Abstract

Citation

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

• Dungan, I., Boucher, R. (2022). 3-110-MilitarySpringMassApplication-ModelingScenario. SIMIODE, QUBES Educational Resources. doi:10.25334/WDMA-BZ89

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Article Context

Description

The project is a collection of five different scenarios regarding the shock system of a trailer; the first three are chronological and the latter two are optional independent scenarios.

In each scenario, students will transform the shock system of a trailer into a second-order differential equation, solve, and interpret the results.

In the first two scenarios, students must compare three different shock absorbers (or shocks) for the trailer. They must first compare the shocks when being loaded and then while driving on a given terrain. The third scenario considers a cheaper shock with no damping which leads to a discussion of resonance.

In the fourth scenario, an alternative use of the trailer is being tested which causes a resonance-like phenomenon. They will use vertical displacement data of the trailer to estimate the damping coefficient of the shock system. Using the damping coefficient, they can model the trailer and predict the long-term behavior of the trailer.

The final scenario is to model the trailer being pulled over an intense terrain. They will need to model the terrain using the Dirac Delta function and solve the model using Laplace transforms.

The project has been written from the point of view of a recently commissioned second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, but can be easily adapted to a contracted mathematician or completely stripped of a background story.