ADCP in Zhanjiang Port's Ocean Current Measurement

1. Where is Zhanjiang Port?

Zhanjiang Port is at Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province of China. Zhanjiang port has a long history with its essence as a very important port along the southern coast of China.

Port Scale and Throughput

Zhanjiang Port is moderately sized, with an assortment of terminals dealing in all kinds of cargo-the annual throughput very high, including containers, bulk cargo like grains and ores, and liquid cargo including oil and chemical products. The port has continued to develop, with its container throughput showing a growth trend, reinforcing its position in regional and international trade.

Routes and Business

The port has an extensive connection to shipping routes: domestically, with major ports along the Chinese coastline; abroad, to ports in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and even farther afield. A wide range of business operations is covered by Zhanjiang Port in its services, including importing and exporting general merchandise, transporting energy resources like coal and oil, and handling industrial raw materials.

Management and Operation of the Port

Zhanjiang Port is managed by a professional team with some of the most developed management systems and technologies. The port authority directs entry and exit of ships, performs the proper allocation of efficient berthing, and is concerned with the smooth process of cargo handling. They are also focusing considerable attention on safety management, introducing severe safety regulations to safeguard the lives and properties of people involved with port operations.

Facilities at the Port

The port is facilitated with state-of-the-art facilities. It has deep-water berths with heavy vessel accommodation. Advanced quay cranes and gantry cranes are also installed at the container terminals for speedy loading and unloading of containers. In addition to the above, there are vast areas of storage comprising big warehouses of general merchandise and storage tanks for liquid cargo.

Channel and Direct Shipping

Zhanjiang Port is in a sound condition regarding its channel with enough depth inside it. It has set up a direct transport shipping service to some essential international ports, which can greatly shorten the time taken for transportation and improve the competitiveness of trade. For example, the opening of direct routes from Zhanjiang to Southeast Asia has promoted closer economic and trade cooperation with those regions.

2. Why is it necessary to measure the ocean currents in Zhanjiang Port?

Impact on Ship Navigation

Accurate measurement of the ocean currents in Zhanjiang Port is important in guiding ships in their navigation. Ocean currents impede or expedite the speed at which ships travel when entering and leaving the port. Understanding the actual state of the currents puts the captains of ships in a better position to decide on the optimal adjustments of speed and course for their safe and efficient passage. In a busy port like Zhanjiang, where many ships are in operation at any given time, knowledge of the currents avoids collisions and other navigation hazards.

Influence on Cargo Handling

Finally, the strength and unpredictability of ocean currents may have an impact on the issue of efficiency in the handling of cargo. Strong or unpredictable currents could challenge the operation of loading and unloading equipment at a port, such as cranes. Measuring the currents enables the port to schedule cargo handling operations more effectively, taking into account the current conditions to minimize waiting times for the ships and enhance efficiency in general work.

Zhanjiang Port Area:

The measurement of the ocean currents has an important role to play in environmental monitoring. Currents could modify the dispersion of pollutants such as oil spills and other contaminants. From this, it follows that with correct current data, one will be in a position to predict the spread direction of pollutants and take timely preventive as well as remedial measures to protect the marine environment of the port. That is highly advanced and convenient in the measurement of ocean currents compared to traditional methods; therefore, it is very useful for Zhanjiang Port.

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

Measurement Principle

The Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler(ADCP) work based on the principle behind the Doppler. In the water, an acoustic signal transmitted by the ADCP current meter gets scattered by particles and other substances. Since the water particles are moving with the ocean current, the scattered signal frequency received back by the ADCP will be different from the transmitted frequency due to the Doppler effect. By measuring this frequency shift, the velocity of the water particles and hence the velocity of the ocean current can be calculated.

ADCP in Port Ocean Current Measurement: Shipborne ADCP

Shipborne ADCP current profiler is installed on vessels which, while moving in the area of interest-say, the Zhanjiang Port area in this case-continuously emit and receive acoustic signals. The ADCP would hence be able to measure currents at various depths along the track the ship is taking. Data obtained from this may be further analyzed for current conditions at a place the ship is passing through in order to facilitate or guide the ships afloat. Fixed ADCP doppler will be installed at fixed locations in given positions in the Zhanjiang Port, such as on piers or buoys. They shall not move; thus, they would continuously monitor the currents of the ocean in their vicinity. Therefore, it can provide long-term and stable current data to understand the pattern and temporal changes in the overall currents of the Zhanjiang Port area.

4. What is needed for the high-quality measurement of currents within Zhanjiang Port?

Equipment Requirement

At each measurement site, there are a few things that need to be put in place about the equipment to have a high-quality current measurement in Zhanjiang Port.

Material Reliability

High reliability materials should be used. It should be resistant to the marine environment, which entails corrosion of seawater, high humidity, and impacts caused by floating objects.

Small Size, Light Weight, Low Power Consumption

It has to be compact and lightweight to ease installation and transportation, especially for the shipborne ADCP flow meter. The power consumption also has to be minimal for long operation without frequent replacement of batteries or excess power supplies, and this becomes highly effective both in fixed and shipborne ADCPs.

Low Cost for Mass Measurement

The cost of the equipment should be low enough for large-scale measurement to be conducted in Zhanjiang Port, so that several ADCP meter can be placed along different parts of the port in order to capture more diverse current data.

Advantage of Using Titanium Alloy as ADCP Casings

Titanium alloy is an ideal material for ADCP casings. There are some interesting advantages. Firstly, it has excellent corrosion resistance and can well resist the corrosive effect of seawater, ensuring long-term stability and reliability in service. Secondly, it has a high strength-to-weight ratio to ensure sufficient strength with a small mass, thus meeting the demand for small size and light weight. It has good thermal stability, which will be very helpful to guarantee a good working ability of the equipment under various temperature environments in the Zhanjiang Port area.

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

Purpose of Use

Equipment selection during the current measurement at Zhanjiang Port shall be performed with consideration of the purpose of its use.

Shipborne ADCP

Shipborne ADCP is ideal if the measurement is mainly carried out on ships. It can move along with the ship, navigating and measuring currents in the different areas of the port.

Sitting-Bottom ADCP

If the purpose is for long-term or fixed-point monitoring of currents at a specific location in the Zhanjiang Port, then a sitting-bottom ADCP could be a good choice. It is normally installed on the seabed and can monitor the current that may exist within its vicinity continuously.

Buoy-Type ADCP

Buoy-type ADCP is suitable for the requirements of real-time monitoring of currents in a certain area at the Zhanjiang Port. The buoy can float on the water surface, and the ADCP profiler on it measures the currents around it.

Selection Based on Different Frequencies

Different frequencies of ADCPs suit different water depth. For example, a 600 kHz ADCP is fit for the water within 70 m in depth. It can provide more detailed current data in the relatively shallow water area. 300 kHz ADCP is suitable for water depth up to 110 m, while 75 kHz ADCP works quite well at a much greater depth, reaching up to 1000 m. It allows taking into account real water depth conditions and providing quite accurate measurement of currents at different depths in Zhanjiang Port accordingly.

Some well-known brands in ADCP include Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. For people with budgetary constraints, I highly recommend the Chinese brand China Sonar PandaADCP. It is all made from titanium alloy material with an unbelievable price-performance ratio. You can check their website on https://china-sonar.com/.

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