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

1. Where is Veracruz port?

Veracruz port is located on the Gulf of Mexico coast in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. It is one of the most important ports in the country and enjoys a long and significant maritime history.

Port Scale and Throughput

The port is of a huge scale and handles a tremendous volume of cargo annually. It is a major center for both domestic and international trade. Its throughput runs the gamut from containerized manufactured products to bulk commodities like oil, coal, grains, and various chemicals. It is an important link in Mexico's trade with North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, moving goods that are basic to several industries.

Routes and Business

The Veracruz port has an extended network of shipping routes. It connects with a lot of major ports worldwide both for import and export of various items. Import business brings advanced machinery, consumer goods, and raw materials that contribute to local manufacturing and economic development. Exported products shipped out from the port include Mexican agricultural produce, such as fruits and coffee, minerals, and processed goods. It plays an important part in the very relevant field of regional and national economic development.

Port Management and Operation

The port is run by a professional and experienced team. They focus on efficient cargo handling, strict safety and security standards for vessels and the port area, and coordination with various stakeholders such as shipping lines, customs authorities, and local businesses. Regular upgrades and maintenance of port facilities are carried out to keep pace with the ever-growing demands of the global shipping industry.

Port Facilities

It is a facility boasting of the latest infrastructure. There are lengthy quay walls with several berths capable of receiving huge ocean-going vessels, from gigantic container ships down to oil tankers. Modern container terminals with sophisticated cranes that can load and unload containers fast and with much accuracy are also part of this port. For bulk cargo, there are specialized storage areas and conveyor systems. Other facilities include those related to storage and handling for liquid cargo, such as large oil storage tanks and pipelines. In addition, there are supportive facilities for the ships themselves, such as repair yards, fueling stations, and areas for provisions supply.

Channel and Navigation

The channel leading to the port is deep and wide, while continuous dredging ensures safe passage even for vessels of very large sizes. All vessels can enter and leave the port in complete safety and with the utmost efficiency because the buoys, lights, and radar systems serving the channel at the port act as navigational aids. This way, navigation can be performed directly and smoothly even under varying conditions of weather and tide.

2. Why should we measure the ocean currents in the Veracruz port?

Improved Vessel Navigation

Ocean current measurement in the Veracruz port is essential to optimize vessel navigation. Currents in the Gulf of Mexico may give high impact on speed, course, and fuel consumption of each ship. With accurate data on currents, ship captains can plot routes more efficiently. They make use of favorable currents to cut down on travel time and conserve fuel. Knowing the direction and strength of currents accurately can provide a lot of facility during maneuvers, such as while approaching or leaving a port. It would prevent many incidents related to collision and running aground.

Infrastructure Protection

The port's infrastructure, including quay walls, berths, and underwater structures, is constantly under the influence of ocean currents. Strong or unpredictable currents can cause erosion, scouring, and structural damage over time. Regular current measurements help port authorities identify vulnerable areas and take timely preventive measures like reinforcing structures or adjusting dredging schedules to safeguard the port's integrity and extend the lifespan of its facilities.

Marine Environmental Management

The ocean currents are of great importance in the management of the marine environment in the port area. Currents are one of the most important factors for dispersion, which involves pollutants, sediments, and heat. By monitoring the currents, appropriate measures can be taken to control the spread of any potential contaminants, manage sedimentation, and protect the aquatic ecosystem. This is important in terms of maintaining a healthy marine environment and adherence to environmental regulations.

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) offers a more sophisticated and expedient method of measuring ocean currents compared to traditional methods. It can also give detailed and real-time information on speed and direction of currents at different depths inside the port, thus enabling better decision-making on port operations and environmental protection.

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

The ADCPs are based on the Doppler principle, they send acoustic signals through the water. These acoustic waves interact with the particles entrained by the ocean currents, such as suspended sediments, plankton, and other small entities which constitute the water column.

When the emitted acoustic waves are reflected back after hitting the moving particles, the frequency of the reflected waves changes due to the Doppler effect. The frequency shift is measured by the ADCP meter. With some sophisticated algorithms, it works out the velocity of the moving particles based on the frequency shift. This velocity information is then translated into the speed and direction of the ocean currents.

In the context of Veracruz port, there are two main ways of using ADCPs:

Ship-borne ADCP

A ship-borne ADCP is installed on a vessel, which could be a survey ship, a cargo ship, or a specialized research vessel. While the ship is moving around the port area and its adjacent waters, the ADCP current meter continuously emits and receives acoustic signals. This own motion of the ship combined with current measurements from the ADCP profiler will provide a comprehensive picture of ocean current patterns in various parts of the port and surroundings.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs are installed in strategic positions in the surrounding area, either on the seafloor at the entrance or along the quay walls, or at specific places along the navigation channel. Fixed ADCPs do not move; they can be applied continuously to monitor the conditions in one location. This gives quite good long-term data on usual current flow and anomalies for describing its development, constituting one of the cornerstones in the port's planning and safety.

4. What do the good measurements of currents from the Veracruz port require?

Materials Robustosy Durable‎s

The equipment has to be made with materials that can withstand the harsh marine environment for high-quality measurement of the ocean currents in Veracruz port. Seawater is really corrosive, and the pressure variations might be very substantial depending on the depth that the equipment could be operating at. Materials resistant to corrosion are essential to maintain their structural strength over long periods for the equipment to effectively carry out accurate and consistent measurements.

Compact Size and Light Weight

The size and weight are important. As the environment in a port is busy and space-limited most of the time, the compact size of an ADCP flow meter would make it more feasible to install on either a ship or fixed location. Lightweight design is advantageous for ship-borne ADCPs in particular, as this would minimize the impact on the stability and handling of the vessel during operation.

Low Power Consumption

Low power consumption is especially important for fixed ADCPs, which often must operate for extended periods of time. Beyond the obvious financial savings, reduced power consumption simplifies power supply requirements and increases the long-term reliability of the instrument.

Titanium Alloy Casing

The casing of the ADCP is highly recommended to be made of a titanium alloy. A titanium alloy has excellent resistance to corrosion and is, therefore, very suitable for the marine environment. It also has a high strength-to-weight ratio, which will enable the design to be durable, yet relatively lightweight. The ADCP current profiler will, with this, take pressures and impacts it may go through while in the port waters without loss in performance or accuracy.

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

Based on Usage Scenarios

Ship-borne ADCP: In case the goal of measurement is to carry out extensive current pattern surveys over a large area of the port and adjacent waters, a ship-borne ADCP has to be used. Such equipment can be mounted aboard the vessel for normal ongoing inspections of the port or in designing plans for new infrastructure developments on ports or during analysis related to current interference on vessel traffic.

Bottom-Mounted (Sit-on-Bottom) ADCP: Bottom-mounted ADCPs will be able to monitor the current conditions at a few critical locations in the entrance of the port, or at places near important berths or any underwater structures effectively for a long period with stability. Continuous data extraction shall be necessary to understand the normal flow, as well as sudden changes that would change or alter the safety of operations inside the port,.

Buoy-mounted ADCP: When the measurement point has to be more 'flexible' and movable-for example, to collect data in different locations or on need-oriented bases, or to reach regions hardly possible without specific means-a buoy-mounted ADCP shall be considered.

Frequency Choice

Up to a depth of 70m water level, generally speaking, an ADCP with the best frequency is 600 kHz.

For depths up to 110m, an ADCP of 300 kHz is more suitable.

ADCPs of 75kHz can give good measurements in deeper waters with depths reaching 1000m.

There are several famous brands in the market, such as Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, the Chinese brand of China Sonar PandaADCP should be mentioned here. It is fully fabricated from titanium alloy material for durability and long life in seawater. Besides, this ADCP provides very high cost performance. You may know more from its website: (https://china-sonar.com/).

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