WANDERLUBIO BARBOSA GENTIL
Abstract:
Reservoir sedimentation occurs as a function of the deposition of particles that are called sediments and that are carried through the flow. It's a process that will occur anyway; however, it's controllable. Whatever the purpose of the reservoir, it can be seen that the operating characteristics may be compromised over time, and its storage capacity may be partially or totally taken up by sediment due to a number of variables. As a result, sedimentation in reservoirs is a very relevant issue, considering that Brazil is a country that has a strong dependence on energy generated through hydroelectricity and, therefore, with several built reservoirs. The construction of a dam can have several socioeconomic and environmental impacts, including sedimentation, which appears as a problem that affects the volume and power generation capacity of reservoirs. The present research has as main focus the evaluation of some stages of the sedimentation process of the Caçu Hydroelectric Power Plant reservoir, where it was developed a study of the sedimentation behavior relating the water velocity to the suspended sediments and the bottom bathymetry. It was found that the places where there was the largest sediment accumulation was in the stretch between the end of the zone classified as river and the beginning of the transition zone and that this accumulation occurred as the velocity changes, when the water flow loses force and sediments are deposited on the bed. The study allowed to verify, with the bathymetry, the alterations in siltation and, with the velocity mapping, the longitudinal compartmentalization of the reservoir, as well as the most prone accumulation sites.
