ADCP in Antikyra Port: Ocean Current Measurement

1. Where is Antikyra Port?

Overview of Antikyra Port

Antikyra Port is located in Greece. It is a port with particular importance in the local coastal area. It has a relatively small to medium-sized scale and throughput. The port is involved in various local and regional maritime activities such as fishing, transportation of local agricultural products, and some light industrial goods.

It is well-integrated with the local transportation network for goods distribution into the inland parts. The administration of Antikyra Port maintains a smooth and safe operation. The vessel traffic management team, cargo handling teams, and the teams for keeping up the infrastructure are some of them.

Port Facilities

Berths: The berth facilities in the port are of various categories, catering to different groups of vessels. There is a berth for small and medium-sized fishing boats and cargo ships. These berths have very basic mooring and docking facilities that ensure the safe arrival and safe departure of ships. Fenders and bollards are used as protection for the ships and also for the berths during the operational processes of docking and undocking.

Cargo-handling Equipment: There is a range of cargo-handling equipment along the quay. For fishing vessels, there are unloading equipment like cranes and conveyor belts to handle fish and other marine products. For general cargo, forklifts and small cranes are available to move goods between the ships and the storage areas.

Storage Facilities: There are storage areas for different types of cargo. For the perishable goods like fish and agricultural products, cold - storage and well - ventilated warehouses are available. Storage sheds and container yards are available for other general cargo.

Channel and Navigation Aids: The channel of the port has been dredged to the right depth and width in order to ensure the safe transit of ships. Buoys, beacons, and a simple radar system have been installed, which provide aid to vessels in navigating in and out of the port. This radar information gives very basic data about the position and motion of other vessels around the nearby area.

2. Why should we measure the ocean currents in the Antikyra Port?

Importance for Port Operation and Management

Measurement of ocean currents in Antikyra Port is very important. First of all, it is important for vessel navigation safety. The knowledge of current speed and direction is crucial for ship captains while approaching berths or navigating through the channel. A cross-current near a berth can make docking a difficult and risky process. For example, if a ship is approaching a berth against a significant current, the captain may need to adjust the speed and angle of approach to ensure a smooth and safe docking. Accurate current measurements allow captains to make informed decisions and reduce the risk of collisions and accidents.

It is also very crucial to optimize the port operations. Current data helps them in fixing more efficient arrival and departure times of ships. Understanding the tidal currents and other periodic flow features port authorities can plan better berthing and scheduling for loading and unloading activities. The increased productivity is because this enables a better coordination of cargo - handling operations.

Knowledge of ocean currents is very important in case of any accidental spilling from the ships carrying oil or any other chemicals, from an environmental point of view. Since the port handles goods of this nature, understanding current patterns can allow for quick and efficient measures of containment and mitigation in case of any spill to minimize environmental damage.

Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers offer a more time and cost-effective way of measuring these currents with greater precision than traditional means.

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

Measurement Principle

ADCPs function on the principle of the Doppler effect. An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) that sends out an acoustic signal into the water interacts with moving water particles. Due to the presence of an ocean current, these water particles are in continuous motion and cause a frequency shift of the reflected acoustic signal received by the ADCP meter. This frequency shift, due to the Doppler effect, is related to the flow velocity.

Calculation of Current Speed and Direction

By analyzing the magnitude and direction of this frequency shift, the ADCP profiler can calculate the speed and direction of the ocean current at different depths in the water column. By emitting signals at multiple angles and different depths, it can create a profile of the ocean current, showing how the current varies with depth.

ADCP Deployment in the Port

Shipborne ADCP

A shipborne ADCP can be installed on ships operating in the Antikyra Port area. While the ship is moving around the port, the ADCP current meter continuously sends acoustic signals into the water below. The movement of the ship enables the ADCP profiler to cover a wide area and collect current data from different locations. For instance, in a normal survey of the port by a research or inspection ship with a shipborne ADCP, it can collect data from the current patterns across different parts of the port and thus give a general view of the water flow situation.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs may be deployed in permanent locations around the port, for instance, at the bottom of the sea around important passages or near entrance/exit regions of the port. These then continually provide their measurement of ocean currents from that fixed position for long-term records. This information provides valuable input regarding regular current phenomena at places within the port. For example, a bottom-moored ADCP installed near the entrance can measure the incoming and outgoing currents, hence helping to understand the tidal effects and other consistent flow characteristics of that area.

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

Equipment Requirements

For high - quality measurement of the currents in Antikyra port, some equipment characteristics are required. First of all is the reliability of the materials on which the equipment will be constructed. The equipment must be durable enough to resist corrosion from sea water. Seawater contains salt and other chemicals that destroy the material after some time. The equipment also needs to withstand pressure variation with depth and mechanical forces due to waves and currents.

Secondly, a smaller size, lighter weight, and lower power consumption are desirable. A compact size allows for easier installation in various locations within the port, whether on ships, on fixed structures like piers, or on the seabed. A lighter weight simplifies the installation and transportation processes. Lower power consumption ensures that the equipment can operate continuously for long periods without the need for frequent battery replacements or excessive power supply, especially in long-term monitoring applications.

Cost is another important factor: A lower-cost option enables the port to deploy a larger number of measuring devices for more comprehensive current monitoring across different areas of the port.

The Advantage of Titanium Alloy for ADCP Casing

ADCP flow meter casings are preferred to be made from titanium alloy. Titanium alloy has superior corrosion resistance, meaning that even after long exposure to seawater, it will not lose its structural integrity or functionality. Its high strength-to-weight ratio allows for the construction of a durable yet relatively lightweight casing. For instance, in the deeper parts of the Antikyra port where higher water pressures are present, an ADCP current meter with a casing made of titanium alloy can effectively bear these pressures and continue to provide accurate current measurements.

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

Selection Based on Usage

Shipborne ADCP: When the objective is to conduct wide-area surveys of the port waters while the ship is in operation, the use of a shipborne ADCP may be suitable. It can cover different sections of the port as the ship moves around, collecting a large amount of data with which it can provide a comprehensive overview of the overall current situation in the port. That would be useful in mapping general patterns of flow and variation between different areas of the port waters.

Sitting-bottom ADCP: Long-term fixed-point monitoring of some special positions in the port, including those near important infrastructures or areas with complex current behaviors, is more appropriate when done using a sitting-bottom ADCP. In this way, it can record continuously the current data at those fixed positions, providing much information on the local current characteristics and their time variations.

Buoy-mounted ADCP: In cases when it is not convenient to install fixed equipment on the seabed or on ships, buoy-mounted ADCPs can be used. They float on the water surface and can measure the currents in the upper layers of the water column. They are relatively easy to deploy and can be relocated if needed, making them suitable for monitoring certain dynamic or hard-to-reach areas within the port.

Frequency Selection

In Antikyra port, the water depth determines the choice of frequency for ADCPs. An ADCP with a frequency of 600 kHz can be used for the areas where the water depth does not exceed 70 meters since this is quite an appropriate value for a rather shallow depth range and allows accurate current measurement. When the water is deeper, say up to about 110 meters, then an ADCP current meter with a frequency of 300 kHz is more advisable. In case of extremely deep sections of the port, with water depth reaching up to 1000 meters, an ADCP flow meter with a frequency of 75 kHz is recommended to make sure there is reliable profiling of the ocean currents at such great depths.

There are several well-known ADCP meter brands in the market, such as Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, there is also an excellent Chinese ADCP brand-China Sonar PandaADCP. It is made entirely of titanium alloy material, which not only ensures its durability in the marine environment but also offers an excellent cost-performance ratio. For more information, you can visit its official website: (https://china-sonar.com/).

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