Investigation of Sub-System Contribution to a Pickup Truck Boom Noise Using a Hybrid Method Based on Noise Path Analysis to Simulate Interior Noise

The final interior noise of a vehicle is due to the contribution of several sub-systems sources and their transmission paths (airborne and structure-borne) to the driver's ear. Ford Motor Company had developed a Windows based software using simple noise path analysis to estimate the final vehicle level acceleration noise. Measurement data of several sub-system components were inputted to software that computed the airborne and structure-borne contributions in 1/3-octave and order spectra to give the final vehicle interior noise level. The predicted noise was compared to the measured one and model was validated. Then, observing the frequency range of the boom phenomenon, it was possible to identify the main contributors. Still using the same tool, a new component target was set.