Evaluation of Diffraction Predictability in Two Phase Averaged Wave Models

Two different methods for incorporating diffraction effect into wave action balance equation based coastal spectral wave models, WABED and SWAN, are discussed and evaluated with respect to their formulations, numerical implementations, and modeling capabilities. Both models were run to simulate the wave transformation through a gap between two infinitely long breakwaters and that across an elliptical shoal observed in laboratory studies, with the emphasis laid on the diffraction induced by either obstacles or wave amplitude variations. Calculations of WABED were compared with Som-merfeld's analytical solutions, experimental observations and SWAN simulations. It is shown that both methods can predict reasonably wave difiraction for the two cases studied herein, and a fairly better performance is provided by WABED for stronger difiraction case.