ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in Salomague Port

1. Where is Salomague Port?

Salomague Port is located in the municipality of Cabugao in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines.

Port Scale and Throughput

Although not as large as some of the major international ports, it is important for the local and regional maritime activities. The facility primarily handles cargo of various types: mainly agricultural products stemming from the area's rich land; fishery products emanating from the nearby sea; and goods that locals require daily. The throughput keeps growing, in tandem with the local economy, and is helping develop intra-regional trade, along with trade with other areas in the country.

Routes and Business

It has domestic routes linking it to the other ports in the Philippines, thus enabling it to move its goods to and from various economic centers. It is important to the fishing industry, too, as fishing vessels use it either as a base for its operation or as a venue to land their catches. It also supports small-scale trade in handicrafts and other local products, which contributes to local tourism and cultural exchange by allowing visitors to access the area more conveniently.

Port Management and Operation

The local port authorities manage the port, which is responsible for the maintenance of its facilities, vessel traffic control, and efficient loading and unloading activities. They also collaborate with the local government and other maritime agencies to develop port security, improve infrastructure, and resolve any operational issues that may arise.

Facilities

The berths in Salomague Port are of the types that can handle all sorts of vessels, from the small fishing boats to the medium-sized cargo ships. In addition, onshore are storage areas for temporary storage of cargo before it is distributed further, while basic facilities like workshops and fueling stations that attend to the everyday needs of the ships frequenting it exist.

Channel and Direct Navigation

The port has a well-defined channel that is maintained to ensure the safe navigation of vessels. Though not having highly complex navigational requirements compared to some major ports, it does have adequate buoys and other navigational aids that guide the ships while entering and leaving the port, considering the local tidal and weather conditions for an easy passage of the vessels.

2. Why is it important to measure the ocean currents at the Salomague port?

The measurement of ocean currents in Salomague Port has a great deal of importance in its operational and managerial aspects. To begin with, it enables the optimization of the vessel berthing process. With correct information on the direction and speed of the ocean currents, port operators are able to position vessels more appropriately during berthing, minimizing the risk of collisions with the berthing structures or other ships. In this way, the safety of the ships and efficiency in the loading and unloading operations are ensured.

This would be very helpful to the fishing industry based on this port since ocean currents have a bearing on the distribution of fish stock, given that they carry nutrients and affect the movement patterns of marine organisms. Better current measurements will enable fishermen to make better decisions about where to go fishing, thus increasing their catches and generally boosting productivity in the fishing sector.

Besides, from the point of view of port infrastructure, knowledge of ocean currents is important for planning and maintaining those structures of the port. Current hydrodynamic forces may affect the stability and durability of the quay walls, piers, and other facilities in the long run. This would enable the port authority to design more resilient infrastructure and schedule timely maintenance to prevent damages caused by the continuous action of the currents.

Besides, precise current measurement can be of great help in the optimum scheduling of ship arrivals and departures. The ships will then be able to take full advantage of favorable currents and save both fuel and time on their journeys, with obvious benefits for shipping companies and, indeed, the overall operational efficiency of the port. The Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) offers a more sophisticated and easier means of obtaining these very important current measurements than previous methods.

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

The working principle of ADCPs is based on the Doppler principle. They transmit acoustic signals into the water column. In the case of moving particles in the water-like suspended sediments or small marine organisms-the frequency of the reflected waves, because of the Doppler effect, is different from that of the emitted ones. The velocity of the ocean current will be determined very precisely from the frequency shift of the reflected signals.

ADCP in the Measurement of Ocean Currents in the Ports

Shipborne ADCP

In this method, shipborne ADCPs are fitted on the ships while they traffic the given port area. While the vessel cruises, the ADCP current meter continuously sends acoustic pulses in multiple directions which calculate current velocities at different depth displacements in the direction where the vessel travels through. This enables the gathering of an extensive set of data which can be used to map the existing field in the port area and yield good information on the existing patterns during the movement of the ship.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs are those usually deployed at fixed locations in the port, either on the seabed or on fixed structures such as piers or breakwaters. They continuously measure ocean currents at that one location over time. This allows for the recording of long-term, continuous data of the current state at key positions in the port, which is useful to learn about the regular patterns in the currents and for reference of port operations and research.

4. What does the high-quality measurement of the currents in Salomague Port need?

For high quality of the ocean current measurement of Salomague Port, some requirements are much important to be considered for measuring equipment. First is the reliability of the material of the equipment. These will have to withstand the very harsh marine environment: the corroding action of sea water, pressure variation with depth, possible impact from floating debris,.

Besides, the small size and lightweight would be necessary to have it easier to install both on vessels or fixed structures within the port. Keeping in mind the dimensions that some areas can take up at ports, it is highly desirable that its power consumption is as low as possible, considering the substitution of batteries often, or consume little energy from a source which can get pretty complicated especially from fixed ADCPs.

Moreover, low costs are needed to enable a widespread deployment of the measurement devices within the port. It is highly recommended that the ADCPs be mounted in casing made of Titanium alloy. Titanium alloy has a variety of remarkable advantages. It gives high corrosion resistance. This quality makes it able to withstand the corrosive nature of seawater for an extended period and ensures that it provides top performance. It also has a good strength-to-weight ratio, making it durable yet lightweight. Finally, it can bear the high pressures at greater depth and therefore can serve in a wide range of water depth conditions in the area of the port.

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

Based on Usage

Shipborne ADCP: This would be proper to use in instances where an overview of the current pattern within the various areas at different times during vessel motion needs to be acquired. A wide area of location may thus be covered depending on how many places the ship navigates to the movement within the port. Indeed, useful data is collected when putting into consideration the overall current overview situation.

Bottom-mounted (Sitting on the seabed) ADCP: For long-term and continuous monitoring of the current conditions at specific fixed locations, such as near important port structures or in areas where consistent current data is needed for research or operational reference, bottom-mounted ADCPs are more appropriate. They can offer stable and reliable data over an extended period.

Buoy-mounted ADCP: These operate when the currents to be measured are in locations where fixed installations or operations from ships are not possible. They are also capable of moving with the currents to a limited extent while collecting data on the current variations in those particular regions.

Based on Frequency

In water depth to 70 meters, an ADCP profiler of 600 kHz frequency normally will suffice. It gives fairly good accurate current measurements with a good level of detail within the relatively shallow areas in this port.

The bottom-tracking ADCP has much greater signal-to-noise ratios that would provide reliable current information within 110 meters' depth; a 300 kHz is thus more appropriate for practical consideration.

In deeper water areas, up to 1000 meters in depth, an ADCP of 75 kHz is highly recommended because it can cover such large depth ranges and still measure the ocean currents with acceptable accuracy.

The following are several famous brands of ADCP in the market: Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, it should be noted there is a very cost-effective Chinese brand ADCP: China Sonar PandaADCP. It is made from all-titanium alloy material, and its price-performance ratio is amazing. You can check more information from its official website: https://china-sonar.com.

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