Real-Time Pass-by Noise Source Identification Using A Beam-Forming Approach

Noise source identification is becoming a key issue in the dimensioning and troubleshooting steps of the design process. In the automotive industry, OEM's and suppliers need to assess the entire description of vehicle noise emission, both for interior comfort and exterior radiation concerns. The resolution of pass-by noise issues pose one of the most significant problems to vehicle designers. While many commercially available systems allow the evaluation of the overall noise emission at any speed and position during the test the task of identifying specific sources is still mainly performed using component masking.

A new measurement technique has been developed using a microphone array (typically 2m × 2m with 64 transducers or more) and acoustic beamforming techniques that allows visual source identification at any point during the test. Typically, the entire side of a vehicle can be evaluated with one single measurement run. This paper describes the method employed and presents results obtained from a high-speed pass-by test on a minivan.