ADCP in Jinzhou Port's Ocean Current Measurement

1. Where is the Location of Jinzhou Port?

Jinzhou Port, located in Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China, is an important port along the Bohai Sea and plays a very essential role in the regional transportation and trade network.

Port Scale and Throughput

Scale: It is a relatively medium-scale port with a quite well-developed infrastructure. It consists of various terminals that can handle different cargo commodities. There are several berths, which include deep-water berths, capable of handling medium- to large-sized ships, such as bulk carriers and container ships.

Throughput: Being one of the most considerable annual outputs in Jinzhou Port, it has mainly operated in bulk cargo transportation such as coal, grains, and ores. Recently, however, it is also targeted for increasing container traffic volume. Shipping throughput has risen uninterruptedly for several successive years and has consolidated its leading position in Northeast China's domestic and international trade.

Routes and Business

Routes: The port is part of an extended network of shipping routes. At the national level, it connects with major ports along the Chinese coastline. At the international level, the port has trade relations with the harbors in Northeast Asia, like South Korea and Japan, and which continues to expand its reach towards other regions gradually.

Business: Business operations of Jinzhou Port are really vast. It takes part in the import and export business of local industrial and agricultural products. To say for example, it exports the local agricultural produce and imports raw materials and machinery for the local industries.

Ports Management and Operation

Jinzhou Port is organized with an effective system. Port management is responsible for the entry and exit coordinating of ships, berth allocation, and cargo-handling operations. Advanced technologies have been adopted in the improvement of efficiency and safety in operations. For instance, digital management systems have been invented to track and schedule ships and cargo. The safety and security of port operations accord a high priority. The port has certain strict safety regulations regarding protection against personnel, ships, and cargo. Simultaneously, environmental protection measures will be undertaken with the view to reducing impacts of port activities on the surrounding marine environment.

Port Facilities

Container Terminals: The container terminals are equipped with quay cranes and gantry cranes for the purpose of loading and unloading containers. The storage yards are laid out in such a way as to ensure orderly container storage and retrieval. Bulk Cargo Terminals: In the bulk cargo terminals, there are conveyor belts, stockpiling areas, and loading appliances. These facilities are designed in such a way to handle a range of bulk items efficiently and safely without serious spillage. Liquid Cargo Terminals: These are fitted with pipelines, storage tanks, and loading arms dealing with oil and other liquid chemicals. Safety systems include spill containment and fire-protection measures.

Channel and Direct Shipping

The channels in Jinzhou Port are well maintained, with adequate depth to enable ships to pass smoothly. Direct shipping services established for some key ports reduce the time of transportation and thus make the port highly competitive. For example, direct routes to nearby ports in Northeast Asia promoted economic and trade exchange.

2. Why should we measure ocean currents in Jinzhou Port?

Impact on Ship Navigation

The measurement of ocean currents at Jinzhou Port will be highly useful for the purpose of navigation of ships. Currents have a great influence on the speed and course of ships. Accurate information about currents in a busy port environment helps ship captains make more realistic decisions regarding adjustments in speed and course. This helps them avoid collisions and facilitates quick and more efficient docking and undocking procedures.

Influence on Cargo Handling

Ocean currents can interfere with the ability to handle cargo efficiently. Currents that are turbulent or strong may restrict the operations of cargo handling equipment, such as cranes. Measurement of current will enable the port to plan cargo-handling operations better, and this will help reduce waiting time for vessels and improve efficiency in all works at the facility.

Role in Environmental Monitoring

Ocean current measurement is essential to the environmental monitoring of the port area. If an oil spill or other forms of pollutants occur, current data would lead to the forecasting of the contaminants' spread in terms of direction and speed. Thus, the port can undertake timely preventive and remedial measures to avoid marine environment damage. An ADCP offers a more advanced and convenient operation than previous methods, which makes it conductive to the operations of Jinzhou Port.

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

Measurement Principle

The working of an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler(ADCP) is based on the Doppler principle. When the ADCP current profiler transmits an acoustic signal into the water, the signal scatters off particles and other constituents within the water. Due to the Doppler effect, the scattered signal received back by the ADCP doppler will have a different frequency from that transmitted as the water particles are in motion with the ocean current. The velocity of the water particles and hence the velocity of the ocean current can be calculated from the measured shift in frequency.

ADCP in Port Ocean Current Measurement: Shipborne ADCP

They are installed on ships: During the movement of a ship in the Jinzhou Port area, ADCP current meter will continuously transmit and receive acoustic signals. It can measure the ocean currents at different depths along the path in which the ship passes. The data collected will be able to analyze current conditions in the area where the ship is sailing and provide information that will be of great importance to the navigation and operation of the vessel.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs are normally set up at some place in the Jinzhou Port, such as on a pier or buoy. These ADCP flow meter do not change their position and continuously measure the surrounding current. They are able to provide long-term and stable data of current, which is very useful for understanding the overall current pattern and its variation with time in the port area.

4. What is required for measuring the currents highly accurately in Jinzhou Port?

Equipment Requirement

Reliability of Material: Materials for these equipment should be highly reliable to bear the harsh marine condition like seawater corrosion, high humidity, and possible impacts from the floating object. Small size and low weight mean a small-sized, lightweight ADCP is convenient in terms of installation and operation, especially for shipborne ADCPs. Low power consumption enables the equipment to work for a long period without frequent battery changes or high-power supply, which is important for both fixed and shipborne ADCP meter. Low Cost for Mass Measurement: To realize large-scale current measurement in the port, the equipment cost should be relatively low. In this way, more ADCPs can be deployed at different locations in the port to obtain more comprehensive current data.

The Advantage of Using Titanium Alloy for ADCP Casing

Titanium alloy is a very good material for ADCP profiler casing. It has several advantages. It has excellent corrosion resistance, which will help to bear up against the corrosive action of seawater effectively and thus ensure long-term stability and reliability for this equipment. Since the strength-to-weight ratio is very high, it ensures adequate strength with relatively low weight and, therefore, meets the requirements of small size and lightweight. Third, the thermal stability of titanium alloy is good, helpful in maintaining the normal operation of equipment under different temperatures in port areas.

5. How to choose right equipment for current measurement?

Based on the Use Purpose

Shipborne ADCP: If the measurement is mainly performed on vessels, then shipborne ADCP is apt. It can move with the vessel and record currents in the different areas of the port as the vessel navigates.

Sitting - Bottom ADCP: The bottom ADCP is suited for monitoring of current at a fixed point for long periods at a specific location in the Jinzhou Port. It can normally be installed on the seabed and continuously monitor currents occurring in its vicinity.

Buoy - Type ADCP: Buoy - type ADCP is applicable when one needs real - time monitoring of currents in a certain area of the port. It can float on the water surface and the acoustic doppler flow meter on it can measure the currents around. In this case, 600 kHz ADCP is suitable for shallow water depth within 70 m, and can achieve quite shallow water. The higher resolution of current data can be achieved. 300 kHz ADCP is suitable for water depth up to 110 m, and 75 kHz ADCP is suitable for quite deep water up to 1000 m. This enables the calculation of current at any depth according to the real water depth in Jinzhou Port.

There are several well - known ADCP brands such as Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, for those looking for cost - effective options, the Chinese brand China Sonar PandaADCP is highly recommended. It is made of all - titanium alloy material and has an incredible cost - performance ratio. You can visit its website (https://china-sonar.com/) for more information.

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