ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in Santa Pola Port

1. Where is Santa Pola Port?

Santa Pola Port is located on the southeastern coast of Spain, in the municipality of Santa Pola. It is a well-established maritime facility with a rich history and a significant role in the local and regional economy.

Port Scale and Throughput

The port is average to large-scale and can handle a wide range of vessels, from fishing boats to small- to medium-sized cargo ships and tourist vessels. It is considerably large every year, and a fair amount of this throughput consists of fishing-related products. The tourists visiting the port also continue to increase because of the ferry services and boat excursions that it offers, adding to the local tourism industry.

Routes and Business

Santa Pola Port has wide connections with the different Mediterranean ports. It is an important link in the fishing fleets in the area with routes that lead to the fishing ground and to the other ports for trade. Fishing is a big business here. It is also complete with fish processing and distributing facilities. Added to this are its bundles of services such as ship repair and maintenance as well as warehousing for fishing and non-fishing cargo. Tourism is another thriving industry alongside ferry services to nearby islands, coastal cruises.

Management and Operations

The port is operated by a professional management that is basically committed to efficient and sustainable operations. Its management ensures that vessels berthing run in smooth traffic flow and oversees the observation of safety and environmental standards. The authority, in turn, interacts with local fishing associations, shipping companies, and businesses to maximize use of resources and facilities.

Port Facilities

Santa Pola Port is one that is well facilitated. It enjoys modern fishery wharves with good equipment for drawing out the fish and handling it. The merchant terminals have infrastructures that are called upon in the handling of various goods. Very good passenger terminals with waiting areas, cafes, and ticket offices are there for tourists. Among others, storage facilities include cold storage for fish and dry storage for cargo.

Channels and Direct Navigation

The channels of the port are well taken care of to ensure safe navigation. The main channel is deep and wide enough for different vessels to pass through it. It is well marked and frequently dredged to maintain the depth as required. There is a possibility of direct navigation towards the open sea, which enables the facility of reaching fishing areas and other places by the ships.

2. Why should we measure the ocean currents in the Santa Pola Port?

Vessel Safety

Precise measurement of currents is important from a safety point of view for vessels around the Santa Pola Port. Currents could seriously affect a ship's course and speed, especially while entering or leaving the port. The knowledge of patterns of current assists pilots and captains in better navigation to reduce the possibility of collision and grounding. In the case of fishing boats and vessels used for tourism, since these vessels operate relatively close to the port, the knowledge of currents is of immense importance for their safe maneuvering.

Fishing Operations

For ocean current measurements to be measured is important to fishing activities since there are usually nutrient currents in which fishes distributed at. Nutrients and transport within a water body determined their movements around schools of fish. Such information will thus be of importance as this helps them establish more productive areas to fish. Also, knowing current directions and speed allows better positioning of gears for fishing such as nets or even long lines and improves catching efficiency.

Tourist and Recreational Boating

Current measurement is important as tourism and recreational boating are growing in the port. Tourist vessels must ensure that tourists are taken out for a safe and comfortable experience. The boat operators can plan better routes by knowing the current patterns to avoid areas of rough seas or strong currents. This would enhance the tourist enjoyment and boost the tourism industry.

Infrastructure Protection

Infrastructure within the port, such as piers, breakwaters, and quay walls, is also prone to the effects of ocean currents. Currents erode and scoured materials that, over time, can lead to damage to those structures. With this information, port managers can take preventive measures, such as strengthening those structures or adjusting the dredging schedule to protect the infrastructure and reduce maintenance costs. ADCPs efficiently and effectively measure currents far better than traditional methods of measurement.

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

Principle of ADCP Measurement

The ADCPs work on the principle of the Doppler effect. They transmit acoustic signals into the water column. These signals interact with small particles suspended in the water, like plankton, sediment, or bubbles. If the water and the particles are moving with the current, the frequency of the reflected acoustic signal as received by the ADCP profiler will be different from the emitted frequency. This difference in frequency is commonly referred to as the Doppler shift, which is directly related to the velocity of the water current.

Mathematically, the Doppler shift (fd) is related to the velocity of the water current (v), the frequency of the emitted acoustic signal (f0), and the speed of sound in water (c) by the equation fd=2vf0/c. With multiple acoustic beams (commonly four or more), an ADCP current meter is able to determine the three-dimensional velocity components of the water current throughout the water column at various depths.

ADCP in Port Current Measurement-Specific Methods

Ship-borne ADCP

Ship-borne ADCPs can be fitted on fishing boats, cargo ships, and tourist vessels operating in Santa Pola Port. While the vessels move through the water, the ADCP measures the current velocities along their paths. This gives important information about the current patterns in different areas of the port and its surroundings, helping in navigation and understanding the overall current situation.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs installed in key positions within the port-sometimes at the seafloor close to the entrance, others on piers, and at times even buoys. Such a record from these ADCPs would, over time, ensure continuity in measurement current conditions of the flow at one point. For this case, namely Santa Pola Port, it will now be able to observe the current conditions influencing vessel entrance, vessel exit, and structural stability concerns in the setting.

4. What are the requirements to make high-quality measurement of Santa Pola Port currents?

Equipment Reliability

The ADCP current profiler equipment used in current measurement within Santa Pola Port has to be very reliable. It has to be of such a design that it withstands adverse marine environmental conditions: saltwater corrosion, temperature fluctuations, and mechanical forces of waves and vessels. Robust construction together with the use of high-quality material will surely improve the accuracy-continuum of operations.

Small in Size, Light in Weight, and Low Power Consumption

A small-sized and light ADCP flow meter makes for an easy installation on relatively small vessels operating in the port. It must not affect the performance or handling of the boats very much. In case of fixed ADCPs, compact sizes allow installation in the limited spaces available in the port. Another critical factor is the low power consumption that allows longer-term operation, particularly for fixed ADCPs reliant on battery power or other forms of limited energy supplies.

Low Cost

Cost-effectiveness is the major factor that will enable current-measurement equipment to be widely used in Santa Pola Port. A lower-cost ADCP makes it more accessible to the local fishing community, shipping companies, and tourism operators. This allows for more comprehensive current-monitoring, which in turn enhances the safety and efficiency of operations in the port.

Titanium Alloy Casing

The casing of ADCPs should be made from a titanium alloy. It provides excellent resistance to corrosion, which is the essential condition for long-term exposure to the salt-water environment of the port. Besides, it is strong yet light, meeting the requirements of durability and ease of handling. This material can resist the pressures and stresses associated with the marine environment, making it a suitable choice for ADCPs used in Santa Pola Port.

5. How to Choose the Right Equipment for Current Measurement?

Based on Usage

Ship-borne ADCP

Ship-borne ADCPs are adapted for vessels which move around the port and adjacent waters. Fishing boats, cargo ships, and tourist vessels in Santa Pola Port need them to get real - time current information as the boats travel. They help in navigating, fishing, and comfort for tourists.

Bottom-mounted (Sit-on-bottom) ADCP

The applications of bottom-mounted ADCPs range from long- to short-term measurements in a fixed location. In Santa Pola Port they are recommended, for instance, near critical infrastructures or over a zone where high current description has been desired or required at some location within the port like near the port entrance monitoring an incoming and an outgoing current.

Buoy-mounted ADCP

Buoy-mounted ADCPs can be installed in areas where a floating platform is more appropriate. They can provide current measurements in open-water areas around the port or in regions where bottom-mounted installations may be difficult.

Based on Frequency

• The choice of ADCP frequency depends on the water depth. In Santa Pola Port:
• A 600kHz ADCP, in turn, provides data for water depths up to about 70m. The high-resolution data obtained with this frequency is of great use for the relatively shallow waters near the port and provides insights into the current pattern in areas where most of the local vessels operate.
• A 300kHz ADCP can also be deployed to a depth in water of about 110m. Thus, it represents the best trade between resolution and range, being utilised for areas with slightly deeper waters around the port.
• A 75kHz ADCP is designed for deeper waters, up to about 1000m. Although the port might not have such extremely deep areas, this frequency can be useful for adjacent deeper waters or for future expansion of the port's measurement capabilities.

There are well-known ADCP brands like Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, for a cost - effective option, the Chinese brand China Sonar PandaADCP is worth considering. It is made of all - titanium alloy materials, ensuring durability in the marine environment, and offers an excellent price-performance ratio. You can find more information at (https://china-sonar.com/).

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