Browse Topic: Noise
Inverters are typically integrated into electric drive units for electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce packaging size and cost. However, coupled vibrations from the electric motor and gears are transmitted to the inverter, which can become a dominant noise source due to its large radiative panel. Metal panels are required for electromagnetic interference (EMI) compliance, yet these covers usually lack sufficient stiffness or damping for noise control. Adding ribs and applying damping treatments result in excessive mass, cost, and packaging challenges. A new bubble sheet panel design has been developed to enhance the structural strength and damping performance of the inverter cover while significantly reducing its mass. A thin sheet of aluminum is welded onto the cover in an optimized pattern that enhances stiffness and damping performance while accommodating packaging requirements. The welding pattern can include logos or artistic designs to improve the panel’s appearance. The metal sheets
Modern aeroacoustic wind tunnels are required to have flat axial static pressure distribution, very low background noise levels, and minimal low-frequency pressure fluctuations. These characteristics enable accurate measurement of aerodynamic forces acting on a vehicle as well as identification of noise sources. The collector of an open-jet or ¾ open-jet wind tunnel plays a critical role in achieving these goals. Collector self-generated noise contributes to the overall background noise level in the test section, and this contribution has become more significant as other noise sources, such as the main fan, have been addressed through improvements to acoustic treatment. Ever-increasing attention to detail is required to manage noise signatures as the overall facility noise floor is lowered. Furthermore, aspects of collector design that may be beneficial to aerodynamics or pressure fluctuation tend to be some of the worst offenders for noise generation. A new collector configuration was
Passenger expectations for quiet and acoustically comfortable vehicle interiors have increased significantly, driven by advancements in electric vehicles and premium audio systems. Acoustic comfort affects perceived quality, communication ease, and overall driving experience. This paper presents a simulation-driven methodology to predict and optimize interior noise performance during the early design phase, focusing on high-frequency acoustic transfer functions and trim material absorption properties. Traditional NVH development relies heavily on physical testing, which is time-consuming and costly. Early-stage predictive tools are essential to evaluate acoustic performance before prototype availability. High-frequency noise (1kHz–12kHz) is particularly challenging due to complex reflections and absorption behavior. Acoustic trims play a critical role in shaping the cabin’s sound field, and their properties must be optimized to achieve desired sound quality. A novel simulation approach
The Audio system is an important part of the design of a vehicle cabin. In the vehicle development process, the audio system needs to be tuned for optimal acoustic performance. Traditionally, this process is performed physically on vehicles. In this paper, a methodology is developed to numerically simulate the acoustic performance of the audio system across the full audible frequency range. To provide validation of the method, the p/v acoustic transfer functions (ie., the sound pressure p at the passengers’ ears divided by the voltage inputs v) are measured for different speakers in a production vehicle. As the sound perceived by the passengers depends on both the source and the path, the method development is split into two parts: (a) characterization of parameters that describe the loudspeaker as a source and (b) representation of the vehicle cabin as a path. The speaker parameters are characterized from sound radiation data measured in a 2pi chamber. To represent the vehicle cabin
With the growing trend of electric vehicles (EVs) incorporating regenerative braking systems, many compact SUVs, including hybrids and EVs, still utilize drum brakes on the rear wheels to strike a balance between cost, performance, and durability. Drum brake squeal remains a complex and persistent challenge in the field of vehicle noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH). This issue stems from dynamic instability caused by time–dependent friction forces. Traditional linear modal analysis has been used to study the mechanisms behind drum brake squeal, focusing on harmonic vibrations in large–scale models. However, these methods often fail to accurately correlate with real world behavior due to the presence of extra, non-physical modes. To address this, time–domain analysis approaches have been explored, incorporating detailed friction models and contact mechanics. These methods consider different root causes for high and low–frequency squeal and have shown promising results in accurately
As already well-understood/enormous engineering practices, the inverter AC-side NVH phenomena/mechanisms/measures for motor-equipped vehicle, are already pretty clear. In addition to inverter AC side–induced NVH issues, DC ripple induced by PE switching leads to NVH issues manifesting on the capacitor, inductor, and conductor in terms of reverse piezoelectricity, electrostriction, magnetostriction, Laplace force, and so forth. These DC-side NVH issues are already literally analyzed by a couple of literatures, and mechanisms/measures are explored/applied to electric drive development. And yet, the phenomenon that a pulsating magnetic field inside a battery pack induced by DC current ripple off PE switching brings noise at switching frequency inside the vehicle cabin is newly captured/analyzed by our research, and that has been barely searched during the literature survey. This newly discovered phenomenon is the pivotal point in this paper. Although the noise features like the
Vehicle interior noise is a crucial assessment criterion for automotive NVH. It has a significant effect on customer opinions about the quality of a vehicle. Articulation Index (AI) is one of the key sound metrics used to describe speech intelligibility and quantifies the middle and high frequency spectra associated to the internal noise of vehicle. In reality, Vehicle operating under dynamic condition experiences various air-borne noise sources such as tire rolling noise, powertrain noise, intake-exhaust noise & wind noise along with structure borne excitations such as powertrain vibrations, suspension vibrations. It is very challenging to predict cumulative effect of all these excitations to interior noise level and Articulation Index (AI) of vehicle over complete frequency range. The statistical energy analysis (SEA) is a well-known methodology being used to simulate & predict mid & high frequency noise. Objective of this paper is to present the process of development of a SEA
Tire noise reduction is important for improving ride comfort, especially in electric vehicle due to lack of engine noise and majority of the noise generated in-cabin is from tire-road interaction. Therefore, the tire tread pattern contribution is one of the important criteria for NVH performance apart from other structurally generated noise and vibration. In this work a GUI-based pitch sequence optimization tool is developed to support tire design engineers in generating acoustically optimized tread sequences. The tool operates in two modes: without constraints, where the pitch sequence is optimized freely to reduce tonal noise levels; and with constraints, where specific design rules are applied to preserve pattern consistency and manufacturability. The key point to be considered in this pitch sequence is that it should be reducing the tonal sound and equally spread i.e., the same pitch cannot be concentrated on one side which may lead to non-uniformity. So, the restriction is that
In pursuit of a distinct sporty interior sound character, the present study explores an innovative strategy for designing intake systems in passenger vehicles. While most existing literature primarily emphasizes exhaust system tuning for enhancing vehicle sound quality, the current work shifts the focus toward the intake system’s critical role in shaping the perceived acoustic signature within the vehicle cabin. In this research work, target cascading and settings were derived through a combination of benchmark and structured subjective evaluation study and aligning with literature review. Quantitative targets for intake orifice noise was defined to achieve the desired sporty character inside cabin. Intake orifice targets were engineered based on signature and sound quality parameter required at cabin. Systems were designed by using advanced NVH techniques, Specific identified acoustic orders were enhanced in the intake system to reinforce the required signature in acceleration as well
In the absence of engine noise, road-induced noise has become a major concern specifically for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), impacting Sound Pressure Level (SPL) for both drivers and passengers. Under the influence of random road load inputs, structural vibrations which transfer from road and tire to suspension to vehicle body, the cabin interior noise, particularly at lower frequencies, is significantly affected. To improve the road-induced low-frequency structure-borne noise behaviour, which frequently perceptible as ‘booming noises’, a study was carried out to assess predominant noise sources present in vehicle and to suggest refinements in reducing the noise levels. By considering random excitations of road profile through tire patch using CD-Tire model, vehicle interior noise was computed. Subsequently, to get insight of dynamic behaviour of vehicle, various diagnostic assessments to understand the influence from structure and paths were deployed. Major contributors from body
The automotive industry constantly strives to enhance vehicle safety, comfort, and customer satisfaction. One of the critical aspects influencing these factors is the mitigation of Buzz, Squeak, and Rattle (BSR) issues, which can significantly impact perceived vehicle quality and user experience. This paper focuses on the BSR challenges specifically encountered in bench seat latch & striker mechanisms. Vibrations and movement, especially during vehicle operation, exacerbate Buzz, Squeak & Rattle (BSR) problems, leading to acoustic disturbances that detract from the overall ride quality. Latch and striker in seat system is prone to squeaks and rattles (S&R) due to improper fitment, environmental conditions, or mechanical stress. These issues not only compromise the auditory experience but may also raise concerns about component durability and functionality. This paper outlines the root causes of BSR phenomena in these components, emphasizing the role of design optimization, material
This paper focuses on the cabin sound quality refinement and the tactile vibration reduction during horn application in the electric vehicle. A loud cracking sound inside the cabin and higher accelerator pedal vibration are perceived while operating the horn. Sound diagnosis is carried out to find out the frequencies causing the cracking noise. Transfer path analysis is conducted to identify the nature of noise and the predominant path through which forces transfer. Based on finding from TPA, various recommendations are evaluated which reduced the noise to a certain extent. Operational Deflection Shape (ODS) is conducted on the horn mounting bracket and on the body to identify the component having higher deflection at the identified frequencies. Recommendations like DPDS improvement on the horn bracket and the body is assessed and the effect of each outcome is discussed. With all the recommendations proposed, the cabin noise levels are reduced by ~ 8 dB (A) and the accelerator pedal
Higher road noise is perceived in the cabin when the test vehicle encounters road irregularities like bump or pothole in the public roads. The transfer of transient road inputs inside the body caused objectionable cabin noise. Measurements are conducted at different road surfaces to identify the patch where the objective data well correlated with the noise measured at the public road. Wavelet analysis is carried out to identify the frequency zones since the events are transient in nature. TPA is carried out in time domain to identify the nature of the noise and the dominant path through which the transient road forces are transferring inside the body. Based on the outcome of TPA, various countermeasures like reduction of dynamic stiffness of suspension bushes, TMDs on the path are proposed to reduce the structure borne noise. Criteria which need to be considered for reduction of cabin noise due to transient road inputs is also discussed.
Powertrain is the most prominent source of Noise and Vibration in the vehicle. Improvement in Powertrain Noise and Vibration is a multifaceted topic due to the complex architecture of the powertrain and the critical role of calibration in defining combustion inputs. Hence, a method to clearly distinguish these aspects is required in order to address the exact problem and decide on course of actions to improve NVH performance of powertrains. This paper discusses a post-processing technique through which experimentally acquired ICE Powertrain Noise can be further segregated in order to identify and address the root source. The segregation methodology requires as input - noise, vibration and cylinder pressure values at various torque conditions across multiple operating points. A MATLAB based code developed by the authors is used to generate correlation between the Cylinder Pressure, Torque and Noise Parameters. The transfer coefficient at every frequency point is calculated using
Unlike internal combustion engine (IC Engine) vehicles, the rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) market demands tyres with superior yet often conflicting performance characteristics. The increased weight of EVs, due to their heavy batteries, necessitates robust tyres with reinforcement and higher inflation pressure. Conversely, increased wear due to higher initial torque and the need for lower rolling resistance to extend range, combined with the requirement for better grip for improved handling, call for advanced compound and tread pattern designs. EV tyres need to be stiffer, lighter, and low hysteresis, making it very hard to reduce low-frequency (20-200 Hz) interior noise that was previously masked by engine noise. This study investigates the low-frequency (20-200 Hz) structural-borne interior noise performance of EV tyres using both experimental and simulation tools. By wisely tuning the tyre's stiffness, mass, and damping properties, the necessary noise targets can be achieved
Items per page:
50
1 – 50 of 6055