ADCP Application to the Measurement of Ocean Currents in Le Havre Port

1. Location of Le Havre Port

Le Havre Port is located on the Seine River estuary in Normandy, northern France, and is one of the important maritime entry doors to Europe's continent.

Port scale and throughput

Le Havre is one of the most important ports in France due to its economic development effect within the country. This is a vast area with great length of quay and is capable to handle lots of vessels at a time. Annual throughput is huge, having wide range of cargoes inclusive of containers, bulk goods such as grains and coal, along with other industrial products. It also receives a huge volume of containerized traffic, with a million or more TEUs processed every year. - Thanks to the port's strategic location, it allows for easy access to the heart of Europe via the Seine River and the connected inland waterways; this makes access very easy to major industrial and population centers, first in France, then in its neighbors.

Routes and Business

Le Havre Port is connected with most international shipping routes. It forms a vital link between Europe and other continents, especially North America and Asia. The business activities of the port are varied and involve shipping companies, freight forwarders, and logistics providers. It has a well-established container shipping business, with many major global container lines making regular calls.

Besides the containerized traffic, the port features in the importation and exportation of energy resources like oil and gas and has facilities that can handle such products. The port also plays a role in the automotive industry, with vehicles being imported and exported through its terminals.

Port Management and Operation

The port is managed through a combination of public and private entities: the Port of Le Havre Authority, which is in charge of the overall infrastructure development and maintenance, coordinates with various terminal operators, shipping lines, and service providers to ensure smooth port operations.

The operation of the port includes vessel traffic control, handling cargo, customs procedures, and many more. Advanced technologies allow for smoother, more efficient, and safer flow, both for the goods and vessels in question.

Port Facilities

Le Havre Port has modern and efficient facilities. Advanced container terminals are equipped with high-capacity cranes that enable the handling of big container ships in the shortest time possible. Besides, there are specialized terminals to handle various types of bulk cargo, including storage facilities for grains, ores, and other materials.

This includes: warehousing and distribution services and container repairs are performed in the Port. Facilities exist for the processing of dangerous goods, but come under stringent safety regimes.

Channels and Direct Navigation

The port channels are maintained well and dredged to proper depth to receive big vessels. Access to the Seine River gives way to direct navigation inland into ports and industrial areas. This linkage upgrades the port's role as a node in transport by ensuring easy transportation of goods from sea to hinterland.

2. Why measure the currents of the ocean currents in the Le Havre port?

Safety of Navigation

In Le Havre Port, precise knowledge of ocean currents is crucial for the safety of ships. The estuarine environment and strong tidal currents may affect a vessel's course and speed. Measuring the currents will enable the masters and pilots to make more accurate navigational decisions, especially during entry and exit from the port.

Currents can also affect the maneuverability of ships, and in a busy port like Le Havre, this information is of great importance to avoid collisions and other accidents. For example, during berthing operations, the effect of currents on the ship's movement needs to be considered in order to make the process smooth and safe.

Port Operations and Efficiency

It is very important to know the existing patterns so that the port can function efficiently. The current flow may affect the process of ships going in and coming out. If the current velocity and direction cannot be predicted well, it will lead to inconvenience while aligning the ship with the berth and may cause delays in cargo handling.

The currents also come into play with regard to tugs and support vessels that would be used around the area. Measuring currents thus means that the port could optimize the times of operations of this nature to raise the overall output of the entire port facility. ADCP presents a more advanced and expedient means than the previous standard methods for current measurements, giving results in real time that enhance good decision-making within any ongoing activity on the port facilities.

3. How do ADCPs using the principle of the Doppler work?

ADCPs basically work on the principle of the Doppler effect. They transmit acoustic pulses into the water column. When these pulses come into contact with particles or other objects that are moving with the current, the frequency of the reflected sound waves alters.

Ship-borne ADCP

A ship-borne ADCP is usually mounted on the hull of a vessel. It measures the relative velocity of the current with respect to the ship's motion while the ship moves through the water. The device continuously records the Doppler-shifted frequencies of the reflected acoustic signals. Through advanced signal-processing algorithms, the relative velocity of the current is calculated. By adding the ship's own velocity (derived from other navigation systems), the absolute current velocity in the area can be calculated.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs are installed at fixed locations within the port, for example on the seabed or on a pier. These ADCPs continuously send acoustic pulses into the water and measure the frequency shift of the reflected signals.

They can only provide a stationary view of the current's velocity at one point. This information is very helpful in long-term monitoring of current patterns, such as how currents change over a tidal cycle or over seasons.

4. What's needed for high - quality measurement of Le Havre port currents?

Equipment Characteristics

Reliability in the materials with which the equipment is made will definitely assure high-quality current measurement in Le Havre Port. It should be resistant to the saltwater corrosion common in ocean environments. Smaller size and lighter weight are preferable since these provide ease of installation and maintenance, especially when placing them on buoys or any confined area on a ship.

Instead, it consumes low power, especially for long-term deployments. Even on occasions when access to power sources becomes difficult, the low power consumption makes the device very cost-effective for comprehensive use over a wide area in any given port for current measurement.

Titanium Alloy Casing: An Added Advantage

The casing of ADCPs is preferably made of Titanium alloy. For example, there is excellent resistance to corrosion properties of the Titanium alloy, very important in such a port as Le Havre. Because the water is a high-salinity sea, and the atmosphere contains a number of active corrosive agents, equipment made from less-resistant materials would be quickly degraded. Equally important is that the titanium alloy is strong, solid, and will resist the water pressure and the possible mechanical impacts.

5. How to Choose the right equipment for current measurement?

Based on Installation

Type Ship - borne ADCP: This can be used by those vessels that will have to measure currents during its' transit in and around the port. The device serves as a mobile means of acquisition of current data; it is of much use on ships like container vessels and tankers, among others, always on the go.

Sitting - bottom ADCP: Best for fixed -point monitoring of the current at a specific location, like at the entrance of a channel or near a berth. It gives a stable and continuous measurement of the current at that particular point.

Buoy - type ADCP: Useful when a floating platform is more appropriately sited than open water areas, either deeper inside the port or when clear boundaries do not exist. It is of particular use in area monitoring, where this yields better results on general patterns of flow over more extensive areas within the port.

Frequency Basis

A 600kHz ADCP is usually a good choice for water depths up to 70m. The higher frequency provides better resolution for shallower water current measurements.

For depths around 110m, a 300kHz ADCP is more appropriate. It offers a balance between depth penetration and resolution.

For deeper waters up to 1000m, a 75kHz ADCP is recommended. The lower frequency allows for deeper penetration into the water column to measure currents at greater depths.

There are well - known ADCP brands such as Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, the Chinese brand China Sonar ​PandaADCP is also a great option. It is made of all - titanium alloy material, providing excellent durability and corrosion resistance. It also offers an incredible cost - performance ratio. You can find more information about it on their website: (​https://china-sonar.com/).

Here is a table with some well known ADCP instrument brands and models.