BREAKWATER

Abstract

The breakwater according to the present invention is formed from a body on which the waves hit, and comprising a plurality of surfaces, each of which has a different inclination, said inclinations defining different angles with respect to the horizontal. The angle defined by each surface increases from the front surface to the rear surface, and the length of each surface is different, decreasing from the front surface to the rear surface. It allows to provide a breakwater in which most of the wave energy returns to the sea, so that only a small part is dissipated in the breakwater.

Claims

1. Breakwater, comprising a body on which the waves hit, characterized in that the body on which the waves hit comprises a plurality of surfaces, each one of which have a different slope, said slope defining different angles with respect to the horizontal, in which the surfaces are: a front surface; a plurality of intermediate surfaces; and a rear surface characterized in that the angle defined by each surface increases from the front surface to the rear surface.

2. Breakwater according to claim 1, in which the length of each surface is different.

3. Breakwater according to claim 2, wherein the length of each surface decreases from the front surface to the rear surface.

4. Breakwater according to claim 1, in which the angle defined by the front surface is between 20? and 30?.

5. Breakwater according to claim 1, in which the angles defined by the intermediate surfaces are between 45? and 80?.

6. Breakwater according to claim 1, in which the angle defined by the rear surface is 90?.

7. Breakwater according to claim 1, in which the body has a height between 1 and 30 meters.

8. Breakwater according to claim 7, in which the length of the front surface is between 50% and 100% of the total height of the body.

9. Breakwater according to claim 7, in which the lengths of the intermediate surfaces are between 20% and 50% of the total height of the body.

10. Breakwater according to claim 1, wherein said body on which the waves hit comprises a water chamber.

11. Breakwater according to claim 1, wherein said body comprises side floats and/or a rear float.

12. Breakwater according to claim 1, in which said body comprises fastening elements, to secure it to a seabed.

13. Breakwater according to claim 1, in which the front surface has a slope such that the corresponding Iribarren number is greater than 2.3, the Iribarren number being defined according to the following formula: $\mathrm{NI}=P?T?1,25/H^{1/2}$ where: NI is the Iribarren number; P is the slope of the beach where the breakwater has been installed; H is the height of the waves expected to hit the body; and T is the period of the waves that are expected to hit the body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] For a better understanding of what has been stated, some drawings are attached in which, schematically and only as a non-limiting example, a practical case of materialization is represented.

[0054] FIG. 1 is a side view of the breakwater in accordance with the present invention;

[0055] FIG. 2 is a front view of the breakwater in accordance with the present invention;

[0056] FIG. 3 is a side view of a specific embodiment of the breakwater according to the present invention; and

[0057] FIGS. 4 and 5 are comparative graphs of the elevations of the water surface as a function of the position of the breakwater according to the present invention

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED MATERIALIZATION

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the breakwater according to the present invention is formed from a body (1) on which the waves hit, and comprising a plurality of surfaces (11, 12, 13, 14), four in the materialization shown, each of which has a different inclination, said inclinations defining different angles with respect to the horizontal.

[0059] According to the represented materialization, the surfaces are: [0060] a front surface (11); [0061] a plurality of intermediate surfaces (12, 13); Y [0062] a rear surface (14)

[0063] However, it should be noted that there may be a single intermediate surface or more than two intermediate surfaces.

[0064] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the angle defined by each surface (11, 12, 13, 14) increases from the front surface (11) to the rear surface (14), and the length of each surface (11, 12, 13, 14) is different, decreasing from the front surface (11) to the rear surface (14).

[0065] According to a non-limiting example, the angle defined by the front surface (11) is between 20? and 30?, for example, 25?, the angles defined by the intermediate surfaces (12, 13) are between 45? and 80?, for example 45? and 70?, and the angle defined by the rear surface (14) is 90?.

[0066] For its part, according to a non-limiting example, the length of the front surface (11) is between 5 and 7 meters, for example, 6 meters, the lengths of the intermediate surfaces (12, 13) are between 3 and 2 meters, for example 2.8 meters and 2.1 meters, and the length of the rear surface (14) is 2 meters or less.

[0067] Furthermore, said body (1) comprises side floats (2) and fastening elements (3), to fasten it to a seabed.

[0068] The front surface (11), which is the surface where the wave hits first, has a slope such that the corresponding Iribarren number is greater than 2.3, defining the Iribarren number according to the following formula:

NI=P?T?1,25/?H

where: [0069] NI is the Iribarren number; [0070] P is the slope of the beach where the breakwater has been installed; [0071] H is the height of the waves that are expected to hit the body, and [0072] T is the period of the waves expected to hit the body

[0073] When the breakwater according to the present invention is installed in position, a wave enters through the open front part, encounters a first inclined surface or front surface (11) of 20?-30? with respect to the horizontal, as described above.

[0074] Next, the wave meets an intermediate surface (12) of 40?-45?, then an intermediate surface (13), for example, of 60?, then, it could find another intermediate surface of 80?, and finally a vertical rear surface (14).

[0075] It should be noted that the body (1), in its rear part, that is to say, in the part opposite to the entrance of the wave, can comprise a chamber (4) that can be filled with water.

[0076] This chamber (4) has three missions:

[0077] As it is filled with water, the inertia of the assembly increases. The mass of this chamber (4) can be easily increased by extending the body (1) from the rear, if deemed convenient.

[0078] In addition, as the water is incompressible, it helps to resist the pressure of the arriving wave, when it hits the inclined surfaces, reinforcing itself from the back

[0079] On the other hand, when the entry of the wave tries to turn the body (1) downwards, the inertia and the distribution of weights prevent it.

[0080] The floatation and rigidity of the assembly are achieved by means of empty side floats (2), and optionally by means of a rear float (5).

[0081] Its buoyancy is calculated so that the whole assembly is at the design depth, which is normally completely submerged. The breakwater is intended to protrude from the water as little as possible for environmental reasons.

[0082] The breakwater according to the present invention, when it is floating, can be anchored by means of fastening elements (3), such as chains, for example, by means of a single main anchor with its anchoring chain (3) that rests on the bottom. This chain (3) will have a high safety factor.

[0083] At the end of this chain there will be a yoke (not represented in the figures) from which 3/5 chains will come out, which will be the ones that connect to the breakwater from the bottom, forming the corresponding catenaries. These chains connect to the lower front part of the breakwater. In addition, one or two rearward-facing side chains hold the position of the breakwater fixed.

[0084] It should be noted that the breakwater according to the present invention will normally be positioned at an angle of approximately 10? with the predominant direction of the waves, with three objectives: [0085] Avoid the formation of stationary waves in places where waves are of the swell type [0086] Obtain a more stable position by exerting force on the wave in one direction; [0087] Allow to use only one positioning chain instead of two.

[0088] FIG. 3 shows a specific materialization of the breakwater according to the present invention, indicating the values of the inclinations and lengths of each surface.

[0089] FIGS. 4 and 5 show comparative graphs of the elevations of the water surface as a function of the position of the breakwater according to the present invention, with the values indicated in FIG. 3.

[0090] Specifically, in FIG. 4 the elevations of the water surface in positions before the breakwater are indicated, and in FIG. 5 the elevations of the water surface in positions after the breakwater are indicated, where the attenuation effect of the breakwater on the elevation of the water surface.