Numerical Investigation on Planar Configuration of a Floating Breakwater System Encircling an Artificial Floating Island

This paper presents a quantitative investigation into the hydrodynamic characteristics of a floating breakwater system encompassing an artificial floating island. The floating breakwater’s cross-section is configured as a collection of multiple buoys, with a large main horizontal cylinder and two small cylinders. A navigation channel opening is incorporated into the floating breakwater, fortified by a floating gate positioned externally. The wave patterns surrounding the floating breakwater system are simulated and analyzed using ANSYS-AQWA (R19.0) software. The research investigates the mean transmission coefficients in the area encompassed by the floating breakwaters, considering a range of influential parameters. These parameters include the dimensions of the navigation channel opening, the planar dimensions of the floating breakwater system, the type of mooring chains, as well as the incident wave height, wave period, and wave directions, among others. Additionally, this study evaluates the impact of the navigation channel’s floating gate shape on the wave dissipation performance of the floating breakwater system. An opening angle of 75° for the navigation channel has been determined as optimal, balancing wave dissipation performance with the structural complexity of the harbor gate. The ideal distance between the floating breakwater system and the central floating island is identified as 300 m. The tensioned mooring system demonstrated superior performance compared to the catenary system. Furthermore, the arc-shaped harbor gate achieved a 26% reduction in wave transmission relative to the linear gate. These findings offer practical design guidelines for improving the stability and cost-effectiveness of floating breakwater systems in open-sea environments.