Controlling Cross-shore Sediment Transport by Integrating Pile Breakwaters with Wave Energy Converters for Sustainable Coastal Management

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

1706938 (Huang). This research aims at solving two important problems, shoreline erosion and utilization of wave energy. The research explores the potential of an innovative breakwater design for shore protection and electricity generated by wave action. The long-term goal of this research is to promote the concept of coastal management with sustainable technologies. Relying on recent developments in two-phase flow simulations, this research will improve understanding of hydrodynamic and sediment processes in the vicinity of bottom-sitting coastal structures of complex geometry. It will enable better prediction of shoreline evolution protected by an Oscillating Water Column (OWC)-pile breakwater. The project brings together two distinct research areas: wave energy utilization and shore protection. The marine energy industry is seeking ways to lower the deployment costs of wave power farms and the coastal engineering industry is seeking innovative ideas that can potentially revolutionize traditional coastal management practices. The outcomes of the proposed research have the potential to build a bridge between these two industries so that they can work together to make both of them profitable from sustainable shore-protection projects. The ability to generate electricity from shore-protection structures also makes a contribution to efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The DesignSafe CI is an end-to-end data management, analysis and publication platform supported by NSF. All experimental and numerical data as well as the algorithms and numerical codes developed in this work will be deposited in the DesignSafe Data Depot and made available for researchers. To promote public awareness of research findings and the concept of sustainable coastal management, the PI will make use of online platforms such as YouTube and ThinkTech Hawaii to reach a larger public audience.