Optimization of Damping Treatment in the Car Design Process Using Advanced Simulation Techniques

In the car design process, damping treatments have to be optimized as part of the sound package in order to reduce vibrations and sound generation of the car body panels. The simulation technique presented determines the effects of multi-layer damping treatments and represents them in terms of equivalent single-layer material characteristics. The procedure allows the temperature-and frequency-dependent characteristics of all individual materials to be taken into account as well as effects caused by panel curvature or panel stiffeners. The resulting data can be applied subsequently in overall car-body FEM-simulations, thus accounting for all damping effects without complicating the model.