fig.5E) during operation of the wave baffle panel 150 is always greater than the maximum water level in the area of deployment of the breakwater in order to keep the second end 154 exposed above the water surface. Otherwise, if the second end 154 of the wave baffle panel 150 is submerged under water during operation, it may cause the wave baffle panel 150 unable to effectively attenuating the incoming waves.

[0068] Next, the floating wave attenuating breakwater in another embodiment of the invention will be described.

[0069] Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a wave attenuating breakwater 600 according to this invention and Fig.7 is a two-dimensional side view in the direction of arrow A in Fig.6.

[0070] The floating wave attenuating breakwater 600 according to this appearance has parts that are largely similar to the previous embodiment, so the details of those similar parts will not be explained again.

[0071] According to Fig.6, the floating wave attenuating breakwater 600 comprises a wave baffle panel 150 having the first end 152 and the second end 154 opposite to the first end 152, anchors 40 securely attached to the underwater ground E at predetermined positions, and mooring lines 42 for connecting the first end 152 of the wave baffle panel 150 to the anchors 40, in order to maintain the wave baffle panel 150 in the predetermined position.

[0072] As shown in Figs.6 and 7, the wave baffle panel 150 is constructed from a number of floating buoys 200 connected together by reinforced structures 100 in a block-like manner, arranged such that there are a number of openings 62 between the rows of floating buoys 200 at predetermined positions. Each floating buoy comprises a hollow closed body 205, allowing the wave baffle panel to float. The wave baffle panel 150 is provided with a number of openings 62 interspersed between the rows formed by the wave baffle panels 150. In such applications when the wave baffle panel 150 is arranged with its front face F facing against the incoming direction of waves W impacting the wave baffle panel 150, and the first end 152 of the wave baffle panel 150 points downwards while the second end 154 of the wave baffle panel 150 is left free, with the second end 154 significantly higher than the water surface level.

[0073] In other words, a plurality of openings 62 will extend through from the front face F of the wave baffle panel 150 to the rear face R of the wave baffle panel 150, so that a portion of the incoming waves W impacting the front region F of the wave baffle panel 150 will move through those openings 62 to the rear region R of the wave baffle panel 150, while the remaining portion of the incoming waves W impacting the wave baffle panel 150 will flow over the second end 154 of the wave baffle panel 150 towards the rear R of the wave baffle panel 150.

[0074] The floating wave attenuating breakwater 600 may be additionally provided with at least one row of ballast weights 110, where the at least one row of ballast weights 110 is attached via reinforced structures 100 to the wave baffle panel 150 in a region near the second end 154 at the rear region R of the wave baffle panel 150, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

[0075] The at least one row of ballast weights 110 is constructed from floating buoys 200 in the manner described previously, in order to adjust the wave baffle panel 150 to a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0076] Next, another embodiment of the floating wave attenuating breakwater according to the invention will be described.

[0077] Fig.8 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the wave attenuating breakwater 700 according to the invention. Fig.9 shows the floating buoy 200a used with the wave attenuating breakwater 700 in Fig.8.

[0078] The wave attenuating breakwater 700 according to this appearance has parts that are largely similar to the previous embodiment, so the details of those similar parts will not be explained again.

[0079] According to Fig.8, the floating wave attenuating breakwater 700 comprises a wave baffle panel 150 having a first end 152 and a second end 154 opposite to the first end 152, piles 40 securely anchored to the underwater ground at predetermined positions, and mooring lines 42 for connecting the first end 152 of the wave baffle panel 150 to the anchors 40, in order to maintain the wave baffle panel 150 in the predetermined position. As shown in Fig.8, the wave baffle panel 150 is constructed from a number of floating buoys 200a arranged in rows and fastened together by reinforced structures 100 in a large panel or block-like manner, with a number of openings 62 between the rows of floating buoys 200a at predetermined positions. The wave baffle panel 150 is provided with a number of openings 62 interspersed between the rows formed by the wave baffle panels 150, so that in use, when the wave baffle panel 150 is arranged with its front face F facing against the incoming direction of waves W impacting the wave baffle panel 150, and the first end 152 of the wave baffle panel 150 points downwards while the second end 154 of the wave baffle panel 150 is left free, with the second end 154 significantly higher than the water surface level. In other words, a number of openings 62 will extend through from the front face F of the wave baffle panel 150 to the rear face R of the wave baffle panel 150, so that a portion of the incoming waves W impacting the front region F of the wave baffle panel 150 will move through those openings 62 to the rear side R of the wave baffle panel 150, while the remaining portion of the incoming waves W impacting the wave baffle panel 150 will flow over the second end 154 of the wave baffle panel 150 towards the rear R of the wave baffle panel 150, helping to reduce the impact force of the waves W, thereby reducing potential damage to the wave baffle panel 150.

[0080] According to Fig.9, each floating buoy 200a has an elongated external shape in a single long piece, or may be assembled from multiple shorter pieces joined together. Each comprises a hollow closed body 205 filled with gas, air, or materials lighter than water such as foam. The end portions of the body 205 of each floating buoy 200a will be sealed, for example they may be sealed with end covers 206 to prevent air leakage. When the floating buoys 200a are assembled and joined together with the reinforced structures 100 to form the wave baffle panel 150, this allows the panel to float on water.

[0081] According to Fig.9, the floating buoys 200a have a square cross-sectional shape. The floating buoys 200a may be constructed from strong, corrosion-resistant material such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or aluminum etc., by extruding them through a die extrusion in an extrusion machine to form elongated hollow pieces of the desired length. The cross-sectional shape of the closed body 205 has a circular inner portion surrounded by a square outer portion (see the cross-section along plane A-A in Fig.9).

[0082] At each of the four comers of the square cross-section, a number of holes 207 will be drilled for installing with fasteners (see Fig.8) to secure the rebar rods that form the reinforced structure 100. The fasteners may be in the form of eye plates through which the rebar rods will be inserted. Each eye plate has an eye on a flange which will be attached with bolts or rivets to the surface of the floating buoy 200a. The reinforced structure 100 will be attached transversely, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the floating buoys 200a, securely joining each floating buoy 200a together with bolts or rivets (details not shown). The holes 207 are drilled through the outer shell of the closed body 205, but must not penetrate the inner circular portion of the buoy body 205 which is a hollow cylindrical air-filled section, in order to prevent leakage of the floating buoys 200a.

[0083] In this embodiment of the invention, the wave baffle panel 150 additionally comprises at least one row of ballast weights 110. At least one row of the ballast weights 110 is constructed from floating buoys 200a whose interiors are filled with water or materials denser than water, in a similar manner as described above.

[0084] At least one row of the ballast weights 110 will be attached to the wave baffle panel 150 in the region near the second end 154 at the rear region R of the wave baffle panel 150. The row(s) of ballast weights 110 are installed to adjust the tilt angle of the wave baffle panel to the desired inclination.

[0085] As shown in Fig. 10, which is a top view illustrating an example usage of the wave attenuating breakwater according to the invention, a number of wave baffle panels 150 of the floating wave attenuating breakwaters 500, 600, or 700 may be alternatively arranged in a zigzag -like pattern. The ends of the wave baffle panels 150 will protrude above the water surface, with gaps between each wave baffle panel 150. Each wave baffle panel 150 of the multiple panels may be arranged with its front side F substantially facing against the direction of the incoming waves W towards the coastline C to be protected. This configuration will provide gaps between each wave baffle panel 150 which allows small vessels to pass through the gaps between the panels to travel between the sea and the coastline, while still maintaining the ability to prevent coastal erosion.

[0086] As described earlier, it is evident that the floating wave attenuating breakwater, according to the present invention can be easily and quickly installed. Users can easily add, reduce, or extend in both height and width directions. Moreover, it can be conveniently moved to different positions, and the height of the protruding above the water portion of the floating wave attenuating breakwater can be adjusted automatically to match varying water levels as desired. Additionally, it's simple to conduct maintenance or repair by easily replacing only the damaged parts.

[0087] Although this invention has been described in details using the accompanying drawings as examples, it is understood that modifications or alterations by those having ordinary skill in the relating arts, while still falling within the scopes and objectives of the invention, may be made. The scope of this invention shall be in accordance with the features of the invention specified in the appended claims, and shall also cover features of the invention not specifically stated in the claims, but which are useful and provide the similar results as those specified in the claims.

[0088] LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0089] 12 rebar,

[0090] 13 sleeve,

[0091] 14 threaded stud,

[0092] 40 anchor,

[0093] 42 mooring line (rope, sling or chain),

[0094] 62 openings,

[0095] 100 reinforced structure,

[0096] 110 row of ballast weights,

[0097] 150 wave baffle panel,

[0098] 152 the first end,

[0099] 154 the second end,

[0100] 200, 200a floating buoy ,

[0101] 202 groove,

[0102] 205 closed body,

[0103] 206 end cover,

[0104] 207 mounting holes,

[0105] 210 through-hole (at the center of floating buoy 200),

[0106] 500 floating wave attenuating breakwater,

[0107] 600 floating wave attenuating breakwater,

[0108] 700 floating wave attenuating breakwater,

[0109] C Beach, bank,

[0110] E underwater ground,

[0111] F Front side of wave baffle panel , R Rear side of wave baffle panel,

[0112] W Wave,

[0113] S Sea, river.

[0114] BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The best mode for implementing the invention has been already described in the section “Disclosure of Invention” above.

Claims

CLAIMS1. The floating wave attenuating breakwater (500, 600, 700) comprising: a wave baffle panels (150) having a first end (152) and a second end (154) opposite to said first end (152); an anchor (40) firmly secured to the underwater ground (E) at a predetermined position; and a mooring line (42) for tethering the first end (152) of said wave baffle panel (150) to said anchor (40) to maintain the wave baffle panel (150) in a predetermined position, characterized in that said wave baffle panel (150) being constructed from a plurality of floating buoys (200, 200a) that are joined together by a reinforced structure (100) such that there are a number of openings (62) between said floating buoys (200, 200a), or there are at least one through-hole (210) extending through the body of said floating buoys, so that parts of the incoming waves (W) impacting with the front side of the wave baffle panel (150) flow pass through said openings (62) and / or said through-holes (210) to the rear side (R) of said wave baffle panel (150), thereby partially attenuating the forces of the waves (W), and wherein the first end (152) of said wave baffle panel (150) points downwards, while the second end (154) of said wave baffle plate (150) is left free, wherein said second end (154) is high above the water surface level, wherein said wave baffle panel (150) comprising at least one row of ballast weights (110), wherein said at least one row of said ballast weights (110) being attached to said wave baffle panel (150) in a region near said second end (154) proximate to the rear side (R) of said wave baffle panel for adjusting the wave baffle panel (150) to a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, thereby being able to automatically adjust the angle and the height of the exposed above the water portion of the wave baffle panel (150) according to the changing water level.

2. The floating wave attenuation breakwater (500, 600, 700) according to claim 1, wherein the wave baffle panel (150) is constructed from a plurality of floating buoys (200, 200a) being arranged in a rectangular plate-like configuration, which are arranged in rows or layers, and joined together by a reinforced structure (100).

3. The floating wave attenuation breakwater (500, 600, 700) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wave baffle panel (150) comprising said at least one row of ballast weights (110) is inclined at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane during use.

4. The floating wave attenuation breakwater (500, 600, 700) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one row of ballast weights (110) is constructed from floating buoys (200, 200a) filled with water or a material denser than water for adjusting inclination of the wave baffle panel (150) to a specified angle with respect to the horizontal plane.

5. The floating wave attenuation breakwater (500, 600, 700) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the floating buoys (200, 200a) assembled into said wave baffle panel (150) are made from rubber, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, or nylon, either individually or in combination.

6. The floating wave attenuation breakwater (500, 600, 700) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein during use, the second end (154) of said wave baffle plate (150) is protruded above the water surface.

7. The floating wave attenuation breakwater (500, 600, 700) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein some parts of the floating buoys (200, 200a) assembled into said wave baffle panel (150) are filled with water or a material denser than water inside their closed bodies (205) to suitably adjust the buoyancy of said wave baffle panel (150).

8. The floating wave attenuation breakwater (500, 600, 700) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of wave baffle panels (150) are arranged alternately in a zigzag-like pattern, wherein each of said plurality of said wave baffle panels (150) is arranged with its front (F) substantially facing against a direction of the incoming waves running towards the coastline (C) to be protected.

Images