Passengers' thermal comfort inside a car cabin is mainly provided by the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) module. Air provided by HVAC is blown via a blower, passing through different components: flaps, thermal exchangers, ducts… and then distributed to car cabin areas. Interaction between airflow and HVAC components generates noises that emerge in car cabin. Due to this fact, noise is naturally created and its level is linked to flow rate.
Valeo is aiming, though CEVAS project, to develop a prediction tool which will provide HVAC spectrum and sound quality data. This tool will be based, in particular, on aeroacoustic measurements using 2N-ports model and Particle Image Velocimetry methods to provide characteristics of HVAC components.