ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in Ferrol Port

1. Where is Ferrol Port?

Ferrol is a city in the autonomous community of Galicia, in the northwest of Spain. Ferrol Port constitutes a long-standing important facility in Spanish and world-wide navigation. Its harbor provides shelter and a base from which ships go all over the world.

Scale and Throughput of Port

The port of Ferrol is large in size and has a considerable throughput. It is well-equipped to handle a wide range of cargo, including naval vessels due to its connection with the Spanish navy, containers, bulk cargo such as coal and ores, and general merchandise. The facilities and infrastructure of the port are designed to manage the flow of goods efficiently, and it forms a very important link in the regional and international trade network.

Routes and Business

Ferrol Port has a wide network of shipping routes, connecting it with other ports in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and even across the globe. The main business sectors involve the import and export of industrial products, raw materials for manufacturing, and naval-related equipment and supplies. It also has a role in the fishing industry, with fishing vessels using the port as a base for their operations.

Port Management and Operation

The port is managed professionally by a team focusing on efficient and safe operations: organization of the berthing arrangement for ships, procedures for cargo handling, and security measures are under consideration. Advanced management systems ensure the optimization of the flow of vessels and cargoes and minimize waiting times with the aim of boosting productivity. It also follows severe rules of environmental impact in the surrounding area.

Facilities

The port is equipped with the latest and best facilities available, having deep water berths adequate to handle or support large navy vessels, container vessels, bulk carriers, as well as highly sophisticated cranes that are fit to handle containerised loads and even heavy cargo generally and have broad acres used as storage reserves. These storage facilities include temperature-controlled warehouses for perishable goods and open-air storage yards for bulk materials. In addition, there are facilities for ship repair and maintenance, which, in view of the naval presence, is of especial importance.

Channel and Direct Shipping

The channel of the port is kept at a depth such that provides safety of passage. Direct shipping links in major European, American, and other continents are available. This direct shipment network has great importance as this reduces time and cost of transit merchandise through this port.

2. Why Should We Measure Ocean Currents of Ferrol Port?

Measuring the current at the Ferrol Port is important on various grounds. Data relating to currents comes in quite handy for proper boat navigation. Ocean currents here are relatively powerful, variative, and quite unpredictable most times; a very proper understanding thereof by the sailors helps these captains enter the port comfortably without any challenges occurring. All that said, avoiding ship collisions protects ship infrastructural materials.

Ocean currents can provide effects on the stability of loading and unloading for cargo handling. For example, in using floating equipment such as cranes or barges, the effect of currents has to be considered to ensure that the cargo transfer is accurately and efficiently performed. In such cases, by understanding the currents, the port can optimize such operations and reduce the risk of damage to cargo and equipment.

Understanding currents is thirdly vital to predict sediment transport and to maintain the depth in the channels and berths over time. With regular current measurement, specific data will be developed for dredging operations that will also ensure the functionality of the port for a long term.

It is more advanced and convenient compared to the earlier method of current measurement. ADCP flow meter will be able to provide real-time, multi-depth current data that will be very useful for the operation and management of the port.

3. How do ADCPs using the Doppler principle work?

The ADCPs work on the principle of Doppler. They send acoustic signals into the water. These signals interfere with the particles or any other elements that are moving with the flow of the current. When these acoustic signals are reflected, they change their frequency since there is a Doppler shift between emission and reflection. According to this shift of frequency, the frequency change will interpret the velocity of the water current.

ADCP in Port Ocean Current Measurement

Shipborne ADCP

Shipborne ADCPs are mounted on ships. As the ship is in motion, it travels around the port area while the ADCP profiler sends acoustic pulses down and sideways. These pulses work out the velocity of the current at various depths in the direction of travel. The data gets transmitted to the ship's navigation or monitoring system in real -time, thus enabling the crew to adjust the course and speed according to the current conditions.

Fixed ADCP

In ocean current measurement in the port, ADCP flow meter is fixed at a certain place in the port either on the seabed or on the side of port structure. They continuously monitor the ocean currents in a particular area. Data collected by fixed ADCPs provides a long-term understanding of the current patterns in the port, which is useful for port planning and infrastructure maintenance.

4. What is needed for high-quality measurement of Ferrol port currents?

This equipment should be made of resistant materials for quality current measurement in the Ferrol port. It should bear up against the corrosive action of sea water and the changes in pressure. The desirable dimensions are smaller in size, lightweight, and of low power consumption. Compact size permits easy installation at any place in a port. Low power consumption allows for longer-term operation without the need to change batteries frequently or run into power supply problems. Cost-effectiveness is another factor so that measurement equipment can be deployed on a large scale.

The casing of ADCP meter is preferably made of titanium alloy. It has excellent corrosion resistance for long-term use in seawater. Besides that, it is able to bear the high pressure with high strength-to-weight ratio without adding too much weight to the equipment. Moreover, it is also biocompatible; it does minimal harm to the marine environment.

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

Usage Purpose

• Shipborne ADCP: This is suitable for measuring currents during the movement of ships. It provides real - time data about the 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 observation of a certain area in the port, it provides a consistent view of the current situation in that location. It is very useful for understanding the long-term current patterns and for the maintenance of port infrastructure.
• Buoy-mounted ADCP: This contributes in areas where fixing any equipment on the seabed or vessels is not viable. The buoy-mounted ADCP can float on the water surface and measure the currents around it, thus allowing flexibility in the measurement locations.

Based on Different Frequencies

• 600kHz is a good choice for water with a depth up to 70m as it can carry out accurate current measurements in pretty shallow water.
• For depth around 110m, it's better to work with a 300kHz ADCP; it can then measure the currents of such depth.
• For deeper waters up to 1000m, a 75kHz is good and recommended for 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.