Adam Johnson

Objective
The objected of this assignment is to analyze an impulse hitting the rear of a trailer. The simulation is
to last 30 seconds. This is a three degree of freedom model that has a spring constant and dampening
constant for each part of the trailer. The end result is how the trailer reacts to different stiffnesss and
dampening constants. The end result is to have the ability to reduce the impulse with the least amount
of amplitude by varying the constants.





Matlab/Simulink Diagram







Results

0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
Time (s)
F
o
r
c
e

(
N
)
Input Force
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
x 10
-4
Time (s)
P
o
s
i
t
i
o
n

(
m
)
X1 Position


0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
x 10
-3
Time (s)
P
o
s
i
t
i
o
n

(
m
)
X2 Position
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
x 10
-3
Time (s)
P
o
s
i
t
i
o
n

(
m
)
X3 Position


0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
x 10
-3
Time (s)
V
e
l
o
c
i
t
y

(
m
/
s
)
X1 Velocity
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
x 10
-3
Time (s)
V
e
l
o
c
i
t
y

(
m
/
s
)
X2 Velocity


0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
x 10
-3
Time (s)
V
e
l
o
c
i
t
y

(
m
/
s
)
X3 Velocity
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-0.04
-0.03
-0.02
-0.01
0
0.01
0.02
Time (s)
A
c
c
e
l
e
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
m
/
s
2
)
X1 Acceleration


0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-0.03
-0.02
-0.01
0
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
Time (s)
A
c
c
e
l
e
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
m
/
s
2
)
X2 Acceleration
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Time (s)
A
c
c
e
l
e
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
m
/
s
2
)
X3 Acceleration
Conclusion
Increasing the stiffness constant of the equations increases the frequency of the position response.
Oppositely, increasing the dampening constant decreases the frequency of the position response. Also
changing the numbers around, it becomes apparent when a resonance frequency is near the driving
frequency due to the variation of the response. As expected, increasing the input pulse increases the
position response. Increasing the mass, in essence, decreases the effect of the impulse and acts as
lowering the spring constant and dampening constant.