The Burke Brise Soleil is the name given to the movable sunshade atop the Milwaukee Art Museum. This sunshade consists of a pair of wing-like structures, each made of 36 aluminum ribs ranging in length from 24 to 105 feet. Twenty two hydraulic cylinders, 11 on each side, are stroked simultaneously to operate cranks attached to the main shaft. The cranks swing 90 degrees to open and close the sunshade in under 10 minutes. The Oilgear control system makes all this possible with a touch of a button. Oilgear fitted the power unit with two identical Model PVWH11 pump sets. Each 30-hp motor drives a tandem axial-piston pump.
The Oilgear electronic control system provided in this application has been programmed to open, close, and move the sunshade to different positions according to a programmable time-table, giving the sunshade a life of its own, but the ability to intervene anytime it is felt necessary is also possible. The programmed time-table can be overridden manually at anytime.
The electronic control system also monitors weather conditions to quickly react to a variety of situations. Because of the large surface area of the wings, the structure is vulnerable to high winds. Two wind sensors are connected to the control system to monitor wind gusts and automatically close the sunshade upon detecting a wind gust in excess of a pre-determined set point. The system is also equipped with a lightning sensor that indicates when a lightning strike is possible, which in turn triggers the system to automatically close the sunshade.
Please enjoy these videos of the wings opening:
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3