ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in Tarragona Port

1. Where is Tarragona Port?

Tarragona is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. The Tarragona Port is a major maritime facility in the region.

Port Scale and Throughput

The port of Tarragona is from a good platform. It handles chemicals and petroleum products but also general merchandise and all type of bulk cargo within a quite fair throughput. It thus remains an important centre not only in regional but international trade in a number of specialty commodities. This turns it into one of the decisive points in the distribution to industries relying heavily on maritime carriage of raw materials and processed goods.

Routes and Business

It has an established shipping network of routes. The major businesses involve transporting industrial products related to petrochemicals and minerals. This port is also connected to most of the key ports within the Mediterranean and even further afield to ensure this easy flow for such raw materials destined for chemical industries or energy-intensive industries. At the same time, some cruise liners do stop at this port and thus promote local tourism.

Management and Operation of the Port

The port management is committed to smooth operations. The port authority is responsible for the organization of the berthing schedule, cargo handling, and safety. They employ advanced technologies in managing the flow of ships and cargo to minimize waiting times and enhance operational efficiency as much as possible. Stringent safety and environmental protection measures are in place to protect the port and its environs.

Facilities at the Port

The port has specialized facilities, including deep-water berths that are suitable for large tankers and cargo ships transporting bulk materials. Extended storage tanks and warehouses store the chemicals and other goods. Loading and unloading machinery, comprising pipelines for liquid cargo and conveyor belts for bulk cargo, forms part of the lot.

Channel and Direct Shipping

The channel of the port is maintained at a depth that can accommodate large vessels to enter the port safely. There are direct shipping links with the primary European and Mediterranean ports. This way, goods are transported without wasting much time or expense for transit to the businessmen dependent on the port.

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

Measurement of the ocean current is very instrumental in the workability and management of Tarragona Port. First, regarding safe navigation, knowledge about the pattern of currents assists captains in conducting vessels with precision at the time of entry and exit into the port. This becomes highly important in preventing accidents and providing safety to ships and port infrastructures. Knowledge of ocean currents-especially in the handling of cargoes that are liquid and in bulk-is instrumental to the stability of the load and discharge operation. With a proper understanding of the currents, the port is able to ensure an optimization process in these regards to reduce incidents of spillage. Thirdly, measurement of currents is important to predict sediment movement and control the depth at the port channels and berths as needed. This information is then used in dredging operations with a view to assuring the long-term serviceability of the port.

ADCP stands for acoustic Doppler current profiler. It is a more advanced and convenient way of measuring current. It can provide real-time and detailed current information of various depths, which is highly useful for the port's operational decision-making.

3. Principles of the Doppler: How do ADCPs work?

The basic working principle of ADCPs is based on the Doppler principle. It emits acoustic signals into the water. As these signals strike the particles that are moving with the current of water, the frequency of the reflected signals gets changed, from which the velocity of the water current is estimated.

ADCP in Port Ocean Current Measurement

Shipborne ADCP

Shipborne ADCPs are installed on ships. A ship while moving along the port area sends acoustic pulses downwards and sideways by an ADCP profiler. These pulses measure the current velocity at various depths across the path of travel that the ship has taken. This information is transmitted in real time to the navigation or monitoring system of the ship to enable the crew to steer the vessel by altering course and speed accordingly.

ADCP in Port Ocean Current Measurement

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs are deployed at fixed locations in the port, such as on the seabed or on the side of port structures. They continuously monitor the ocean currents in a particular area. The data collected by fixed ADCPs provides a long - term understanding of the current patterns, which is useful for port planning and infrastructure maintenance.

4. What is necessary for high-quality measurement of the currents in the port of Tarragona?

The equipment to be deployed at Tarragona port for high-quality current measurement should be made from reliable materials. The equipment must be resistant to harsh marine conditions, such as the corrosion by seawater and changes in pressure. The size should be smaller, lightweight, and with low power consumption. A compact size enables its installation at any place in the catchment area of the port. Low power consumption ensures that the operation would be longer in terms of infrequent battery replacement and power supplies. Cost-effectiveness is another important aspect necessary for large-scale deployment of measurement equipment.

The casing of ADCP flow meter is preferably made of Titanium alloy. In this respect, the advantages of Titanium alloys include good resistance to corrosion-a mandatory condition for its operation in seawater over a rather long period of time, the good strength-to-weight ratio which gives a chance to keep pressure without too excessive weighting, and biological inertness providing minimum interference with marine flora and fauna.

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

Usage Purpose

• Shipborne ADCP: It is suitable for measuring currents in moving ships. It gives, in real time, the actual conditions of the current at any given instant when the ship navigates through the port, hence helping in its navigation and operational safety.
• Sitting-bottom ADCP: It is most suitable for monitoring a certain specific area of interest in the long term. Located at a fixed point, it continuously sends a regular sight of the current status and is highly relevant for understanding long-term current patterns and for the management of the maintenance of port facilities.
• Buoy-mounted ADCP: Useful for areas where it is not practical to install fixed equipment on the seabed or on ships, the buoy-mounted ADCP can float on the water surface and measure the currents around it, thus allowing flexibility in measurement locations.

According to Different Frequencies

• The 600kHz ADCP will be ideal for current measurement in waters as shallow as 70m.
• The appropriate choice for current measurement at a depth of about 110m would be the 300kHz as it can cover this depth effectively.
• As deep as 1000m of water calls for the use of a 75kHz for the most consistent current measurement.
• 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 and offers an excellent cost-performance ratio. You can visit its website (https://china-sonar.com/) for more information.

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