Minimising Turbocharger Whoosh Noise for Diesel Powertrains

Diesel vehicle buyers in Europe are now able to select from a wide range of desirable products with excellent performance and levels of refinement competitive with gasoline engine products. However, the trend towards higher ratings and increased low speed torque appears to have resulted in increased levels of turbocharger generated flow or ‘whoosh’ noise.

This paper discusses the phenomenon of turbocharger whoosh and its impact on powertrain [1] and vehicle level NVH [2] focusing on:

• Possible mechanisms for whoosh noise occurrence
• The effect of turbocharger compressor selection on whoosh noise
• Mechanisms for the radiation of whoosh noise
• Potential countermeasures for reducing turbocharger whoosh

Case studies are drawn from a range of relevant powertrain NVH projects to illustrate the turbocharger whoosh noise development process.

The paper includes an insight to the future development of predictive tools for the whoosh noise phenomenon.