G. L. Tiago Fº, G. T. Caetano
THE USE OF ADCP IN SMALL AND MEDIUM RIVERS
The introduction and operation of a hydrological data net depends on the installation of flow stations net that can generate reliable data obtained from a stage discharge curve, that is produced through a series of flow measurements made in the cross section. Usually, for measurement of those flows, it is used the conventional current meters and other methods. They are well-known and applied plenty methods, however, in the execution they demand time, knowledge and technical abilities, without which can be generated data that are not real.
A way to accelerate the process is the use of methods and automated devices, as it is the case of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler - ADCP, that measures the flow automatically through Doppler effect. However, its use is restricted to the great rivers.
The present paper makes a review and has the objective of comparing different methods of flow measurement. In this case, the comparison is made between the conventional methods and the acoustic automated method of ADCP. With this study, it intends to verify the reliability of the instrument for flow measurement in small and medium rivers and, according to the case, to develop a methodology for the imposed conditions.