Tests of two prototype Workhorse ADCPs

Two field tests were performed on RD Instruments' (RDI) new Workhorse acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). The instruments were compared against an RDI DR1200 ADCP at two sites in Tampa Bay, Florida: under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and in Old Port Tampa. The DR1200s have been operational for more than three years as part of the Tampa Bay PORTS, and their performance has been extensively verified. At the bridge, the two instruments were deployed about 100 m apart inside a 400-m wide channel. This separation and bridge flow obstructions created flow differences. At Old Port Tampa the close placement of the instruments and more uniform flow provided a better comparison of the data sets. It was concluded that the measurement performance of the two instruments are comparable. Furthermore, the Workhorse's small size made it easy to install and remove from each site using a small boat.