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

1. Where is the Port of Sorong?

The Port of Sorong is in Sorong City, West Papua, Indonesia. It is a strategic port on the eastern side of Indonesia and holds an important passage to the region.

Port Scale and Throughput

In the last years, the port has been developing rapidly. It has a large area dedicated to various port operations and can handle quite an amount of cargo traffic. The throughput includes a wide variety of goods ranging from fishery products and minerals to agricultural products from its surrounding regions. It plays an important role in domestic trade, as it is one means of distribution to other parts of Indonesia. It is also involved in international trade, connecting with countries in the Asia - Pacific region.

Routes and Business

Sorong Port is connected to several shipping routes. Domestically, regular connections exist with major ports in Java, Sumatra, and other islands. Internationally, it is on the trade routes that link Indonesia with Papua New Guinea and other Pacific Island countries. The business operations range from. It is a key hub for the fishing industry, complete with facilities for handling and processing fishery products. In addition, the port also deals with bulk cargo such as nickel and other minerals mined in the region. Container shipping is another very important part of its operations that enables the efficient transport of all kinds of goods.

Port Management and Operation

The port is managed by a professional team of port authorities and related departments. They are responsible for the smooth running of all port activities, from berthing arrangements for ships of different sizes to the coordination in the loading and unloading of cargo and maintenance of security and order in the port area. This operation requires close cooperation among stevedoring companies, customs officials, and other port-related personnel.

Facilities at the Port

The port is well developed, having all modern and efficient facilities. In it, a number of berths have variable lengths and depths suitable to accommodate any vessel whatsoever, ranging from small-sized fishing boats to large-sized ocean-going cargo ships. It has heavy modern cargo-handling equipment that speeds up the process: cranes, forklifts, and conveyor belts. Besides, there are also some warehousing facilities to store different types of cargo before they were transported further. In addition, the port has some facilities for ship refueling and maintenance in order to keep vessels continuously running.

Channel and Direct Navigation

The port has a properly maintained channel where ships can gain entrance and exit safely. The channel is dredged over time to retain the required depths for ships with different drafts, besides being adequately fitted out with buoys, lighthouses, and radar stations that guide vessels during their approach and discharge. This facilitates direct navigations for vessels coming in from different directions.

2. Why measure the currents of the ocean in the Port of Sorong?

There are many reasons why measuring the currents of the ocean is so important in the Port of Sorong. First and foremost, this is very crucial for ships' safety. The knowledge about current patterns helps to navigate vessels safely in and out of the port. Currents, especially strong or unpredictable ones, can pose a great danger to ships, particularly those having large drafts or carrying hazardous cargo. Accurate current data enables ships to make proper adjustments in speed and course to avoid accidents, such as collisions or running aground.

Another merit would be that it is helpful to the port's efficient performance. The knowledge of ocean currents makes for better berthing and unberthing of vessels. For instance, ships could ride on favorable currents to minimize their docking and undocking time with less fuel consumption. In this way, it increases the efficiency of the utilization of the port facilities and can decrease waiting times for vessels.

Moreover, from an environmental perspective, ocean current measurements are essential. Currents can affect the dispersion of pollutants such as oil spills or wastewater discharges. By knowing the current patterns, the port can better plan and implement measures to contain and clean up any potential pollution incidents, minimizing the impact on the marine environment.

Further, current data at present plays a very vital role in long-term planning and maintenance of various port infrastructures such as breakwaters and quay walls, since the force of the ocean currents on these over certain years tends to affect the strength of such structures. Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) is also the more advanced, convenient measurement technique for measuring ocean currents compared to conventional methods. It can provide detailed and real - time information about current profiles at different depths.

3. How do ADCPs using the Doppler principle work?

ADCPs work on the principle of the Doppler effect. They send acoustic signals into the water. As these acoustic waves encounter moving particles in the water-sediment particles, plankton, or other small organisms carried by the ocean current-the frequency of the reflected waves changes. This change in frequency, known as the Doppler shift, is directly related to the velocity of the moving particles and thus the velocity of the ocean current.

Typically, ADCPs have more than one transducer, with each transmitting and receiving these acoustic signals in different directions. By measuring the Doppler shift from multiple directions - usually in a three-dimensional or two-dimensional configuration, the ADCP current meter is able to calculate the speed and direction of the ocean current at various depths.

ADCP in Port Ocean Current Measurement: Shipborne ADCP

Shipborne ADCPs are installed on vessels. The ADCP current profiler sends acoustic signals continuously downwards and around during the movement of the ship in the water. Data is obtained on the velocity of the current as the ship moves around different areas of the port. One of the advantages with this measurement technique is the mobility itself, which means that measurement can be carried out at a wide range of locations in the waters of the port. In order to measure accurately, it is required to subtract the ship's own motions. These methods include calibration and compensation to account for any error introduced by the movement of the ship.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs are deployed at fixed locations in the port, such as on the seabed or fixed structures like piers or buoys. They continuously monitor the ocean current at that fixed point over an extended period. This will provide long-term and continuous data to understand the periodic current patterns in a specific area of the port. The drawback is that they cover only a limited area around their installation location, but they are very useful in establishing reference current data for particular regions within the ports.

4. What's needed for high-quality measurement of Sorong Port currents?

For high-quality measurement of the ocean currents in the Port of Sorong, the equipment should possess the following characteristics: the materials of the equipment should be reliable. The equipment will face a harsh marine environment, with corrosion from seawater, pressure at different depths, and impacts from floating debris; therefore, it requires a durable material.

It must be of small size, making its installation easy and comfortable on some buoys that may have small size and even in regions where there are complex underwater structures. Light in weight so that it will be very easy to operate and manipulate during deployment or retrieval.

Low power consumption is an important factor, especially for long-term monitoring applications. Equipment with high power requirements may not be able to operate continuously due to limited power supply options in the port area or the need for frequent battery replacements or recharging.

Cost-effectiveness is another important factor. In large-scale measurement efforts in the port, affordable equipment allows for more extensive deployment, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the current conditions throughout the port waters.

It is preferred that the casing of an ADCP profiler be made of titanium alloy. Titanium alloy possesses good resistance to corrosion in seawater, which can provide the equipment with a long life service. It is also fairly strong and light, able to bear high pressures at greater depths without adding excessive weight to the overall device. Additionally, its biocompatibility reduces its possibility of causing adverse effects on the marine environment or interfering with the acoustic signals used by the ADCP meter.

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

Based on Usage Purpose

• Shipborne ADCP: If the intention is to obtain current data over a wide area of the port while the ship is in operation, for example, during regular port surveys or when collecting data for navigational chart updates, shipborne ADCPs are a good choice. They can cover different parts of the port as the ship moves around.
• Bottom-mounted (Sitting) ADCP: When it is necessary to monitor certain areas in a port over the long term and from a fixed position, such as near essential infrastructure like breakwaters, or at the entrance of the port channel, bottom-mounted ADCPs shall be applied. They yield stable and uninterrupted data regarding the local characteristic current conditions.
• Buoy-mounted ADCP: The buoy-mounted ADCPs serve perfectly for areas where installing fixed equipment on the seabed or structures is not convenient or when the surface and near-surface current conditions need to be intercepted using a floating monitoring point. These are easily deployed and shifted when needed.

Based on Different Frequencies

• For water depths within 70 meters, a 600 kHz ADCP is often a good option. It can give relatively high-resolution current profiles in shallower areas. This suits many parts of the port where the water depth is not extremely deep, such as near the quay walls or the inner harbor.
• For water depths up to 110 meters, a 300 kHz ADCP is appropriate. It can effectively penetrate the water column at these depths and accurately measure the current velocities.
• In much deeper areas, like the approach channel of the port where the water depth can be more than 1000 meters, the 75 kHz ADCP is recommended since its lower frequency can reach greater depths and still attain useful current information.

There are well-known ADCP brands in the market, including Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, if one wants a cost-effective option with very good quality, then the China Sonar PandaADCP is the way to go. It is made of all-titanium alloy material that combines durability and good performance. With its incredible cost-performance ratio, it provides a great choice for ocean current measurement in the Port of Sorong. You can learn more about it on its official website: (https://china-sonar.com/).

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