Session: 06-13-01 Towed and Undersea Cables and Pipes, Mooring, and Buoy Technology

Submission Number: 157067

Mooring System Influence on the Response of Floating Breakwaters 

Floating breakwaters are increasingly used as effective structures for wave attenuation in, for instance, marinas, ports, fragile beaches from being washed away, and coastlines from erosion. The choice of the mooring system plays a crucial role in determining their characteristics, such as dynamic behavior under waves and wave transmission. This study investigates the influence of different mooring system configurations on the dynamic behavior and wave transmission performance of floating breakwaters. Three types of mooring systems are compared: (1) taut, (2) slack, and (3) hybrid. First, the hydrodynamic characteristics of the breakwaters are obtained using the OrcaWave software, a 3D diffraction/radiation software based on the potential theory for wave-body interactions. After that, a series of time-domain numerical simulations are carried out using the OrcaFlex software, where the mooring systems are modelled. Finally, experimental tests are conducted to validate the numerical models. The results indicate that taut mooring systems generally provide higher wave attenuation with elevated mooring line forces. Conversely, slack mooring systems showed low wave attenuation and low mooring line forces. Hybrid mooring systems, combining features of both taut and slack configurations, showed a balanced performance. These findings provide insights into the design and selection of mooring systems in floating breakwater applications, enhancing their performance.

Presenting Author: Emerson Andrade UFRJ

Presenting Author Biography: Received a B.Sc. in Naval Architecture, Marine and Ocean Engineering from the Polytechnic School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, in 2020, and the M.Sc. degree from The Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering (COPPE-UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, in 2022, where he is currently working toward the D.Sc. degree with the Department of Ocean Engineering. He is a Researcher at the Laboratory of Waves and Current (LOC), from the Department of Ocean Engineering, COPPE-UFRJ. His research interests include hydrodynamics, numerical methods, experimental tests, and autonomous vehicles.