ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in Livorno Port

1. Where is Livorno Port?

Livorno Port is located on the western coast of Italy in the region called Tuscany and is a major maritime terminal in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Port Scale and Throughput

The city of Livorno has an area with quays that are very extensive. Its throughputs are still considerable, ranging from containers and dry and liquid bulk cargo-chemicals, grains, and oils, among others-to general cargo. It represents one of the very important links with Italian foreign trade, well established both inside the Mediterranean sea area and within the Tuscan hinterland, besides links with the region. The annual container traffic volume is quite high, and a large number of TEUs are handled every year.

Routes and Business

The port is linked with most international shipping routes. It is a focal call for several shipping lines, especially those involved in Mediterranean trade. Business activities include shipping, freight forwarding, and logistics, among others. It plays a significant role in the importation and exportation of goods such as industrial products, foodstuffs, and building materials. Livorno also has a growing cruise ship business, which attracts tourists to the beautiful Tuscan region.

Port Management and Operation

The management of the port is carried out by public-private cooperation. The Port Authority Livorno governs infrastructure creation and maintenance while carrying out all the operations of general management and control. This port coordinates terminal operators, shipping companies, and other service providers for smooth and efficient operations of the port. In the process of maximizing productivity by ensuring safety, modern technologies are utilized for vessel traffic management and cargo handling.

Port Facilities

Livorno Port is a facility that is fitted with modern facilities. There are well-designed container terminals with high-capacity cranes that are used for loading and unloading containers. There are specialized terminals used in the handling of bulk cargo in various forms like storage tanks and silos. Warehousing and distribution services are available, and some other terminals are those dealing with cruise ships, which provide passengers with embarkation and disembarkation facilities.

Channels and Direct Navigation

The port's channels are well-maintained and dredged according to the depths of the vessel. It is in direct connection with the Tyrrhenian Sea and reaches ships for easy access with other major ports in the Mediterranean and along the Italian coast. This navigation directly helps as a basic factor in this trading and transportation hub.

2. Why is it important to measure the currents in the Livorno port?

Navigation Safety

In Livorno Port, proper understanding of the ocean currents is one of the basic elements of ensuring that ships are safely operated.

Currents in the Tyrrhenian

Sea can be complicated owing to tidal forces, winds, and local sea bed topography. With the measurement of currents, this will enable captains of ships to do better planning when approaching and leaving the port. Currents can affect the course and speed of a vessel, and this could be very important information when trying to avoid collisions and smooth navigation during berthing and un-berthing operations in a busy port such as Livorno.

Port Operations and Efficiency

Understanding current patterns is key to efficient functioning of a port. Current flow can affect the docking and undocking of ships.

Without considering currents, there are difficulties in the alignment of how to guide the ship to its docking site. The time spent on handling cargo and other port services gets prolonged. The movement of tugs and other assisting ships within the harbor is also influenced by currents. ADCP current meter is a far more advanced and convenient way of measuring currents than traditional methods. In other words, it improves decision-making regarding the operational processes within a port. It aids in developing more overall operational efficiency.

3. How Do the Doppler Principle-Based ADCPs Work?

ADCPs operate based on the Doppler principle, which they employ. These ADCPs emit acoustic pulses through the water column. These pulses experience frequency shifts after their encounter and interaction with moving waterborne particles or any other entities which would also result in changing their frequency upon the reflection of the sound waves.

Ship-borne ADCP

Ship-borne ADCP is fitted on the hull of a ship.

The ship moving through water, ADCP measures the Doppler shifted velocities of the relative current with the motion of the ship.

Continuously recording Doppler-shifted frequencies of backscattered acoustics signal.

Through processing algorithms of these signals, velocity of the current relative to that of the ADCP meter is found.

By adding to this the own velocity of the ship (available from other navigation systems) the absolute current velocity in the area can be obtained.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs are deployed at selected locations in the port on the seabed or at a pier. The fixed ADCPs continuously transmit acoustic pulses into the water and measure frequency shift of the reflected signal. They provide a snapshot view of the instantaneous velocity at one point. This data now becomes valuable in the long term study of currents, such as finding out the nature of variability in the current for different tidal cycles or seasons.

4. What are the equipment characteristics needed to acquire high-quality measurements of the Livorno port currents?

It is necessary that all the equipment for the measurement of quality current in the Livorno Port should be manufactured with appropriate, reliable material, bearing in mind its performance in a sea environment and therefore resistant to saltwater corrosion and other agents. Smaller dimensions and lighter weight are useful for easy installation and maintenance, in buoy or confined spaces on ships, for example. Low power consumption is required, especially for long-term deployment when access to power sources might be limited. Cost-effectiveness is also a very important factor because this allows the deployment of more pieces of equipment for the widespread measurement of current in the port area.

The Advantage of Titanium Alloy Casing

The casing of ADCP profiler is preferably made of titanium alloy.

Excellent corrosion-resistance is another characteristic that titanium alloy enjoys, which comes in handy especially in a port like Livorno.

Seawater with very high salinity and other agents of corrosion also expose the port to a rapid deterioration of any equipment made from less resistant materials.

Titanium alloy is very strong and not easily damaged due to its resilience against pressure resulting from water as well as the possible mechanical impact.

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

Based on Installation Type

Ship-borne ADCP: This type is suitable for vessels that need to measure currents during their transit in and around the port. It provides a mobile way of obtaining current data and is useful for ships such as container vessels and tankers that are always on the move.

Sitting-bottom ADCP: Ideally used for fixed-point monitoring of the current at some specific place, like the entrance of a channel or near a berth. It gives a steady and continuous measurement of the current at that particular point.

Buoy-type ADCP: This can be installed in areas where a floating platform is more appropriate, such as in open water areas within the port or in areas with less-defined boundaries. Buoy-type ADCPs useful for monitoring broad areas can provide an overview of overall current patterns in the port area.

Based on Frequency

For water as deep as 70m, one would normally consider the use of a 600kHz ADCP. The higher the frequency, the better the resolution shallower water current measurements are.

For water depths of around 110 meters, an ADCP frequency of 300kHz is more appropriate; it provides somewhat of a balance between depth penetration and resolution.

A 75kHz ADCP is recommended for waters up to 1000m deep. The lower frequency allows deeper penetration into the water column to measure currents at greater depths.

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, providing excellent durability and corrosion resistance. It also offers an incredible cost-performance ratio. You can find more information about it on their website: (https://china-sonar.com/).

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