ADCP in Tanjungpura Port: Ocean Current Measurement

1. Where is Tanjungpura Port

Tanjungpura port is one of the important maritime facilities in Indonesia, a country in Southeast Asia. It serves as one of the crucial links in the trade and transportation for this region.

Port Scale and Throughput

The port is of considerable size and can handle a variety of cargo. These include agricultural products such as palm oil, rubber, and other types of grains, which are common exports from the region. It also handles bulk cargo like coal and construction materials. The annual throughput is influenced by both domestic and international trade demands.

It has the capacity to berth different types of vessels. From medium - sized cargo ships that transport local produce to larger vessels involved in international trade, the port's infrastructure is designed to accommodate a wide range of maritime traffic.

Routes and Business

This means that the Tanjungpura port has also connected both domestic and international shipping lines. Domestically, it is a very vital point in the distribution of goods to other ports and as far inland as possible, whereas its international trade relationship with Asian-Pacific ports should also be established accordingly.

The major business activities include the export of local resources and manufactured goods, as well as the importation of machinery, electronics, and consumer products. All these activities of trade contribute to the economic development in the surrounding area, which the port grants.

Port Management and Operation

The management of the port focuses on efficient and safe operations. The port authority manages functions involving vessel traffic control, cargo handling, and storage. Advanced technologies are implemented in managing the flow of ships and goods to improve efficiency in general operations.

Safety and security are top priorities. The port has strict security measures in place to safeguard against threats like piracy, smuggling, and unauthorized access. Emergency response plans are also developed to handle various situations such as accidents, fires, or natural disasters.

Port Facilities

It is a modern port, having all facilities at its best. It contains various deepwater berths of different nature and can receive vessels of variable sizes and types. Advanced cranes and other goods-handling machinery are provided within the port for quick and proper loading and unloading.

The storage facilities include extensive container yards, warehouses for different types of cargo, and specialized storage for hazardous materials and perishable items. In addition, there are facilities for ship repair and maintenance to support the vessels calling at the port.

Channels and Direct Routes

The channels that lead to and within Tanjungpura port are well-maintained. Regular dredging is done to ensure safe passage of ships. The port also has direct shipping routes to other major ports in Indonesia and international destinations, which enables the transport of goods and increases trade connectivity.

2. Significance of Measuring Ocean Currents in Tanjungpura Port

Vessel Safety: With the high volumes of shipping traffic in the port, a more proper understanding of ocean currents can be used for vessel safety. Currents may have quite an impact on the degree of manageability a ship has in order to dock or undock. Unpredictable or strong currents may lead to collision with other vessels or cause damage to port infrastructure. By measuring the currents, port authorities can provide real-time information to ship captains, enabling them to make more precise navigational decisions and avoid accidents.

Effective Operation of Ports: The study of the ocean current pattern helps in optimizing port facilities. For instance, the directions and strengths of the currents will be able to indicate the most effective locations for handling cargo and storage. Wherever the current is favorable in an area, it can offer loading and unloading operations more effectively, thus reducing the waiting period for vessels and saving on overall cost related to the operation.

Environmental Protection: Present-day measurements are of great environmental value. They could be used for the estimation of the spread of pollutants and sediments within the port area. This information is very valuable for maintaining a healthy marine environment and also for dredging and other coastal engineering operations. For example, understanding the transportation of pollutants by currents will help in implementing proper waste disposal methods to reduce the effect on the local ecosystem. It offers a more advanced and convenient technique for the measurement of such currents compared to conventional techniques.

3. Working Mechanism of ADCPs Based on the Doppler Principle

The basis upon which ADCPs work includes the phenomenon known as the Doppler Effect. They emit acoustic signals into the water. Signals may interact with particles in water that are moving with current. Due to the ‘Doppler effect', the change of signal frequency in reflection depends on the amount the particles have moved.

Ship-borne ADCP: Installing in this case a ship -borne one in Tanjungpura port, it is necessary first for putting aboard a vessel. The ADCP current meter sends out acoustic pulses either in a downward-looking or side-looking direction while the ship is in motion through the water. The reflected signals from the water column are received and analyzed. From the Doppler shift in the signals, the velocity of the water current at different depths is computed and thus profiling of the current structure as the ship is traveling through the area can be done.

Fixed ADCP: A fixed ADCP may be mounted to structures such as piers or buoys. It continuously sends out acoustic signals in a looking direction and the reflected signal back is analyzed for its Doppler shift. Fixed ADCPs can provide a long-term record of the current velocity and direction in a certain place by continuously monitoring the current. This is useful for understanding the current behavior near the port entrance or other critical areas.

4. Requirements for High-Quality Current Measurement in Tanjungpura Port

Design of Equipment and Materials: The equipment for Tanjungpura port current measurement should be made from reliable materials to ensure high-quality measurement. The design is small in size and lightweight, which is advantageous in this area, especially for ship-borne ADCPs, as it will be easier to install and transport. Titanium alloy is preferred for making the casing of ADCP flow meter because it is corrosion-resistant. The saltwater in the port can cause corrosion to ordinary metals, but titanium alloy can resist the corrosive effects of seawater, ensuring the long-term durability of the equipment. It also has a high strength-to-weight ratio, which helps in reducing the overall weight of the device while maintaining its structural integrity.

Power Consumption: The power consumption has to be low. More appropriately, fixed ADCPs can have low power consumption while in continuous operation to eliminate or reduce frequent battery changes and the maintenance of other sources of power.

Cost-effectiveness: Cost-effectiveness is an important factor as well. Given the scale of the port and the need for comprehensive current measurement, the equipment should be reasonably priced to enable the deployment of multiple devices if necessary.

5. Selection of Appropriate Equipment for Current Measurement

Based on Usage

Ship-borne ADCP: This will be useful for measurements in currents to be measured during vessel movements. The ships navigating at Tanjungpura can use it to get information about the current along the direction of navigation and aid the ship in some operational decision-making.

Bottom-mounted ADCP: Suitable for monitoring over a longer duration and at fixed points; good for currents near the seafloor. It would be used in the port for current behavior monitoring at any fixed location, like above-berth or above-bank systems in general, or underwater construction.

Buoy-based ADCP: If the purpose is to monitor the current within an area for longer periods, with some flexibility in the location, then the buoy-based ADCP will be considered. At Tanjungpura Port, it will be positioned in places that may not usually be traversed by ships but are necessary to monitor as per overall current patterns.

Frequency-Based

For waters up to 70m deep, an ADCP current profiler of frequency 600kHz will generally be adequate. Where the depth is around 110m, a better choice would be 300kHz, while for very deep waters of up to 1000m, 75kHz ADCP would do just fine.

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.