Abstract
Extreme waves are generated in a model basin based on directional wave focusing. The targeted wave field is described by double summation method and it is applied to serpent-type wavemaker system. The extreme crest amplitude at a designed location is obtained by syncronizing the phases and focusing the directions of wave components. Two distinguished spectrums of constant wave amplitude and constant wave steepness are adapted to describe the frequency distribution of component waves. The surface profile of generated wave packets is measured by wave guage array and the effects of dominant spectral parameters governing extreme wave characteristics are investigated. It is found that frequency bandwidth, center frequency, shape of frequency spectrum and directional range play a significant role in the wave focusing. In particular, the directional effect significantly enhances the wave focusing efficiency.