ADCP in Patimban Port: Ocean Current Measurement

1. Where is Patimban port?

Patimban port is located in Subang, West Java, Indonesia. It is a strategic deep - sea port that is designed to handle a large volume of cargo and play a significant role in Indonesia's maritime trade.

Port Scale and Throughput

The port of Patimban has a large-scale infrastructure. It is anticipated to realize high throughput capacity, with a wide array of cargo handling: from containerized cargo to bulk cargo including coal and minerals and to liquid cargo. As the facility develops, it strives to handle a substantial fraction of Indonesia's international cargo from its trade. Indeed, the port is fitted for large vessels, even going up to container vessels and bulk carriers, all in a bid to increase annual cargo-handling capacity.

Routes and Business

It is connected with great shipping lanes in the Java Sea and beyond. Domestically, it serves as a vital link for transporting goods to and from various parts of Indonesia. Internationally, it has the potential to establish connections with ports in Asia - Pacific, Europe, and other regions. Business operation areas at Patimban range from imports of capital goods, such as machinery, to the export of Indonesian products, including agricultural and manufactured goods.

Port Management and Operation

Basically, management invests in efficient, effective, and sustainable performance of the port facility. Some matters the port authority supervises include vessel traffic, control of cargo handling and storage, and so forth, by using advanced information and communication technologies that aim at quick and efficient goods flow. There is a great number of measures concerning safety: response against emergency situations, vessel, and worker safety; whereas in terms of security-the protection of the facility against unauthorized access and various risks, for instance.

Port Facilities

Patimban port is a modern facility. It has several deep-water berths that can handle various sizes of ships. Advanced cranes and other modern cargo-handling equipment for the loading and unloading of goods are available. Storage facilities include container yards, warehouses for general cargo, and tanks for liquid cargo. Other facilities will include ship repair and maintenance and other support services such as bunkering and provisioning.

Channels and Direct Routes

The channels that lead to the port are dredged for safe passage. There is a need to ensure dredging to the depth at which big vessels can safely enter and leave the port. Patimban has direct routes to other main ports in Indonesia, and some international ports, thus enabling faster transportation of goods and therefore its role in international trade.

2. Why should we measure ocean currents in the Patimban port?

Measuring ocean currents in the Patimban port is of great importance. Firstly, for the safety of ships. Given its status as a major port with large vessels coming and going, knowledge of current patterns is essential for safe navigation. Currents can affect a ship's maneuverability during docking and undocking, and accurate current measurements can help ship captains make precise adjustments to avoid collisions and damage to vessels and port infrastructure.

Second, this is important for efficient port operations. Knowledge of the existing patterns allows for better utilization of the facilities within the ports. It could help, for example, in identifying the ideal locations for handling and stacking cargo, taking into consideration the directions and strengths of the currents. This leads to a faster loading and unloading process, reducing time wasted by vessels and at the same time reducing the general cost of the operation.

The existing measurements are also important from an environmental point of view. They can provide information about the dispersion of pollutants and sediments in the port area. Such information is vital for a good marine environment and for planning dredging and other coastal engineering works. Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) provides a more sophisticated and easy means of measuring such currents than was hitherto available with conventional methods.

3. How do ADCPs using the Doppler principle work?

The working of ADCPs is based on the Doppler effect. ADCPs emit acoustic signals into the water. The signals interact with particles in the water that are moving with the current. As the particles move, the frequency of the reflected signal changes due to the Doppler effect.

Ship-borne ADCP

In Patimban port, when a ship-borne ADCP is used, it is installed on a vessel. With its active movement through the water, an ADCP sends acoustic pulses either in a downward -looking or side-looking directions. The reflected signals are received from the water column and analyzed. The Doppler shift in these signals determines the velocity of the current at different depths. Such continuous measurement enables profiling the current structure while the ship cruises through the area.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs can be mounted on structures such as piers or buoys. They continuously emit acoustic signals in a downward-looking direction. Then, the reflected signals are analyzed for the Doppler shift. In this way, fixed ADCPs, while continuously monitoring the current at a certain place, are able to provide a long-term record of current velocity and direction, thus enabling an understanding of the behavior of the current near the port entrance or any other place of interest.

4. What is required for the high-quality measurement of Patimban port currents?

The equipment to be used for high-quality current measurement in the Patimban port should be made with reliable materials. It must be small in size and lightweight, especially for ship - borne ADCPs. This is important in the sense that it allows easy installation and transportation.

Since most of the fixed ADCPs have to operate continuously, low power consumption is of high importance. Cost-effectiveness is also important since more devices can be deployed in order to measure current with high resolution.

The ADCP current profiler casing is preferably of Titanium alloy. The corrosion resistance of Titanium alloy is excellent and essential in the marine environment at the port. Saltwater in the Patimban port is corrosive to ordinary metals. Seawater corrosion resistance is one of the main features of titanium alloy, which will make sure that the equipment has long-term durability. It also has a high strength-to-weight ratio that helps reduce the overall weight of the device while maintaining its structural integrity.

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

Based on Usage

Ship-borne ADCP: This is suitable for when you want to measure currents during the movement of a vessel. In the Patimban port, it can be used by ships to measure the current along their path, helping in navigation and operational decisions.

Sit-on-bottom ADCP: Ideal for long - term and fixed - point monitoring of currents near the seabed. In the port, it can be used to monitor the current behavior at specific locations such as near the berths or around underwater structures.

Buoy-based ADCP: When the objective is to monitor currents in a specific area over a long period and have some flexibility in location, a buoy-based ADCP can be used. In the Patimban port, it can be placed in areas where ships may not frequently pass but are still important for understanding the overall current patterns.

Based on Frequency

In general, an ADCP flow meter with a frequency of 600kHz will suffice for waters as deep as 70m, while 300kHz are more appropriate for waters with depths of around 110m, and a 75kHz ADCP would be better for very deep waters of up to 1000m.

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

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