Wind-Generated Wave Diffraction by Breakwater Gap

Abstract

A number of hydraulic laboratory experiments were made of the diffraction of wind-generated waves by a breakwater gap. The directional spectra of the incident wave was used together with the water wave diffraction theory of Penny and Price for a breakwater gap to predict the energy spectra of the diffracted waves. The difference between the predicted values of the energy spectral density and the measured values demonstrated the limits of using the above techniques. It is likely that this is due to the inadequacy of the diffraction theory of Penny and Price for a breakwater gap for certain ranges of B/L.