ADCP Applied to the Measurement of Ocean Current in Tees Port

1. Location of Tees Port

Tees Port, situated in the northeast of England, at the mouth of the River Tees. Tees Port is one of the leading ports in the United Kingdom with a rich history in industrial and maritime activities.

Scale and Throughput of the Port

Large-scale port with considerable tonnage. The facility acts as the major hub for bulk cargo handling, such as chemicals, petroleum products, and construction materials like aggregates. Its annual throughput is high in regard to these bulk commodities. On top of that, it handles a considerable amount of containerized traffic and general cargo. The strategic location near the industrial areas and its connections to transport means support the economical value of this harbor.

Routes and Business

Tees Port has a broad perspective in domestic and international shipping routes. It plays a vital role in the importation and exportation of goods. The business in the port varies. Being one of the prime chemical and petrochemical industry hubs, it imports its raw materials and exports finished products. Its agricultural products, steel, and other manufactured goods are equally handled. It also offers services in storage, distribution, and value-added processing of cargo.

Port Management and Operation

The port operates on a professional team that implements efficient management. They ensure berth allocation, liaise with shipping companies to plan vessel arrivals and departures, and handle cargo smoothly. To also cope with the growth of volume of trade as well as meet safety and environment protection standards, regular maintenance and upgrading are carried out on the port facilities.

Port Facilities

Tees Port boasts of modern and specialized facilities, which have the deep-water berths for big vessels, namely tankers and bulk carriers. Advanced loading and unloading systems are installed to handle various types of cargo. Pipelines exist for liquid chemicals, while conveyor belts handle bulk materials. Storage facilities are also in plenty, with large-scale tanks storing liquids, and silos to house the solids.

Channel and Direct Shipping

Similarly, the port has a well-maintained channel at the mouth of the River Tees, allowing ships to enter and leave safely. Direct shipment connections exist between this port and other major UK, European, and worldwide shipping ports. All these shipping links are crucial, not only for freight movements, but also for the operation of the port in its service to the regional and global economy.

2. Why would we want to measure Tees Port's ocean currents?

Navigation Safety

The measurement of ocean currents at Tees Port is quite crucial as far as ship safety is concerned. This place is at the mouth of a river where the ships are subjected to tidal and other water currents. For instance, when a vessel is approaching a port for berthing, any strong cross-current can drive it off course, thereby increasing the possibility of collision with other vessels or port structures. Proper current measurement allows the captains of the vessels to make precise adjustments to their navigation for safe docking.

Operational Efficiency

Ocean currents knowledge is useful for the general operational effectiveness of the port. The ships can have favorable current to their advantage in order to save fuel and time. For instance, if the ship leaves the port by utilizing a following current, it will be able to reach its destination quickly and economically. Currents knowledge also assists in the proper scheduling of vessel arrivals and departures in order to make more effective use of the port's resources.

Infrastructure Maintenance and Planning

The knowledge of ocean currents is very important in the long-term maintenance and planning of port infrastructure. Currents can cause erosion and other different types of perennial effects on structures, such as piers and breakwaters, by weakening their stability. Monitoring this permits port authorities to anticipate damage and undertake timely maintenance and reinforcement. This also contributes to designing future infrastructures in such a way that they will be more resistant to forces exerted by ocean currents.

The ADCP, or Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, is a better and more convenient approach to measuring currents. This technique gives more detailed, real - time data with regard to the current velocities and directions at different depths to give a more comprehensive picture of the water flow conditions in the port than would have been achieved with traditional approaches.

3. How do the ADCPs apply the Doppler principle?

ADCPs work on the Doppler principle. They send acoustic signals into the water. The moving particles in the water-such as suspended sediments or small organisms-interact with these signals. These reflected waves undergo a change in frequency according to the Doppler effect as the acoustic waves are reflected back from moving particles.

On Tees Port, a shipborne ADCP is installed on a vessel. The ADCP current profiler, while the ship is sailing through the port area, steadily sends acoustic signals downwards and sideward. The movement of the ship through various routes in the port enables the ADCP flow meter to measure the velocity of the ocean current at higher and lower levels of the sea and at different places. This creates a wide-area survey of the water currents during the operation of the ship.

Fixed ADCPs are installed at distinct points around the port, such as on underwater structures near the entrance or along quay walls. These remain stationary, monitoring the ocean currents from that particular position continuously. They offer a long-term steady record of the current state at this point. This is important in understanding the regular patterns and variations of currents within key regions of the port.

4. What’s needed for high - quality measurement of Tees Port currents?

Material Reliability

The equipment used for current measurement, especially the casing of ADCP current profiler, should be made of reliable materials. Titanium alloy is a preferred material for the casing. Titanium alloy has excellent corrosion resistance, which is essential for withstanding the harsh marine environment. The corrosive effect of seawater can quickly damage equipment with less - resistant materials. It is because of the high strength-to-weight ratio of the titanium alloy that will provide strong protection for the internal components of the ADCP flow meter without making the equipment too heavy. This makes installation easy and quick either at a fixed location in the water or aboard a ship. Moreover, there is good thermal stability, which is good for the variable temperature conditions in the ocean.

Size, Weight, and Power Consumption

The device should have a small size and be light in weight. A small-sized and lightweight ADCP meter provides easy installation and will not disturb the flow of water when it is to be measured. Moreover, this develops ease in the installation process, whether on ships or at a fixed position in a port. It should have low power consumption as well. Low power consumption is important to operate the equipment continuously for long-term monitoring, especially with fixed ADCPs, without frequent battery replacements and power supply issues.

Cost-Effectiveness

The cost is an important factor for large-scale measurement; if the equipment turns out to be too expensive, it will reduce the number of ADCPs deployed in the port area. Cost-effective service provides coverage of current measurements for better understanding of the ocean currents throughout the port area.

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

Based on Usage

Shipborne ADCP: In cases where current measurement is needed for the purposes of vessel motion in the port area, shipborne ADCP would be a good fit. It is able to scan a relatively wider space as the ship cruises within the port and, therefore, has a wider coverage of the current conditions at different parts of the port.

Bottom-mounted ADCP: It would be the right choice for fixed-point monitoring of specific locations in a port, such as near critical infrastructure or areas with unique current characteristics. It remains stationary at some selected position and continuously records the current conditions there; this is of great value for understanding the long-term behavior of the currents.

Buoy-mounted ADCP: In situations when it is required to monitor currents over some area of the surface or in open waters inside the port, buoy-mounted ADCP can be deployed. It floats on the water surface and measures the currents in its vicinity, useful for getting an idea of the surface current patterns.

Based on Frequency and Depth

Different frequencies of ADCPs should be selected according to the water depth: for water depths within 70m, 600kHz ADCPs are recommended for shallow water to give an accurate current measurement; for the depth up to 110m, it is more suitable to adopt 300kHz ADCPs; for a deeper area, with water depth up to 1000m, 75kHz ADCPs will be appropriate.

There are well-known ADCP profiler brands such as Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, a Chinese brand, China Sonar PandaADCP, stands out. It is made of all - titanium alloy material, ensuring high durability and reliability in the marine environment. Moreover, it offers an incredible cost-performance ratio. You can learn more about it through its official website: https://china-sonar.com/.

It follows that Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)  is vital in Tees Port in the measurement of ocean currents. Proper selection of equipment for specific needs will ensure accurate, useful current data to support efficient operation and management of the port.

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