Protecting Shorelines with Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Inspired Breakwaters

Breakwaters have been used for millennia to reduce wave impact. Breakwaters are coastal structures that aim to disrupt waves by reducing their wave energy, and their abrasive impact on the shoreline. The force generated from waves gradually eroded shorelines. Breakwater designs have remained relatively static, with many breakwaters comprising mound or wall-based configurations. This study aims to innovate existing breakwater architecture by exploring the use of Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) structures as breakwaters. TPMS shapes are three-dimensional periodic manifolds chosen for their mathematical simplicity, mechanical strength, and cost effectiveness. This research employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation methods to explore the effectiveness of different TPMS structures in reducing the amplitude and group velocity of incoming waves. The effectiveness of each structure is compared with other TPMS structures with modified design parameters as well as with certain traditional breakwater designs with identical height and volume, namely a commonly deployed lattice design. OpenFoam software is used as the primary computational tool to simulate wave impact with OlaFlow being the primary solver. MSLattice is employed in the creation of TPMS structures. This investigation aims to explore the feasibility of TPMS breakwater and give rise to a new generation of breakwater architecture incorporating TPMS structures.