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

1. Where is Waterford port?

Waterford port is situated in Waterford city, Ireland. It is a major maritime facility with considerable historic background.

Port Scale and Throughput

The port is of considerable scale and handles a wide variety of cargo. Its annual throughput includes bulk goods such as coal, ores, and agricultural products like grains. It also manages a significant volume of container traffic, serving as an important link in the supply chain for both domestic and international trade. The port's capacity has been growing over the years to meet the demands of the expanding economy.

Route and Business

Waterford port connects with most of the other ports in Europe and outside the continent. Many kinds of business are possible. The import business entails raw materials for the factories and other manufacturing and building establishments located nearby the city. The exports deal essentially with finished goods and the output of the farms from that region. It contributes immensely to the regional economic development because it offers jobs and gives them a chance to make business with other countries.

Port Management and Operation

The port is managed with a high level of professionalism. The management team oversees the efficient handling of cargo, ensuring that ships are loaded and unloaded promptly. Safety is a top priority, with strict regulations in place for vessel navigation, docking, and the handling of hazardous materials. The port also invests in infrastructure development and maintenance to keep up with the evolving demands of the maritime industry.

Port Facilities

It is a facility that is well equipped with modern facilities. There are lengthy quay walls with a number of berths that accommodate vessels of various sizes. The port has advanced container handling equipment, including cranes and forklifts. There are also storage areas, such as warehouses for dry goods and silos for bulk storage. For the handling of liquid cargo, it has appropriate tank farms and pumping systems.

Channel and Navigation

The channel to the port is regularly dredged to attain a sufficient depth for large vessels. Adequate navigation aids exist, including buoys and lights with radar systems on either side, that safely bring vessels into and out of the port. It helps in enabling direct and efficient navigation, thereby minimizing accidents and delays in traffic flow.

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

Increased Vessel Navigation

The measurement of ocean currents at the Waterford port is of the essence in optimizing vessel navigation. Currents can greatly influence a ship's speed and course. With knowledge of the currents, ship captains can plan their routes more effectively by leveraging favorable currents to minimize fuel consumption and travel time. A ship approaching the port can use current to modify its angle of approach and speed to facilitate easy docking.

Infrastructure Protection

The quay walls and berths of the port are susceptible to the forces of ocean currents, which may be strong or otherwise unpredictable. The forces and strength of such currents can easily cause erosion and structural weaknesses over time. Monitoring this enables port authorities to take positive steps to reinforce and maintain such features. This can extend the structure's lifespan and reduce sudden, expensive repairs.

Marine Environmental Management

Understanding the ocean currents is also of great importance in marine environmental protection. Currents participate in the dispersion of pollutants and sediments. In a port area, precise measurement data of currents will help the proper disposal of waste and prevent sediment accumulation. This is vital in maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem and complying with environmental regulations.

ADCP current meter provides a far more efficient and accurate way of measuring ocean currents compared to the traditional methods. It can rapidly provide detailed information about the speed and direction of currents at different depths, thus enabling better decision-making for port operations.

3. How do ADCPs using the Doppler principle work?

ADCPs use the principle behind the Doppler effect. They emit an acoustic signal into the water, which acts on moving particles of sediment and biological particles suspended within the currents and moves along with the flow.

Due to the Doppler effect, the frequency of the reflected waves changes when the emitted acoustic waves bounce back after hitting the moving particles. The frequency shift is measured by the ADCP profiler and is used in the calculation of the velocity of the moving particles.

Ship-borne ADCP

In the context of Waterford port, a ship-borne ADCP can be installed on a survey vessel or a cargo ship. While the ship is moving around in the port area, the ADCP current meter continuously emits and receives acoustic signals. By combining the ship's own motion data with the measured current data, a comprehensive picture of the ocean currents in different parts of the port can be obtained.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs can be placed at strategic locations in the port, on the seabed near the entrance or along the quay. These ADCPs continuously monitor the current conditions at a certain point. Over time, the collected data offers very useful information on the regular flow of currents and any sudden changes; this is valuable for long-term port planning and safety.

4. What is required for the high-quality measurement of currents in Waterford port?

Reliable Materials

The equipment should be made from reliable materials for high - quality current measurement. The harsh marine environment, including seawater corrosion and pressure at different depths, can affect the performance of the equipment. Therefore, materials that can withstand these conditions are essential.

Small Size and Light Weight

The equipment should be of small size and lightweight. In a busy port environment like Waterford, space is often limited. A small-sized ADCP is easier to install, whether on a ship or at a fixed location. Light weight is also important, especially for ship-borne ADCPs, as it can reduce the impact on the vessel's stability and handling.

Low Power Consumption and Cost-effectiveness

Low power consumption is of essence, particularly for fixed ADCPs that operate on a continuous basis. This makes it easier to reduce operating cost and the complexity of the power supply system. Furthermore, cost-effective equipment allows for more deployments to be installed for complete current measurement in the port.

Titanium Alloy Casing

The casing of ADCP flow meter is preferably made from the alloy of titanium. In this regard, the said material has excellent corrosion resistance, which is crucial in withstanding corrosive sea water. It has also got a high strength-to-weight ratio that could allow for a durable but comparatively lightweight design. This will be able to withstand pressure and impacts that the equipment could encounter in the port waters.

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

Based on Usage

Ship-borne ADCP: If the goal is to perform an extensive survey of the current patterns in a broad area of the port and its surrounding waters, a ship-borne ADCP would be appropriate. It can be mounted on ships during routine port surveys or during entry and exit of ships to collect current data over a large area.

Bottom-mounted (sit-on-bottom) ADCP: In cases of long-term current monitoring at specific locations-for instance, the entrance of the port or near important berths-the bottom-mounted ADCP is the best option. It will continuously deliver data about the local current conditions and will be of great value for understanding regular flow and sudden changes.

Buoy-mounted ADCP: This can be used when it is required to have a flexible measurement point, capable of movements. A buoy-mounted ADCP may be installed in many areas of the port waters, depending on needs, in general, offering useful information about current where, for a variety of reasons, this cannot otherwise be provided.

Frequency Selection

For water depths up to 70m, a 600kHz ADCP is usually a good choice.

For depths up to 110m, a 300kHz ADCP is more appropriate.

For deeper waters up to 1000m, a 75kHz ADCP can provide accurate measurements.

There are well-known ADCP brands such as Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, a Chinese brand, China Sonar PandaADCP, is also a great option. It is made of all-titanium alloy material, ensuring its durability and performance in the marine environment. It also 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.