An Investigation of Vibration Characteristics in Automotive Seats Using Experimental and CAE Techniques

Seat system resonant frequencies play an important role in seat design and ride dynamics. So NVH performance of the seats should be assessed from the viewpoint of tactile, acoustic and visual sense. Tactile response is the response of sub-systems, which is induced when the human body contacts steering wheel, footrest or seats. Acoustic response is the behavior of the seat system at the cavity resonance frequencies and visual sense is what we perceive under actual operating conditions. The objective of the present work is to conduct and correlate experimental modal test with FE modal test to identify tactile vibrations. Then the identified main seat modes will be used to set the mode map (seat target) at the stage of full vehicle level. This work will present a practical approach in understanding varied methods and techniques for determining resonant characteristics and for subsequent refinement of FE model.