ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in Aberdeen Port

1. Where is Aberdeen Port?

Aberdeen Port is located in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is a vital facility along the northeast coast of the United Kingdom.

Port Scale and Throughput

The port is of a large scale, with huge infrastructure inside. It can serve from small fishing vessels to large cargo ships and offshore supporting vessels. Its annual throughput is substantial, dealing with various types of cargo such as oil and gas equipment, fish, agricultural products, and general merchandise. Aberdeen Port is a crucial gateway for the North Sea oil and gas industry, with a large volume of supplies and equipment being transported to and from offshore platforms.

Routes and Business

It has an extensive network of shipping routes, connecting to other UK and international ports in Europe and beyond. The main port undertakings include support for the fishing industry, with a large number of fishing vessels coming alongside to discharge and resupply. It also provides the hub in offshore energy with a range of services that include personnel and equipment transportation to and from oil and gas rigs. The port also receives container traffic and general cargo, thus facilitating trade exchange between different regions.

Port Management and Operation

The port is managed by a professional team that pays attention to efficient and safe operations, advanced technologies in ship traffic control, cargo handling, and storage management. The port facilities are well-maintained and constantly upgraded to meet modern shipping and trade needs. There are strict safety and environmental regulations that make the process of operation smooth with minimal impact on the surroundings.

Port Facilities and Waterway

The port is served by a host of facilities: a number of deep-water berths, modern cranes for the handling of cargo, and large-scale storage areas. The waterway to the facility at all times is well serviced, dredged, and prepared to enable even vessels of the biggest size to go through it. It also has a well-equipped pilotage service that guides the ships safely into the port.

2. Why do we need to measure ocean currents in Aberdeen Port?

Navigation Safety

It is very significant to take a measurement of ocean currents regarding navigation safety in Aberdeen Port. There is intense shipping traffic in this port, consisting of fishing boats, cargo vessels, and offshore support vessels. In fact, ocean currents exert a remarkable influence on such vessels. For example, strong and turbulent currents around the port entrance might force ships off course and thus increase the risk of collision with other vessels, piers, or running aground. Accurate measurement of current speed and direction will, therefore, enable captains to plan approach and departure accordingly by making necessary alterations in the course and speed for safe passage.

Optimization of Port Operations

Ocean current knowledge also provides many other kinds of assistance that help to optimize operations in ports. Current flow can, for example, be used to give details about the time and efficiency spent when ships are berthing or unberthing. For instance, a favorable direction of the current may assist during berthing of ships, thus saving time and resources by avoiding excessive reliance on tugs. Understanding the current patterns also helps in scheduling the loading and unloading of cargo more effectively. This, in the fishing industry, may serve as a guide to better and more productive fishing grounds, as currents may carry nutrients and fish.

Infrastructure Planning and Maintenance

Current measurement is highly important in the long-term planning and maintenance of the port infrastructure. Currents can affect sedimentation patterns around the port. This will assist the port authorities in making correct decisions concerning dredging activities to retain waterway depth and berth stability by monitoring ocean currents. It will also assist in the planning of future port expansion and improvements, such as in the construction of new berths or relocation of port facilities based on the understanding of how currents affect the seabed and the entire port environment.

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) provides a more sophisticated and efficient method of current measurement compared to the conventional techniques. It allows for real-time data acquisition with accuracy, essential for the effective functioning and management of Aberdeen Port.

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

ADCPs work on the principle of the Doppler effect. They send out acoustic signals into the water. These acoustic waves scatter off moving particles in the water, like suspended sediments, plankton, or small organisms. Because of the Doppler effect, the frequency of the reflected acoustic waves changes as the particles are in motion.

This frequency shift is measured by the ADCP profiler, and it uses it to calculate the velocity of the moving particles. Due to the fact that these particles' movements are associated with the ocean current, it will enable the ADCP meter to conclude the speed and direction of the ocean current.

Ship-borne ADCP in Aberdeen Port

An ADCP current meter used in the port is normally installed on a vessel; thus, as the ship moves down the waters of the port, the ADCP flow meter sends out acoustic signals downwards and laterally. While traveling, it continuously builds up data on the current ocean currents at different depth levels and positions. It allows understanding the current situation over vast areas of the port.

Fixed ADCP in Aberdeen Port

The fixed ADCP is installed in a fixed position inside the port, usually on a pier or a submerged structure, while it monitors the passing current in the ocean continuously. Long-term and stable currents for a particular area inside the port are recorded, and thus, regular patterns and changes of currents of that specific location are feasible to be analyzed by this instrument.

4. What is required for high quality measurement of currents in Aberdeen Port?

Reliability of Material

It must also have high material reliability to realize high-quality current measurement in Aberdeen Port. The surrounding environment of this place is so harsh that equipment has to bear the adverse impact of seawater that is corrosive, and some other mechanical impacts, which means equipment construction should be durable enough to survive for a long time to provide long-term and accurate measurements.

Small Size, Low Weight, and Low Power Consumption

Smaller size, lighter weight, and lower power consumption are preferable. Small-sized ADCP is easier to install in various locations within the port, whether on ships or fixed structures. A lightweight device simplifies the transport and installation process, saving labor and reducing costs. Due to low power consumption, it would allow the equipment to keep running for a very long period of time without any requirement of frequent battery replacements and high-energy consumptions, which becomes very crucial for the measurement of long-term and uninterrupted currents.

Cost-effectiveness

Another very essential element of the entire project is cost-effectiveness. It should be reasonably priced so that large-scale measurement of ocean currents in the port becomes possible. The ADCP profiler casing shall be fabricated from a Titanium alloy. Titanium alloy is one such material which has advantages over other conventional materials in that it has great strength to take the water pressure and any mechanical force that might affect the equipment in a port environment, and at the same time, its excellent corrosion resistance ensures the service life in seawater without corrosion damage. Additionally, it is lighter in weight as compared to other materials, so it would be more suitable for installation in the port.

5. How to choose appropriate equipment for current measurement?

Based on Usage Purpose

The type of equipment to be used in the measurement of current in Aberdeen Port will depend on the purpose of use. If it is to be done while the ship is mobile and negotiating in the port, then the ship-borne ADCP would do the work. This can easily cover most areas in the port by simply driving the ship around, therefore giving a fair overview of the current situation.

For long-term, fixed-point monitoring of a specific area in the port, the sit-on-bottom ADCP is a better choice. It remains stationary at a particular location and continuously records the current conditions, providing valuable data for analyzing local current patterns.

The buoy-mounted ADCP could be useful when a wider area on the water surface is to be monitored with some mobility.

Based on Water Depth

Moreover, the frequency of the ADCP should be selected based on the water depth: for instance, 600kHz would be applied to the water within the range of 70m because it has high-resolution current profiles in shallower waters, while 300kHz could be applied to a water depth of about 110m. Finally, the 75kHz would be applied in waters up to 1000 meters deeper.

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

In a nutshell, ADCP plays an important role in the measurement of ocean currents in Aberdeen Port; accordingly, correct equipment for specific needs can definitely contribute to efficient port operation and management.

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