Application of ADCP to Ocean Current Measurement in Valencia Port

1. Where is Valencia Port?

Valencia Port is located on the eastern coastline of Spain and borders the Mediterranean Sea. It is considered one of the largest and most important ports in the Mediterranean area.

Port Scale and Throughput

The Valencia Port is the great shipping center with huge magnitude and high volumes of throughput. It handles a broad cargo base from a big proportion of the Spanish container traffic. The annual container traffic of this port is assessed in millions of TEUs. Apart from this, it also deals with bulk cargo like grains, ores, and chemicals, along with general cargo, liquid bulks of petroleum products.

Routes and Business

The port has good connectivity with almost all international shipping routes, acting as a key link between Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The major businesses in which it is engaged include shipping, logistics, and value-added services related to packaging and distribution of cargo. Besides this, its cruise ship business is growing, with terminals equipped to handle large-scale passenger traffic.

Port Management and Operation

The management is highly professional and efficient, with a sophisticated traffic control system that governs the movement of vessels, from the largest container vessels to the smaller feeder ships. The port authority is responsible for maintaining and continually upgrading the infrastructure, including deep-water berths, quays, and modern cargo-handling equipment. Stringent safety and environmental regulations are put in place to ensure that the port operates sustainably.

Port Facilities

The Valencia Port is a fully equipped facility with all modern facilities. It has various deep-water berths that can receive even the largest container ships in the world. The port is equipped with high-tech cargo-handling equipment, such as automated container cranes and conveyor systems for bulk cargo. Besides that, it has huge storage areas, including temperature-controlled warehouses for perishable goods and special storage for hazardous materials.

Channel and Direct Navigation

It has a well-maintained, wide channel to give it direct access to the sea. The channel is of sufficient depth to accommodate deep-draft vessels. Advanced navigation aids such as radar systems, GPS-based positioning, and a network of buoys and lights guide ships into and out of the port. Navigation directly to and from other major ports is smooth, enhancing its position as a strategic maritime node.

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

Improved Safety of Navigation

It becomes terribly important in the matter of safety of the ships for Valencia Port. The knowledge of the current patterns enables captains of the ships to make more accurate decisions while navigating. Understanding the direction and speed of the currents can lead them to adjust their courses and speeds, avoiding collisions, and ensuring a smooth process of docking and undocking. Most large container ships and tankers have low maneuverability and are highly dependent on precise current data.

Efficient Port Operations

The exact measurements of the currents are required by the commercial operations in the port. The tugs providing assistance during ships' maneuvers depend on current information for proper and effective performance. Currents data also allows the ships in moorings to assess what the suitable mooring arrangement that would keep their vessels from drifting into the port facility or other ships.

Environmental Management

From this, there can be an understanding of the ocean currents, very useful for port waste management and for control of pollution as regards their influence on dispersion processes of pollutants or transport mechanisms for sediment transport. Current measurement also enables better disposal of the generated waste at a more functional level within the port. Therefore, such actions prevent the depth of the channel or berth area from sedimentation.

It operates the current measurement more accurately and effectively than traditional methods; hence, it will be ideal for the needs of Valencia Port.

3. How do ADCPs using the Doppler principle work?

The working of an ADCP current meter is based on the principle of the Doppler. It emits acoustic pulses into the water column. These pulses interact with the particles in the water, like suspended sediments, plankton, or other similar small objects.

When the acoustic pulses are reflected back to the ADCP profiler, the frequency of the received signal changes due to the Doppler effect. This change in frequency is caused by the motion of the particles, which are carried by the water current.

The ADCP measures the difference between the emitted and received frequencies. By using the Doppler equation, it computes the velocity of the particles related to the velocity of the water current. The ADCP current profiler is able to measure the velocity of the current at different depths inside the water column, thus providing a vertical profile of the current.

Ship-borne ADCP

Ship-borne ADCPs are installed on vessels. While the ship moves around in the port area, the ADCP flow meter continuously sends and receives acoustic signals. A comprehensive view of the current pattern in different parts of the port is achieved with data gathered from the movement of the ship. This type of ADCP meter is good for surveying over a wide area and getting real-time current data.

Fixed ADCP

Fixed ADCPs can be installed in a specific position at the port, for example, in the seabed or on a pier. They record continuously the currents with a single measuring point. They are very handy in the analysis of long-term current patterns in heavy-traffic regions or near to critical port infrastructure, such as the channel entrance or berths.

4. What is required for a high-quality measurement of the current in the Port of Valencia?

Reliable Materials for Equipment

The equipment will have to be manufactured with resistant materials since it would need to withstand marine atmosphere with salty corrosive water, besides being exposed to weather conditions.

Compact Size of Equipment

Equipment size must be minimized in order to have the facility for easy installation. Space on board and in the facilities can be at a premium, particularly on busy ports such as Valencia. Being compact allows flexibility in ADCP installation options.

Lightweight Design

The weight of the ADCP should not be too high to ease installation and lighten loads on the supporting structure. This feature is very significant when the instruments are installed either on ships or on structures which may have to bear weight-related loads.

Low Power Consumption

It shall be low-power consumption. The ADCP would run continuously, so it should have a power supply. The non-requirement of a heavy power supply in a port environment is always desirable as this offers an advantage to carry out the measurements more effectively without disturbance.

Cost-effectiveness

The equipment needs to be cost-effective as well, given the fact that more than one unit has to be deployed because proper current measurement demands coverage of a large area at several locations within the port.

The casing of the ADCP is preferably made of titanium alloy. This is because it offers excellent corrosion resistance, an important aspect in the salty marine environment. Besides, it is strong yet lightweight, meeting the requirements of durability and ease of installation.

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

Based on Usage Purpose

• Ship-borne ADCP: This is very useful for ships that are moving around the port area, such as container ships, tankers, and cruise ships. This gives a means of measuring currents along the ship's track, and such measurements are useful for understanding the general current patterns in the port.
• Bottom-mounted ADCP: Best suited for fixed-point measurement. Deployed on the seafloor near docks, channels, or other critical infrastructure within a port to constantly deliver data on currents in a particular location. This is important in monitoring the local current conditions.
• Buoy-based ADCP: suitable for areas of the port area where it is impractical to set up fixed bottom or ship-borne ADCP. It's able to present current measurements against open water, and its deployment and maintenance will be relatively not complex.

Based on Frequency

• Water depth is the main controlling factor in regard to the chosen frequency. As the water depth range in Valencia port is below 70 meters, a frequency of 600kHz will adequately suit the working area. This can be done in the shallower regions near the shore or in the inner parts of the port. The 300kHz ADCP shall be appropriate in water depths up to 110m, while the latter covers a larger depth range. In the deeper waters of the port area, a 75kHz ADCP will suit water depths up to 1000m, and its deployment can be considered for the approach channels.
• There are well-known ADCP brands like 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, providing excellent durability and a high level of corrosion resistance. It also offers an attractive cost-performance ratio. You can visit their website (https://china-sonar.com/) for more details.

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