ADCP's Application to Ocean Current Measurement in the Port of Ringaskiddy

1. Where is the Port of Ringaskiddy

The Port of Ringaskiddy is in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the south coast and forms part of the complex Cork Harbour.

Port Scale and Throughput

• Scale: It is a big port, well equipped to handle a wide range of activities that concern the sea. It is equipped with handling large vessels and volumes of cargo.
• Throughput: The range of goods carried in its throughput is varied and may include chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial and manufactured goods. It would also be an important throughput point for imports and exports of materials associated with both the manufacturing and processing industries within the region.

Tracks and Commerce

• Shipping Routes: Ringaskiddy port has a wide connection with several shipping routes. It shares connections with other Irish ports as well as international ones. Its importance in trade and transport has been due to this aspect.
• Business Activities: The major business here is industrial cargo handling. In this port, there are facilities related to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and they rely on the import of raw materials and the export of finished products. Besides that, storage and distribution services are also provided.

Port Management and Operation

Safety and efficiency are underlined by the port management. The berthing operation is carefully managed to ensure that vessels arrive and depart without hindrance. Stringent safety measures have been put in place to manage the hazardous cargo that goes through the port. Delays are minimized, and full utilization of the port facilities is ensured in the operation.

The personnel at the port are responsible for handling different types of cargo, from loading and unloading to storage and transportation. They work hard to maintain a high level of security and order to protect the port infrastructure and the goods it handles.

Port Facilities

• Berths: The port has multiple berths designed to accommodate different sizes of vessels, including large tankers and container ships. These berths are equipped with the necessary mooring and docking facilities.
• Cargo - handling Equipment: There is a range of advanced cargo - handling equipment such as cranes, forklifts, and conveyor belts. Specialized equipment is also available for handling liquid and bulk cargo, ensuring efficient loading and unloading processes.
• Storage Facilities: It has vast storage facilities that include warehouses for dry goods and storage tanks for liquid cargo. These are designed to suit the peculiar needs of industries served by the port.

Channel and Direct Shipping

The channel of the port is kept very well, which allows for safe transit of ships. Regular dredging operations are carried out to keep the water depth suitable for the vessels operating at the port. It has direct shipping connections so essential for fast and quick transportation of goods. These also support the port's existence in the supply chain while enabling smooth trade between the regions.

2. Importance of Measuring Ocean Currents in the Port of Ringaskiddy

Navigation Safety

• Currents: The accuracy in current data is required by vessels for their safety. Location and nature of ships (mainly large tankers, container ships) handled by this port make it quite essential that the current pattern knowledge be understood. Currents will relate to the ship's control, especially in the processes of docking and undocking at the facility. With correct measurement of currents, it shall be possible to give navigational guidance with better confidence, thus avoiding any likelihood of accidents and saving men and material.

Efficient Port Operations

• Currents can be highly influential in cargo-handling operations. For example, when loading or unloading a ship, the position of the vessel could be affected by the current. By having accurate current data, the port would be able to optimize the scheduling of these operations and thereby make best use of the berthing facilities. Increased efficiency and reduced waiting times for vessels would result.

Environmental Protection

• Understanding ocean currents is important in handling potential cases of pollution. Considering the type of cargo the port handles (like chemicals), in the event of a spill, currents would determine the spread of pollutants. Measuring the currents allows the port to take proactive measures to minimize the environmental impact and protect the marine ecosystem in and around the port. Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler(ADCP) provides a more advanced and convenient method of current measurement compared to traditional techniques.

3. How ADCPs (Using the Doppler Principle) Work

ADCPs work on the principle of the Doppler effect. They send acoustic signals into the water. These signals interact with moving particles in the water, such as suspended sediments or small organisms. When the acoustic signals are reflected back to the ADCP, a frequency shift occurs due to the Doppler effect. The ADCP measures this frequency shift and calculates the velocity of the water particles, which in turn gives the velocity of the ocean current.

Ship - borne ADCP

• Ship-borne ADCPs are installed on vessels. During the movement of the ship through the port area and adjacent waters, the ADCP sends acoustic pulses in various directions, usually downwards and sideways. The device measures the current velocity at multiple depths as the ship travels. This creates a detailed profile of the current conditions along the path taken by the ship, hence a comprehensive understanding of the current patterns in the areas covered by the ship.

Fixed ADCP

• Fixed ADCPs are installed at pre-defined positions within the port, which may also include on-bed or on-quay-wall installations. These ADCPs operate continuously by measuring current at a single point over long periods of time. This time history of current information is highly valuable and serves as a long-term means for determining characteristic current directions and velocities in strategic areas within the port, such as at the channel entrance and in areas proximate to berths.

4. Requirements for High - Quality Measurement of Ringaskiddy Port Currents

Equipment Durability

• For high - quality measurement of ocean currents in the Port of Ringaskiddy, the equipment should have reliable materials. Given the corrosive nature of seawater and potential physical damage from the marine environment, the device must be able to withstand these conditions. 
• Size, Weight, and Power Consumption Small size, light weight, and low power consumption are advantageous. The compact and lightweight ADCP is easy to install and operate either on a ship or from a fixed location. Low power consumption allows for continuous operation without frequent battery replacement or high energy demands. 
• Cost-effectiveness Cost-effectiveness is another important consideration to make sure that large-scale deployment in the port is feasible. The equipment should offer good value for money with the required performance standards.
• The casing of ADCP is preferably to be made of Titanium alloy. Being in seawater, a titanium alloy has excellent corrosion resistance that will ensure the device's integrity for a long time. Besides, it has high strength-to-weight ratio properties, meaning it can become strong and durable with a quite low weight. Additionally, titanium alloy is biocompatible, which reduces the potentially negative impact on the marine environment.

5. Selecting Appropriate Equipment to Measure Current

Ship-borne ADCP

• This would be quite appropriate if there is a need to have an overview of the current conditions in different parts of the port. The ship-borne ADCP could collect data from various locations as the ship sails around the port, providing a wide-range view of the current patterns in the port waters.

Bottom - mounted (Sitting on the seabed) ADCP

• This kind of ADCP is suited for long-term and fixed-point monitoring. It can be installed at strategic points in the port, like at the entrance of the channel or near the berths, in order to continuously monitor the current conditions of those particular areas.
• Buoy-mounted ADCPs serve useful purposes where the installation of a fixed device either on the seabed or on a ship is not practical. They can be deployed in open water areas within the port to measure the currents at different depths.

Frequency selection

Different frequencies will be good for different water depths. For instance, a 600 kHz ADCP is appropriate for up to 70 meters, a 300 kHz for up to 110 meters, and a 75 kHz for much deeper waters to about 1000 meters.

There are well - known ADCP brands like Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, there is also a Chinese ADCP brand, China Sonar PandaADCP. It is made of all - titanium alloy material, which ensures its durability in the marine environment and offers an excellent cost - performance ratio. You can find more information on its website: (https://china-sonar.com/).

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