By: Matthew Rawson & Mike Gay
Adviser: Professor B. Sepahpour
The goal of the Brutus Roller Green Evolution is to design and build a kit to convert the gasoline powered tennis court roller into an electrically powered unit. The electric conversion of the Brutus Roller is advantageous to consumers in two modes: decreased noise pollution allowing for near silent operation, and a smaller carbon footprint. With much quieter operation, the time frame for which the unit can be operated to maintain clay tennis courts is much more flexible compared to the gasoline unit, which can only be used during off-peak hours, or when the tennis courts are not in use (due to the loud engine being a distraction to paying tennis players). Secondly, elimination of the gasoline engine’s emissions is one small step closer towards a cleaner planet. The “Green Unit” is to maintain all of the operational parameters of the gasoline unit within 15% of the tested values. Operational parameters which contributed into the design of the conversion kit were speed, acceleration, duration of operation, ease of operation, and safety. Other parameters which were taken into consideration while designing the conversion kit were: time and expertise required to perform the conversion, torque signature, number of components to be changed, durability and structural integrity, operational temperatures, storage of the unit, recommended operational procedure, and maintenance schedule. Our presentation will discuss the test results, design, budget, timeline, computer modeling, Ansys testing, and future building of the “Green Brutus Roller.”