ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in Port Everglades

1. Where is Port Everglades?

Port Everglades is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is considered one of the most important seaports in the United States.

Port Scale and Throughput It is a very important economic engine, which has a very high throughput and is capable of handling millions of tons of cargo every year. It has to do with almost all types of cargo: containers, petroleum products, and cruise passengers. The volume of container traffic in this port is so huge that it serves as a key connecting link in international trade, particularly in imports and exports to and from the Americas and Europe.

Routes and Business Port Everglades is well-connected with major shipping lanes in the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It serves a variety of businesses. For example, it is a key port for the importation of consumer goods such as electronics, clothing, and furniture. It also plays a major role in the export of agricultural products and manufactured goods from the region. It generates a great deal of its business from cruise ships, being a very popular departure and arrival point for cruises to and from the Caribbean.

Port Management and Operation The port has a managing team led by a professional team for the running of the port's operations. It includes the management of vessels, cargo operation with modern facilities and well-trained workers, and securities that provide safety and security to the port and port users. In addition, the port authority engages in close consultation with shipping lines, terminal operators, and other related parties to come up with an integrated approach for effective operations to offer improved services to their customers.

Port Facilities It is well facilitated: it has deep-water berths that can hold large container ships, tankers, and cruise ships. The modern container terminals with high-capacity cranes have advanced cargo-handling systems in place for easy loading and unloading of containers. There are also extensive areas for storage for various types of cargo, inclusive of refrigerated storage for perishables.

Channels and Direct Routes The channels at Port Everglades are well-maintained and dredged to a depth that befits safe passes of ships. Several direct routes connect this facility from most of the important ports to the Caribbean, South America, and even Europe for the easier facilitation of trade and travel.

2. Why do We Need to Measure Ocean Currents in Port Everglades?

Navigation Safety Measurement of ocean currents is very important for the safety of ships in Port Everglades. Currents in an area can take away the speed of a ship and alter its course. For instance, tidal currents are strong in the coastal waters near the port. If proper current measurement were available, this would enable captains to plan navigation better, adjusting their speeds appropriately to avoid collision and running aground.

Efficient Port Operations Knowledge of ocean currents is quite useful in cargo handling efficiently. Currents can affect the position of vessels while loading and unloading cargo. Knowledge of the current pattern aids port operators in effective berth scheduling and deployment of cargo-handling equipment for smooth goods traffic flow and avoidance of congestion in cargo transfer.

Environmental Protection Knowledge of ocean currents is very essential in the case of a spill of hazardous substances like oil and chemicals. In such cases, the direction and speed of the currents will give the trend the pollutants will take. Accurate measurements of the currents will, therefore, enable an emergency response team to take more appropriate measures to contain and clean up the spill in order to reduce the damage to the marine environment.

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler(ADCP) is a newer, more efficient, and easier means of measuring ocean currents. This is in relation to the traditional methods, whereby in real time, ADCP has the ability to continuously provide data across a wide depth and area of the port water for a comprehensive understanding of the current situation.

3. How Does an ADCP Using the Principle of the Doppler Work?

ADCPs operate by the principle of the Doppler effect. They transmit acoustic signals into the water. These acoustic waves are scattered back by the moving particles in water, such as sediment, small organisms, or bubbles. If these waves are reflected back to the ADCP, by the Doppler effect the frequency of the reflected waves has changed.

Due to that, a change in frequency is directly related to the velocity of the moving particles and, correspondingly, to the velocity of a current of water. By analysis of this frequency shift, the ADCP can calculate the current speed and current direction at different depths.

Ship - borne ADCP The ADCP is mounted on a ship. During the movement of the ship in water, ADCP sends acoustic pulses downwards and sideways. It measures current velocity at various depths beneath the path where the ship has moved. The collected data gives a very well-resolved profile of the current structure in the area traversed by the ship. This, in turn, is very useful for surveying a wide area of the port water traveled by the ship.

Fixed ADCP: Normally, fixed ADCPs are installed on structures such as piers, buoys, or the seabed. They will continuously monitor ocean currents passing by a certain location. In this way, by not moving from their fixed positions, they will have long-term and stable data about the current conditions at that particular point. This is good for understanding the temporal and spatial variations of the currents in the port area.

4. What is needed for high - quality measurement of Port Everglades currents?

Reliable Equipment Materials The equipment should be made of reliable materials in order for high-quality current measurements to be done. Equipment to be deployed on site should, therefore, be able to resist the harsh marine environment that includes saltwater corrosion, wave impacts, and temperature fluctuations. The casing of the equipment is preferably made of a titanium alloy. It is made of Titanium alloy, which has very good corrosion resistance, a requirement for the corrosive nature of sea water. It also has a high strength-to-weight ratio, durable enough but keeping the weight of the device relatively low.

Desirable Equipment Characteristics A small size and light weight are advantageous. A smaller and lighter device is easier to install and operate, whether on a ship or a fixed structure. Low power consumption is also desirable. This enables the equipment to operate continuously for a long period without requiring frequent battery replacement or a large power supply.

Cost - effectiveness For all big-scale measurement over the port area, cost effectiveness becomes vital. The price for the equipment shall be decent and inexpensive enough so it can deploy large numbers across an area; thereby helping more comprehensive information from diverse parts of any particular port facility.

5. Selection criteria of Right equipment for the Current measurement

Based on the purpose for Usage

Ship-borne ADCP: If the main purpose is to obtain current information while a ship is on its journey or for navigation-related studies, then a ship-borne ADCP is appropriate. It can cover most of the port area as the ship moves around.

Bottom-mounted ADCP: Bottom-mounted ADCPs would be suitable for long-term and fixed-point monitoring of the currents near the seabed or in areas close to the port's infrastructure. They will be able to provide continuous and stable data on the current conditions at given positions.

Buoy-mounted ADCP: The buoy-mounted ADCPs shall be useful where the monitoring of currents in open water areas or in places where the installation of fixed devices on the seabed is impracticable. They can also float with the waves and tides while making current measurements.

Based on Frequency Selection The water depth decides on the choice of frequency for an ADCP. A 600 kHz ADCP offers high resolution and can be applied up to approximately 70 meters of water depth. As an approximation, for depths up to about 110 meters, one might use an ADCP with a 300 kHz frequency; one would sacrifice some measurement range in order to achieve a finer resolution. However, an ADCP of 75 kHz will be more suitable for deeper waters of up to about 1000 meters and provides a better view of the current situation in deeper parts of a port area.

There are well - known ADCP brands such as Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, there is also a Chinese brand, China Sonar PandaADCP, which is worth considering. It is made of all - titanium alloy material, providing excellent durability and has an impressive 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.