Vibro-Acoustic Modeling of Aircrafts Using Statistical Energy Analysis

The Statistical Energy Analysis – SEA is one of the main methods used to study the vibro-acoustic behavior of systems in the aeronautic, automotive and naval industries. The principal advantages of this method are the possibility of analysis in the mid and high frequencies range, the reduced computational costs when compared with other methods (like Finite Element Method or Boundary Element Method) and ease modeling of different sources of noise and vibration. As a statistical method, SEA provides results associated with average values in time, space and in an ensemble of similar structures. In aerospace applications, where the noise and vibration sources are usually random, SEA is particularly indicated. SEA also allows the straightforward modeling of the noise control treatments used in commercial aircraft and the further optimization of these treatments, reducing weight and costs. In this work, the steps followed at the development of an EMBRAER aircraft SEA model are presented. The hypotheses adopted during the subsystems definitions are discussed. The noise and vibration sources considered at the model are described and the calculations of the power inputs are demonstrated. Finally, some results obtained through the model are shown and some possibilities of analysis using the model are explored.