Design and Seakeeping Performance of a Shallow-sea Surface Litter Collection Device

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, the pollution of ecological waters, especially the litter floating on the ocean surface, has emerged as a pressing economic, political, and environmental concern of the international society. The development of a widely applicable, safe, reliable and cost-saving marine surface litter collection device has drawn considerable attention. In this paper, an innovative shallow-sea floating surface litter collection device (later referred to as SFSLCD) is proposed first, including its concept design, dimensions and key parameters, working scheme, and mooring system. Second, the hydrostatic and hydrodynamic characteristics of SFSLCD are derived through numerical modeling. Last, the safety of SFSLCD in normal and rough sea states is validated in terms of its good seakeeping performance using the coastal condition of Dapeng Bay, Shenzhen, China. It is proven that this litter collection device equipped with photovoltaic panels to supply power can operate in waters of depth between 5 and 15 m in seas, rivers and lakes.