Experiments on the reflection coefficients of a detached breakwater in a directional wave field

Results of estimating the directional wave fields in front of a detached breakwater are presented here in this paper. Two of non-phase-locked methods, i.e., the Maximum Likelihood Method (MLM) and the Extended Maximum Entropy Principle Method (EMEP), were adopted for the purpose. In general, the latter outperforms the former. It is shown that the reflection coefficients decrease with increasing distances away from the detached breakwater, and within four wavelengths from the detached breakwater, the rate of the decrease is faster for wave fields having larger directional spreads. When the measuring distance is more than four wavelengths away from the detached breakwaters, the reflection coefficients tend to reach to a constant value. It is shown that, with the use of the non-phase-locked EMEP method, the effective region can be extended, as compared with the results of Huntley and Davidson [J. Waterw. Port Coast. Ocean Eng. 124 (1998) 312].