The Ford Motor Company Spin-Torsional NVH Test Facility-2

The Ford Spin Torsional NVH TEST Facility developed and completed in 1999 as a state-of-the-art powertrain NVH development facility(1). Since then, various designed capabilities have been verified with test vehicles for multiple applications to facilitate powertrain NVH development. This paper describes fundamental capabilities of the test facility, including input module to simulate engine torque signatures of arbitrary engines (“virtual engine” capability) and absorbing dynamometer systems, functioning as a precision 4WD/AWD chassis dynamometer. The correlation between road test/chassis dynamometer test and Spin-Torsional test is then illustrated, verifying high correlation of vehicle/sub-system responses between conventional vehicle testing and Spin-Torsional test results. The examples of multiple applications for powertrain NVH phenomena, specifically engine torsionally-induced noise and vibration, transmission gear whine/gear rattle, driveline 1^st/2^nd order vibration, and driveline induced high speed vibration are described. Additionally the benefits of this facility are summarized comparing traditional testing methods/facilities as well as future requirements for this kind of facilities.