Long time series of wave field are experimentally simulated by JONSWAP spectra with random phases in a 2D wave flume. Statistic properties of wave surface, such as significant wave height, skewness and kurtosis, are analyzed, and the freak wave occurrence probability and its relations with Benjamin-Feir index （BFI） are also investigated. The results show that the skewness and the kurtosis are significantly dependent on the wave steepness, and the kurtosis increases along the flume when BFI is large. The freak waves are observed in random wave groups. They occur more frequently than expected, especially for the wave groups with large BFI.
Real waves are multidirectional waves. In the present study, the calculation method for the wave maker driving signals for generating multidirectional wave groups in physical wave basin is proposed. Its validity is first confirmed by a numerical model for which the incident boundary condition is determined by use of the proposed method. Then, the physical simulation of multidirectional wave groups is performed in laboratory wave basin. The experimental results show that multidirectional waves with expected wave groupiness, which includes not only its group height but also its group length, can be satisfactorily zenerated at the soecified oosition in the tphvsical wave basin.
An improved coupling of numerical and physical models for simulating 2D wave propagation is developed in this paper. In the proposed model, an unstructured finite element model （FEM） based Boussinesq equations is applied for the numerical wave simulation, and a 2D piston-type wavemaker is used for the physical wave generation. An innovative scheme combining fourth-order Lagrange interpolation and Runge-Kutta scheme is described for solving the coupling equation. A Transfer function modulation method is presented to minimize the errors induced from the hydrodynamic invalidity of the coupling model and/or the mechanical capability of the wavemaker in area where nonlinearities or dispersion predominate. The overall performance and applicability of the coupling model has been experimentally validated by accounting for both regular and irregular waves and varying bathymetry. Experimental results show that the proposed numerical scheme and transfer function modulation method are efficient for the data transfer from the numerical model to the physical model up to a deterministic level.
