ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in Port of Iquique

1. Where is the Port of Iquique?

The Port of Iquique is on the northern Chilean coast, in the Tarapacá Region. It is situated right on the Pacific Ocean. It's a highly strategic location since it gives ships easy access to the principal shipping routes of the eastern Pacific. It's a significant port for Chile, especially the north, for commerce. The region has enormous minerals, and hence the port allows the exporting of the minerals to the world outside the country and also bringing in products from all over the world. It connects Chile to American, Asian, and European markets.

Size of Port and How Much Traffic It Moves

Port of Iquique is a medium-to-large-sized port. It has a number of berths of different capacities that can be used to fit any type of vessel. There are huge bulk carriers that transport minerals like copper (Chile exports huge amounts of copper). There are also vessels for daily commodities. The port is receiving an enormous amount of minerals, agri-products, and consumer products annually. Because the area is rich in good mineral deposits, the port is of vital importance for the export of copper concentrates, iron ore, and other minerals. It also receives equipment, building materials, and consumer goods to the nearby region and neighboring communities.

Shipping Routes and Business

The port has a wide chain of shipping routes. It directly links ports in the Americas, including Los Angeles in the US, Callao in Peru, and Valparaíso in Chile. These enable the transportation of goods within the region to freely move about. It also enjoys periodic shipping lines to European ports, including Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and Asian ports, including Shanghai in China and Tokyo in Japan. The port is involved in the handling of general cargo, ship-to-ship shipping of containers, and bulk cargo trading. It also provides a facility where commodities are stored and distributed, e.g., contemporary warehouses to facilitate the movement of commodities in the region. The port's location has led to the growth of ancillary industries, such as mineral processing plants and logistics companies.

Port Management and Operation

The Port of Iquique is operated by the local port authority. They oversee safety, ensuring everything works properly, and protecting the environment. They are responsible for maintaining port buildings and facilities, including berths, quays, and warehouses. They also make sure that international shipping act, safety, and environmental measures are implemented. The port authority collaborates with shipping companies, freight forwarders, and all those who are interested in port operation to further improve the port. They aim to maximize processing, reduce waiting time for ships, and apply new technology to manage the port.

Port Facilities

The Port of Iquique possesses new and state-of-the-art facilities. It possesses gigantic container cranes for unloading and loading containers quickly from ships. It possesses equipment specially designed for the handling of minerals for bulk carriers. The port further possesses storage for merchandise, including general goods warehouses and large open storages to store bulk merchandise. It also has equipment for ship repair and maintenance, which is good to be utilized on both trade vessels and community fishing vessels. There are facilities for liquid bulk cargo handling, including oil and chemicals, so everything is in order and operational. Adjacent to the harbor are newly created parks of logistics that offer the transhipment of cargos from the ships to land transport.

Waterways and Navigation

The waterways leading to the Port of Iquique are well maintained and seasonally dredged to allow vessels to safely transit through. The port channel is clearly visible, and there are markers like buoys and lighthouses to direct vessels while entering. It opens directly into the Pacific Ocean, hence vessels can conveniently access the international shipping market.

2. Why Measure Ocean Currents in the Port of Iquique?

Navigation Safety

Having information about the ocean currents of the Iquique Port is very important for navigation safety. The Humboldt Current, wind, and tides determine the Pacific Ocean currents. The currents change the direction and speed of ships, especially while docking, undocking, or channeling inside the port. With the measurement of the ocean currents, captains can make appropriate decisions, change their courses as needed, and avoid accidents or grounding.

Port Operation Improvement

Information about ocean currents is very useful for enhancing port operations. During bringing a vessel to port, the velocity and direction of the current should be taken into account seriously. High velocity in the current may make docking difficult and extend the process. With accurate measurement of currents, port operators can plan the most convenient time to shift ships, make optimal use of resources, and make the whole process of cargo handling more efficient. Currents even affect the movement of port equipment like tugboats and floating cranes. This information can result in safer operations and increased productivity.

Environmental Protection

Current monitoring of the ocean currents is important to maintain the port environment. Currents easily disperse pollutants. If there is an oil spill or other toxicants spilled, current direction information will enable them to estimate the direction the spill will go. This enables them to respond in time to prevent additional damage and wash out the spill before it happens, protecting the sensitive marine ecosystem of the Pacific Ocean and adjacent coastal areas.

ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) is an accurate and efficient tool to study ocean currents in the Port of Iquique. It offers very exact and up-to-date information.

3. How Does the Doppler Principle ADCPs Work?

Measurement Principle

ADCPs work on the Doppler effect principle. When an ADCP sends an acoustic wave into the water, the acoustic waves hit the small particles suspended in the water, like sediment or very small organisms. When these particles move with the flow of water, they make the return frequency of sound waves alter relative to its initial frequency. The ADCP measures this frequency variation, known as the Doppler shift. With a particular formula, the instrument can determine the speed of the water current at different depths in the water column.

Particular Methods in Port Current Measurement

• Ship - based ADCP: A ship - based ADCP is mounted on a moving boat. When the ship travels within the Port of Iquique, the ADCP can conduct measurements of the current velocity at multiple depths along the path of the boat. It is appropriate for gaining insight into the overall current condition in the port and is applicable to planning large - scale navigation.
• Fixed ADCP: Fixed ADCPs are placed at specific locations in the harbor, i.e., on the seabed floor or on fixed structures such as piers or buoys. They may record current conditions at a location for up to a number of years. Fixed ADCPs are useful to gain insights on long-term tendencies and local growth of the currents.

4. What Does it Take for High-Quality Current Measurement in the Port of Iquique?

Equipment Reliability

To measure the current precisely in the Port of Iquique, the ADCP equipment must be very dependable. The marine setting of the Pacific Ocean has high salinity, changing climate, and regular and strong winds and storms at times. The ADCP must have the capacity to conduct its operations under such extreme conditions without often breaking down. Dependable equipment guarantees the data are collected regularly, which is greatly important in ensuring precise analysis and quality decision-making.

Size, Weight, and Power Consumption

The ADCP must be small and light in weight. It helps in its installation, especially where there is limited space available, like small local boats or congested port buildings. It is also crucial to reduce power consumption. It helps in using it for longer periods, especially for the fixed-installed ADCPs, which could potentially operate on batteries or solar panels.

Cost-effectiveness

In order to be able to measure the port area currents on a large scale, the cost of the ADCP should be economical. Having an economical ADCP would enable us to use more than one if necessary, in order to get an overall idea of the current readings from different areas of the port.

Material Selection

The external part of the ADCP is best made up of titanium alloy. Titanium alloy is resistant to corrosion, which is appropriate for usage over a long time in the corrosive Pacific Ocean environment with salty water. It's heavy-duty and light in weight, which satisfies the needs of longevity as well as the ease of installation.

5. How to Select the Best Equipment for Current Measurement?

Based on Usage

• Ship - borne ADCP: It's best for large - scale surveys of the port area. If a ship needs to quickly monitor the current situation over a wide area, a ship - borne ADCP is best.
• Sit - on - bottom ADCP: This is best for monitoring specific locations in the port for a long time, like near the entrance or near the berths.
• Buoy - mounted ADCP: Suitable for obtaining data on the surface of water and in areas where mounting an ADCP on the bottom is not possible.

Frequency-Based

• For water depth up to 70m, 600kHz ADCP would be a good option.
• For water depth up to 110m, 300kHz ADCP is suitable.
• In situations where there are deeper areas of water, 75kHz ADCP is the best one to utilize.

There are a few well - known ADCP brands in the market, like Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. But if you want a cost - effective and high - quality one, ADCP manufacturer China Sonar ​PandaADCP from the Chinese brand is also worth considering. It is made of all - titanium alloy, thus it is very strong in the marine environment. It also has a good cost - performance ratio. You may visit their website at ​https://china-sonar.com/ for more information.

Here is a table with some well known Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler(ADCP)  instrument brands and models.