ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in Isabela Port

1. Where is Isabela Port?

Isabela Port is in the province of Isabela, Philippines. It holds a significant position within the regional maritime transport network.

Port Scale and Throughput

The port has a certain scale, accommodating all kinds of cargo. It handles substantial amounts of agricultural products from the fertile lands of Isabela, such as rice, corn, and various fruits. It also handles construction materials for local infrastructure development and imported goods, which are very essential for the local economy. Its annual throughput has been on a continuous rise with the expansion of various economic activities in the region, while efforts are unceasingly being made to further extend its handling capacity to meet increasing demands.

Routes and Business

Isabela Port is connected to various domestic ports, facilitating the transportation of goods across different regions in the Philippines. It plays a vital role in the distribution of local produce to large markets and bringing in vital supplies. The key business activities of the port pertain to vessel loading and unloading, storage of cargo in well-equipped warehouses, and liaison with concerned authorities for customs and other regulatory clearances. Facilities for docking fishing boats and handling fishery-related products also extend services to the fishing industry.

Port Management and Operation

The port is operated by a professional port authority responsible for its smooth functioning on a day-to-day basis. They are involved in vessel scheduling, ensuring the port area is safe and clean, and the port facilities remain in working condition. Berths and warehouses besides other infrastructures are regularly maintained to support efficient operations.

Port Facilities

The port has berths, which can accommodate ships of different sizes, from small fishing vessels to medium-sized cargo ships. There are spacious warehouses for storing various types of goods, protecting them from the elements and enabling organized inventory management. It also has loading and unloading equipment, including cranes and forklifts, to facilitate the transfer of cargo between the ships and the portside. In addition, facilities are provided for supplying fuel, water, and other services to the vessels.

Channel and Direct Shipping

Isabela Port has a well-maintained channel that allows ships to enter and exit safely. The depth and width of the channel are regularly monitored and dredged when necessary to ensure the passage of vessels of appropriate sizes. Though it may not boast of a large number of direct international shipping links, it enjoys regular connections with key domestic ports for efficient movement within the country.

2. Why is the measurement of the ocean currents in the Isabela Port necessary?

Safety of Ships

Measuring ocean currents is important in the case of Isabela Port for the safety of the ships using the port. It will help the port authority and the pilots of the ship to guide the vessels better while berthing and departing by understanding the direction and speed of the currents. Knowledge of the currents helps decrease the risk of collisions of vessels with port structures or other vessels, especially under adverse weather conditions or whenever larger vessels with less maneuverability are involved.

Optimizing Port Operations

Current data is highly valuable for the optimization of the operations in the port. For example, it may be taken into consideration during the planning of cargo loading and unloading activities. These activities will be faster and more efficient during some current conditions than during others. For instance, strong currents may necessitate special mooring arrangements or an adjustment in the handling practices to ensure the safety of the personnel and the integrity of the cargo.

Supporting Port Development

Understanding the ocean currents is crucial in the long-term planning and development of the port, be it for expanding facilities or for the construction of new infrastructure. These currents exert hydrodynamic forces on the structures within the port, which may affect stability and durability. Engineers need this information in designing structures that will stand these forces so as to ensure the port is serviceable for a long period.

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) offers a more sophisticated and convenient approach to the conventionally employed current measurement methods. It gives in-depth, detailed information on currents at various depths rather quickly and more accurately, thereby allowing port operators to arrive at decisions rather fast, hence improving overall efficiency in Isabela Port.

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

The ADCPs work on the principle of the Doppler effect. They send out acoustic signals into the water. The acoustic waves scatter off the suspended particles or any other scattering objects in the water, which is moving with the ocean current. When the waves are reflected back to the ADCP profiler, the frequency of the reflected waves shifts due to the Doppler effect.

Precise analysis of this frequency shift enables the ADCP current meter to calculate the velocity of the ocean current at different depths within its measurement range.

ADCP in Port Ocean Current Measurement

Shipborne ADCP

Shipborne ADCPs are installed on ships operating at Isabela Port. During a trip of the ship through waters within the port, the ADCP flow meter continuously emits acoustic signals in multiple directions. It can collect current data at a lot of points along the ship's path, thus giving a more complete picture of the distribution of ocean currents across different parts of the port. This enables an overview of the situation within a relatively large area, covered by the ship movement.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs are typically deployed at fixed locations within the port, either on the seabed at locations of significant infrastructure, such as piers, or at strategic locations in the waterway. They will not move around and will continuously monitor ocean current conditions at that location over a long period. This gives consistent and long-term data, which is of essence for understanding the regular patterns of these currents and, in turn, assessing their impact on the port facilities and operations at fixed positions.

4. What does it take to measure the current of the Isabela Port?

Material Reliability

The ocean currents of the Isabela Port require reliable material in all the equipment for accomplishing a high-quality measurement. The equipment should be made from materials that could withstand such harsh marine conditions like saltwater corrosion, varying water pressure at different depths, and continuous action of waves without deterioration in its performance. One of the best materials to use for the casing of ADCPs is a titanium alloy. High strength in allowing it to bear all mechanical forces in the ocean; resistance to corrosion is excellent enough to secure its lifetime use in seawater.

Size, Weight, and Power Consumption

It should also be small in size, lightweight, and with low power consumption. A small size would allow for easy installation at different locations within the port, whether on ships or at fixed locations. Light weight makes handling and deployment easier, and low power consumption allows the equipment to function for longer periods of time without having to change batteries frequently or increasing the power supply excessively.

Cost-Effectiveness

Cost-effectiveness to allow for widespread measurement across the port. The equipment should be reasonably priced to allow several units to be deployed for comprehensive current data from various locations within the port area.

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

According to the Usage Purpose

• Shipborne ADCP: The most suitable option in the event that the intention is to do mobile measurements while the ship moves around Isabela Port for an accurate overview of the present current situation in large parts of the port in the least time. Can measure during normal operations of the ship on a wide range of areas.
• Bottom-mounted ADCP: It would be more appropriate when continuous and long-term monitoring of the ocean current is required at a certain fixed location in the port, for instance, near crucial facilities or positions where the impact of currents against the structures should be highly monitored. This will provide consistent data about that position for a longer period in a very stable way.
• Buoy-mounted ADCP: For areas where it is not convenient to install fixed equipment on the seabed or on other structures, buoy-mounted ADCP can be used. The buoy-mounted ADCP is capable of measuring the ocean current in the upper layers of the water body and wirelessly transmit the data, thus offering flexibility in data collection.

According to Different Frequencies

• In general, in Isabela Port, where the water is shallower than 70 m, 600 kHz will be usually a good choice, since it can measure ocean current characteristics in this depth quite well.
• For measurements where the water depth was about 110 m, the 300 kHz was a better choice, since that was an effective depth where current details could be captured. The 75 kHz ADCP shall be selected for deeper water areas where the depth is up to 1000 meters because it can better penetrate deep in the water to attain current information of higher reliability.

Well-known brands on the market include Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, here's the thing: a Chinese brand in this respect is highly commendable-the China Sonar PandaADCP. It features the application of all-titanium alloy materials in manufacturing and has an unrivaled cost-effectiveness ratio. You can check with their official website: https://china-sonar.com.

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