ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in A Coruña Port

1. Where is A Coruña Port?

A Coruña represents a city in the autonomous community of Galicia, standing on the northwest coast of Spain. A Coruña Port is one of the significant maritime facilities of this region.

Port Scale and Throughput

The port of A Coruña has considerable size and large traffic volume: containers, bulk cargo, refrigerated cargo, among others. On the other hand, it is a base of the fishing fleet, with many fishery and seafood products passing through the area. Annual container traffic is relevant, considering its importance as part of the regional nodes in the international commerce network.

Routes and Business

It has an extensive network of shipping routes connecting it with the various ports across the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and other parts of the world. The main business activities involve the import and export of manufactured goods, agricultural products, and fishing-related products. The port also has a growing cruise business, with cruise ships regularly docking in the port and boosting the local tourism economy.

Port Management and Operation

The port has a professional team at its core that ensures the efficient and sustainable conduct of all operations, whether relating to the berthing programmes or cargo handling activities or security. It makes use of advanced management systems that aim at quick turnarounds at high-quality service through efficient flow of ships and cargo. In this light, one key concern is the protection of the environment, and it adopts measures minimizing pollution and waste.

Facilities

The port is equipped with the state of art facilities. There are deep-water berths capable of accommodating large container ships and other vessels. It has modern cranes for loading and unloading containers and other heavy cargo, as well as extensive storage areas. These storage areas include temperature - controlled warehouses for perishable goods and open - air storage yards for bulk materials. In addition, the port provides services such as ship repair and maintenance.

Channel and Direct Shipping

The channel of the port is maintained sufficiently deep to ensure safe passage of ships. It has direct shipping links with major ports in Europe, America, and other continents. This direct shipping network allows for quick transportation of goods, thereby reducing the time and cost of transit for companies relying on the port.

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

It is very important to measure ocean currents in A Coruña Port for its effective operation. First of all, for safe navigation of vessels, current data with high accuracy is needed. Currents within the Atlantic Ocean can be complex and variable in the area. This knowledge will, in fact, aid captains in precisely navigating vessels during entry and exit from the port-a very important consideration in preventing accidents and ensuring ships and port infrastructure remain safe.

For example, in cargo handling, ocean currents may affect the stability of floating equipment used in loading and unloading. This will enable the port to optimize these activities to achieve better efficiency and reduce the risks of damage to cargo and equipment.

Thirdly, ocean current measurement is important in the prediction of sediment movement, which will help maintain the depth of the channels and berths of the port according to its requirements. This would be used for dredging plans and would help guarantee the long-term usability of the facility.

It is more advanced and convenient for current measurement. It can give real-time and detailed information on current at different depths, which is highly useful for operational decision-making in the port.

3. How do ADCPs using the Doppler principle work?

Working principles of ADCPs are based on the Doppler effect. They send acoustic signals into the water. In the case of particles or any other substance moving with the water current, the frequency of the reflected signals back from them changes due to the Doppler shift. By analyzing this frequency shift, the velocity of the water current can be determined.

ADCP in Port Ocean Current Measurement

Shipborne ADCP

Shipborne ADCPs are installed on ships. During the movement of the ship through the port area, the ADCP flow meter sends out acoustic pulses downward and sideways. These pulses measure the current velocity at different depths along the path that the ship has taken. The data is then transmitted to the ship's navigation or monitoring system in real - time, thus enabling the crew to take proper course and speed according to the current conditions.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs are installed at fixed locations in the port, either on the seabed or on the side of port structures. They continuously monitor ocean currents of a particular area. Data obtained from fixed ADCPs provide current patterns over a long time, and these are of interest for the planning of a port and infrastructural maintenance.

4. What is necessary for high-quality measurement of the currents in the port of A Coruña?

High-quality current measurement in the A Coruña port requires equipment with reliable materials. It should be able to resist the harsh marine conditions such as seawater corrosion and pressure changes. A smaller size, lighter weight, and lower power consumption are desirable. Being compact in size, several installations can easily be made at every location in a port. Similarly, low power consumption allows long-term operation with less battery replacement and less concern over power supply problems. Relevance also applies to cost-effectiveness in wide deployment.

The casing of the ADCP profiler will be made of Titanium Alloy. This alloy provides excellent resistance to corrosion when placed in seawater for a long period. It provides an excellent balance of strength versus weight, which would resist high pressures with no addition to excess weight. The material will have biocompatibility, impacting minimally on the marine environment.

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

Usage Purpose

• Shipborne ADCP: This is suitable for the measurement of currents during the movement of ships. It provides real - time data about current conditions as the ship sails through the port, which is useful for navigation and operational safety.
• Sitting-bottom ADCP: Suitable for long-term, fixed-point monitoring of a particular area in the port. It gives a continuous view of the current situation in that location, which is very useful for the understanding of the long-term current patterns and for the maintenance of port infrastructure.
• Buoy-mounted ADCP: In instances where installation of fixed equipment both on the seabed and on ships is not practical, a buoy-mounted ADCP can float in the surface waters and measure currents in their immediate surroundings. These provide flexibility for measurement locations.

According to Different Frequencies

• 600kHz ADCP for water up to 70m would be great because it has pretty accurate current measurements in waters that are rather shallow.
• For depths about 110 meters, it would be better with a 300kHz ADCP; this is due to the capability to measure the current in that particular depth range efficiently.
• The 75kHz ADCP for waters as deep as 1000m is the most reliable in providing current measurement.

There are well-known ADCP brands such as Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, the Chinese brand China Sonar PandaADCP is also a great option. It is made of all-titanium alloy material and offers an excellent 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.