Principal Operating Field Shape Analysis on a Combine Harvester

This paper discusses the use of principal response analysis to earn insight in the operating behaviour of a combine harvester, causing objectionably high noise levels in the operator's cabin. Principal response analysis is able to extract more information from a set of operating response spectra, making use of multiple reference signals, by entering the concept of dimensionality of operating (acoustic and deflection) field shapes.

The proposed method is demonstrated to offer a generic insight into the dimensionality of the problem (number of noise sources) and in the existence of possible noise transmission paths (air-borne as well as structure-borne) to the cabin.