Recent progress on structural types of floating breakwaters

Floating breakwaters, as flexible, economical, and environmentally friendly wave-dissipating structures, can improve the deep-sea operation and maintenance environment of offshore floating photovoltaic systems. This article systematically reviews the current research status and progress on floating breakwaters domestically and internationally. Based on the configurations and wave-dissipating principles, this review categorizes floating breakwaters into types such as box-type, hybrid-type, floating raft type, tethered float type, horizontal plate type, and wave energy utilization type. It summarizes their working principles, structural characteristics, wave-dissipating effects, and performance improvements. Finally, the article points out the existing problems and challenges in current floating breakwater research and looks ahead to future development directions in areas such as structural optimization, material innovation, intelligent control, functional integration, and performance evaluation. These insights provide valuable references for promoting the quality and efficient development of marine renewable energy.