INTERACTIVE EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE FOR UNDERSTANDING DISPLACEMENT TRANSMISSIBILITY

The transmission of displacements is particularly important for technical applications, as it can lead to unwanted effects, such as perturbation of the functionality of supported subassemblies, their premature wear or discomfort for the human operator. The phenomenon can be studied by using a simple mechanical model. The paper presents an educational computer program, developed by the authors, that represents by animated graphics the motion of such a model, highlighting the characteristic quantities of the supported subassembly vibrations. By varying the input data, students can observe interactively the effects of the system parameters on the amplitude of vibrations induced by the moving body and they can understand the practical solutions used for eliminating their unwanted effects. The paper is structured in three parts, of which the first part briefly presents the analytical basis, the second part describes the program, including its user interface and functionality, while the third part proposes a method for integrating the program in practical sessions, as a tool for teaching mechanical vibrations and vibration control in engineering faculties.