阅读说明：本技术 波浪捕获和衰减结构 (Wave capturing and attenuating structure ) 是由 皮集·布恩利基切瓦 于 2018-04-09 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种波浪捕获和衰减结构,包括至少一对漂浮结构(100),每个漂浮结构以基本平行的方式彼此联接以捕获水面波浪。各个漂浮结构(100)包括：主体(10),其由漂浮地板(12)和从所述漂浮地板的周边向下延伸的侧壁(14)组成；以及漂浮构件(20),其连接至所述主体(10)的所述漂浮地板(12),以支撑所述主体(10)浸没在水中。所述漂浮构件(20)包括波浪挡板(22),所述波浪挡板(22)具有位于水平面以上的位置的至少一部分挡板,其中,所述漂浮构件(20)的所述波浪挡板(22)包括形成为竖直平面的表面,并且从上方观察时该表面相对于沿所述主体的长度延伸的线成锐角倾斜。每对所述漂浮结构(100)固定在一起,使得通道(E)形成波浪通道。所述结构还包括：附接至所述漂浮结构(100)的后部的漂浮件(5O、60、70),用于衰减穿过所述通道(E)的所述波浪。所述漂浮件(50、60、70)包括可漂浮主体(61、71)以及支撑板(68、78),所述支撑板(68、78)呈平板的形式并位于所述水面以下以及所述主体(10)的下方,以帮助稳定所述漂浮件(60、70)。在本发明的一个实施方式中,所述漂浮结构(100)的所述主体(10)还可以设置有平板形式的支撑板(112),该支撑板位于所述主体(10)下方,以帮助稳定所述漂浮结构(100)。(A wave capture and attenuation structure includes at least a pair of floating structures (100), each coupled to each other in a substantially parallel manner to capture water surface waves. Each floating structure (100) comprises: a main body (10) composed of a floating floor (12) and a sidewall (14) extending downward from a periphery of the floating floor; and a floating member (20) connected to the floating floor (12) of the main body (10) to support the main body (10) submerged in water. The float member (20) comprises a wave shield (22), the wave shield (22) having at least a portion of the shield located above water level, wherein the wave shield (22) of the float member (20) comprises a surface formed as a vertical plane and inclined at an acute angle to a line extending along the length of the body when viewed from above. Each pair of said floating structures (100) being fixed together such that the channel (E) forms a wave channel. The structure further includes: a float (5O, 60, 70) attached to the rear of the floating structure (100) for dampening the waves passing through the channel (E). The float (50, 60, 70) comprises a floatable body (61, 71) and a support plate (68, 78), the support plate (68, 78) being in the form of a flat plate and located below the water surface and below the body (10) to help stabilize the float (60, 70). In one embodiment of the invention, the body (10) of the floating structure (100) may also be provided with a support plate (112) in the form of a flat plate, which is located below the body (10) to help stabilize the floating structure (100).)

1. A wave capturing and dampening structure comprising at least one pair of floating structures (100) coupled to each other such that the structures are arranged along a wave encounter line for capturing water surface waves, wherein each floating structure comprises:

a main body (10) composed of a floating floor (12) and a sidewall (14) extending downward from a periphery of the floating floor; and

a floating member (20) connected to the floating floor (12) of the body (10) to support the body (10) submerged in water, wherein the floating member (20) comprises a wave baffle (22), the wave baffle (22) having at least a portion of the baffle located above water level, wherein the wave baffle (22) of the floating member (20) comprises a surface formed as a vertical plane and inclined at an acute angle with respect to a line extending along the length of the body when viewed from above,

wherein each pair of said floating structures (100) is fixed together by means of fixing means (30) such that they are spaced apart from each other and such that a channel (E) forms a wave channel, whereby each of said floating structures (100) is forced to face an incoming wave,

characterized in that, the structure still includes: a float (50) attached to the rear with respect to the floating structure (100), and the float (50) being spaced apart from the channel (E) arranged between the pair of floating structures (100) for dampening the waves exiting the channel (E),

wherein the float (60, 70) comprises a floatable body (61, 71) and a support plate (68, 78), the support plate (68, 78) being in the form of a flat plate and located below the water surface and below the body (61, 71) to help stabilize the float (60, 70).

2. A wave capturing and dampening structure according to claim 1, wherein the body (10) of the floating structure (100) further comprises a support plate (112) in the form of a flat plate located below the body (10) to help stabilize the floating structure.

3. A wave capturing and dampening structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the float member (20) and the float (50) is in the form of a hollow cavity.

4. A wave capturing and dampening structure according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein each of the float member (20) and the float (50) comprises a material having a density less than the density of water.

5. A wave capturing and dampening structure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the floating structures (100) is fixed to the bottom of a body of water during deployment.

6. A wave capturing and attenuating structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support plate (68, 78) of the body (60, 70) is mounted to the body of the buoy via a plurality of mounting elements (66, 76) such that the support plate (68, 78) is spaced from the body and, during deployment, the support plate (68, 78) is located below the water surface and below the buoy to help stabilize the buoy (60, 70).

7. A wave capturing and dampening structure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the float (60, 70) comprises an inclined surface (62, 72) arranged to face the incoming waves.

8. A wave capturing and dampening structure according to claim 7, wherein the inclined surface (72) comprises at least one drainage groove (73) for drainage transversely to the direction of the waves.

9. A wave capturing and dampening structure according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the inclined surface (62, 72) is inclined at an angle of about 20 to 60 degrees to the horizontal.

Technical Field

The invention belongs to the field of constructional engineering, and relates to a wave capturing and attenuating structure.

Background

Due to severe climate change caused in part by global warming, the problem of coastline erosion caused by strong winds and waves is a serious problem that urgently needs to be solved.

According to the prior art, it is attempted to solve the shoreline erosion problem by providing a floating member which is placed in the vicinity of the shoreline and at a suitable distance from the shoreline in order to reduce the intensity of the waves which strike the shoreline. Most floats have a submerged portion and a buoyed portion for capturing and dampening water waves, and can also utilize energy obtained from the captured waves to rotate a generator. For example, U.S. patent No. 5,775,248 entitled "stabilizing buoys" and 5,827,011 entitled "wave suppression system" issued 10/27 of 1998 disclose box-shaped or cylindrical floats floating above the water surface to attenuate wave strength. However, each of these floats is a single unit and therefore is not efficient for wave attenuation. In addition, these floats cannot capture waves for utilization, thus wasting wave energy.

Other wave dampening devices (such as those in U.S. patent No. 3,991,576 entitled "floating breakwater" and U.S. patent No. 6,767,162) are in the form of cylindrical elongate floats that extend longitudinally in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the waves, thereby enabling the formation of a wave line. However, the structure has only a single line, so in the case of large waves, most of these waves will cross the structure and may damage the coastline. Therefore, these waves cannot be captured as efficiently as expected. In addition, the structure does not make use of wave energy.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wave capturing and attenuating structure to attenuate waves so that shoreline erosion is reduced, and also to capture waves so that wave energy (e.g., power generation, etc.) is utilized.

The wave capturing and dampening structure according to the invention comprises at least one pair of floating structures, each floating structure being coupled to each other in a substantially parallel manner for capturing water surface waves, wherein the respective floating structure comprises: a body composed of a floating floor and a sidewall extending downward from a periphery of the floating floor; and a floating member connected to the floatable floor and the submerged portion of the main body to support the main body submerged in water. The float member comprises a wave shield having at least a portion of the shield located above water level, wherein the shield comprises a surface formed as a vertical plane and inclined at an acute angle to a line extending along the length of the body when viewed from above. Each pair of said floating structures being fixed together such that the channel is formed as a wave channel. The structure further includes: a float attached to the rear of the floating structure for dampening the waves passing through the channel. The floatation member includes a floatable body and a submerged portion, and also includes a support plate in the form of a flat plate located below the water surface and below the body to help stabilize the floatation member.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the invention.

Drawings

Fig. 1A and 1B are perspective views illustrating a floating structure 100 according to a first embodiment and a second embodiment of the present invention, respectively;

figure 2 shows a top view of the floating structure;

figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the floating structure 100 taken along the line F-F in figure 2;

figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line F-F of a floating structure 100A for another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of a wave capture and attenuation structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a wave capturing and attenuating structure according to the present invention during deployment;

figure 7 shows an embodiment of a float 60 according to the invention; and

fig. 8 shows another embodiment of a float 70 according to the invention.

Detailed Description

For purposes of example and to facilitate a clearer description, the present invention is described in terms of exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the following drawings, wherein like elements are designated by like reference numerals. While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that they limit the invention and its scope is defined by the claims that follow.

Fig. 1A is a perspective view illustrating a floating structure 100 according to a first embodiment.

According to fig. 1A, the floating structure 100 comprises: a main body 10, the main body 10 including a floating floor 12 and a sidewall 14, the sidewall 14 extending downward from a periphery of the floating floor 12; and a floating member 20, the floating member 20 being connected to the floating floor 12 of the main body 10 to support the main body 10 submerged in water and to serve as a wave barrier.

Furthermore, the float member 20 of the floating structure 100 comprises a wave shield 22, at least a part of the shield of the wave shield 22 being located above the water level. The wave barrier 22 of the float member 20 comprises a surface formed in the form of a vertical plane. The float member 20 has a hollow cavity 23 therein, for example the hollow cavity 23 may be in the form of a sealed chamber containing air or gas therein, such that the density of the float member 20 is less than the density of water, so that the float member can float. Furthermore, in order to increase the strength of the floating member, the floating member 20 may comprise a material having a density less than that of water (e.g. closed cell foam, etc.), or the floating member 20 may be made of a strong light weight material having a density less than that of water, such as polypropylene plastic or Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) or High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), etc.

Fig. 1B is a perspective view showing a floating structure 100 according to a second embodiment, most of the features of the floating structure 100 being similar to those of the first embodiment, except that according to this embodiment of the invention, the floating structure 100 further comprises a support plate 112 in the form of a flat plate, the support plate 112 being located below the main body and being fixed to the main body 10 via a plurality of legs 114 extending from below, so as to also contribute to stabilizing the floating structure.

As shown in fig. 2, the wave baffles 22 of the float members 20 are inclined at an acute angle θ, as viewed from above, relative to a line extending along the length of the body, where the acute angle θ may be in the range of 30 to 60 degrees (preferably about 45 degrees) in order to meet incoming waves and reduce wave strength (including while collecting waves in a predetermined direction, as will be explained in detail below).

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the floating structure 100 taken along line F-F in fig. 2 and shows the hollow part 25 of the main body 10, wherein the hollow part is hollow and contains or allows water to enter therein, or the hollow part may be configured such that liquid can enter the space of the hollow part 25. In one embodiment, the body 10 may be composed of a lower wall 13 for closing a lower portion of the side wall 14 of the body 10, or in one aspect, the lower wall 13 of the body 10 may be open for water to enter the hollow portion, so that the water can help damp the body 10, thereby enhancing the stability of the structure, while the body 10 moves vertically up and down due to waves.

The float member 20 has a chamber or hollow cavity 23 therein, wherein the chamber may be a sealed chamber containing air therein so that the float member 20 is able to float, or the chamber may contain a material having a density less than that of water (e.g., closed cell foam, etc.) so that the float member 20 is lightweight and has increased strength.

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the floating structure 100 taken along line G-G in figure 1B. Fig. 4 shows a support plate 112 attached to the main body 10 via legs 114 such that the plate is submerged in water. Further, the support plate 112 may have two or more plates, wherein each support plate 112 is attached to the body in layers via a plurality of legs 114 (not shown) to enhance stability.

Figure 5 shows a top view of a wave capturing and attenuating structure according to the present invention.

The wave capturing and dampening structure according to the invention comprises at least one pair of floating structures 100 as described above for capturing water surface waves, wherein the floating structures are coupled together in a substantially parallel manner. Each pair of said floating structures 100 is fixed together by means of fixing means 30 such that they are spaced apart from each other and the passage E forms a wave passage. The wave baffles 22 of each floating structure 100 collectively form an area a to receive waves traveling to the shoreline, and thus each of the floating structures 100 is forced to move and face the waves. Thus, the structure can effectively capture waves.

According to fig. 5, the waves passing through the area a are collected and their speed increases as they flow through the channel E formed by the side walls 14 of each floating structure 100. The channel E between each pair of floating structures 100 results in captured waves having sufficient speed and energy for utilization (e.g., a hydraulic turbine for rotating an electrical generator (not shown) mounted in zone a and/or zone B), and then the waves travel through the channel E into zone C at the rear of the floating structures 100. Furthermore, the width d of the channel E depends on the size of the floating structure.

The waves exiting from the passage E are still of intensity and may damage the coastline. Thus, the wave catching and dampening structure according to the invention is provided with a float 50, wherein the float 50 is attached to the rear of the floating structure 100 by means of a rope or string or the like. The float 50 is spaced from the channel E and is located between a pair of floating structures 100 at a suitable distance so as to effectively damp waves exiting from said channel E.

The captured waves travel through the passage E via the area B and then strike the float 50 located immediately behind the passage E, so that the wave energy will be dissipated before reaching the shoreline. Thus, the remaining energy of the waves is not sufficient to erode the coastline.

According to fig. 6, the placement and deployment is shown. The wave capturing and attenuating structure according to the present invention is firmly fixed to the bottom 200 of the water body by means of anchors 210, piles, steel columns, concrete blocks, etc. via ropes or lines 212 so that the floating structure 100 can move or rotate to face the wave direction. Thus, the utilization of the captured waves can be maximized and the structure is more stable, while being better able to withstand the wave strengths.

Hereinafter, details of the float 50 and various embodiments of the float according to the present invention will be described.

The float 50 is less dense than water, wherein the float may be in the form of a hollow cavity for containing air or a material (e.g., closed cell foam, etc.) less dense than the water therein, such that a portion of the float is buoyed from the water and another portion of the float is submerged in the water.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of a float 60 according to the invention.

According to fig. 7, the float 60 comprises a body 61, which body 61 has a hollow portion 65 (shown by dashed lines) therein. The hollow portion 65 may contain air or foam in the interior thereof to increase the strength thereof. The main body 61 further comprises a box-shaped structure section 69 in the form of an opening, so that water can be introduced into the box-shaped structure section 69. The box-shaped structure section 69 may be partitioned into a plurality of chambers to enhance the strength of the main body 61, while the box-shaped structure section 69 serves as a vertical stabilizer of the buoyant member 60 when the buoyant member moves up and down with the movement of the waves. During deployment, the box-like structure portion 69 is submerged below the water surface, inhibiting movement, while at least some of the hollow portion 65 of the body 61 is floating out of the water. In addition, the float 60 has a support plate 68 mounted to the lower floor of the main body 61 of the float 60 via a plurality of mounting elements or legs 66, such that the support plate 68 is spaced from the main body 61 by a distance, wherein the distance can be adjusted according to the depth of the water. Furthermore, during deployment, the support plate 68 is located below the water surface and below the float to help vertically stabilize the float 60. Note that in the case of severe waves, two or more support plates 68 may be provided below the float 60, respectively. The panels are suitably mounted on top of each other in layers at a vertical distance (not shown) to increase the vertical resistance and thus contribute to the stability of the float 60.

In one embodiment, the float 60 may also include an inclined surface 62, the inclined surface 62 being arranged to face an incoming wave. The inclined surface 62 is inclined at an angle of about 20 to 60 degrees with respect to a substantially horizontal line, depending on the design. A portion of the inclined surface 62 is submerged in the water while the remainder is floated out of the water so that incoming waves impinging on the float 60 can travel up the surface of the inclined surface 62. A portion of the wave may travel past the incline 62 and over the incline 62 to the rear of the float 60, while the remainder of the wave will flow back down the incline 62. However, if the slope of the inclined surface 62 is too small, a large portion of the wave can travel past the float 60 toward the shoreline, so that the float cannot effectively attenuate the wave. Conversely, if the slope of the inclined surface 62 is too great, the float may be subjected to excessive wave impact forces, and the float 60 may oscillate and lack stability.

The float 60 further comprises a ring 64 for attaching the float 60 to the floating structure 100 as described above.

Fig. 8 shows another embodiment of a float 70 according to the invention.

According to fig. 8, the float 70 comprises a body 71, the body 71 having a box-shaped structural part 79 in the form of an opening, so that water can be introduced into the box-shaped structural part 79. The box-shaped structure portion 79 may be partitioned into a plurality of chambers to enhance the strength of the main body 71, while the box-shaped structure portion 79 serves as a vertical stabilizer of the buoyant member 70 when the buoyant member moves up and down with the movement of the waves. During deployment, vertical movement of the float is inhibited because the box-like structure portion 79 is submerged below the water surface, while at least some portion of the hollow portion (not shown) of the main body 71 emerges from the water to support the float 70 floating on the water surface. In addition, the float 70 also has a support plate 78 mounted to the main body 71 of the float 70 via a plurality of mounting elements 76, such that the support plate 78 is spaced from the main body 71. Furthermore, during deployment, the support plate 78 is located below the water surface and below the float to help vertically stabilize the float 70.

The float 70 may comprise an inclined surface 72, which inclined surface 72 is arranged to face the incoming waves. The inclined surface 72 is inclined at an angle of about 20 to 60 degrees with respect to the horizontal. In addition, the inclined surface 72 also includes a discharge trough 73 (e.g., at least one trough) that extends laterally to discharge water and sand entrained in incoming waves that impinge on the inclined surface of the float 70, such that the water is discharged laterally with respect to the wave direction.

The float 70 further comprises a ring 74 for attaching the float 70 to the floating structure 100.

As described above, it appears that the wave catching and attenuating structure according to the present invention is improved so that water waves can be caught and attenuated to alleviate the shoreline erosion problem, wherein two wave catching and attenuating lines are provided so that they can be effectively operated. Furthermore, rather than wasting waves, captured waves may also be used in other applications, such as for rotating a turbine of a hydro-generator to generate electricity, and the like.

Although the present invention has been described in the detailed description as an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and purpose of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is in accordance with the invention as set forth in the appended claims, and they also encompass the features of the invention which are applicable and effective in the similar features of the invention as set forth in the claims, even if they are not specifically recited in the claims.