Engine Order Sound Simulation by Active Sound Generation for Electric Vehicles

In this article, an active sound generation (ASG) system is proposed to simulate engine order sound that is typically found in vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines. Based on an A-class electric SUV, a mathematical model simulating engine order sound is established, and a short-time Fourier transform and synthesis technique is implemented. An ASG hardware along with its main functional circuits is designed, and the control software is developed. The ASG system is configured based on the loudspeakers used by the vehicle’s audio system and the frequency response characteristics of the loudspeakers is obtained by testing. An interior sound design method simulating acceleration conditions is investigated in detail. The control method is formulated based on the interior noise characteristics in accordance with the engine order sound amplitude variation. By establishing a design process with an ASG calibration and evaluation method, the accuracy of the acoustic synthetic method is validated. In summary, this work provides an interior sound design process to simulate accelerating conditions for electric vehicles and has established a sound control, calibration, and evaluation methodology for ASG systems.