Development of new vibration energy flow analysis software and its applications to vehicle systems

Abstract

The Energy flow analysis (EFA) offers very promising results in predicting the noise and vibration responses of system structures in medium‐to‐high frequency ranges. We have developed the Energy flow finite element method (EFFEM) based software, EFADSC++ R4, for the vibration analysis. The software can analyze the system structures composed of beam, plate, spring‐damper, rigid body elements and many other components developed, and has many useful functions in analysis. For convenient use of the software, the main functions of the whole software are modularized into translator, model‐converter, and solver. The translator module makes it possible to use finite element (FE) model for the vibration analysis. The model‐converter module changes FE model into energy flow finite element (EFFE) model, and generates joint elements to cover the vibrational attenuation in the complex structures composed of various elements and can solve the joint element equations by using the wave tra! nsmission approach very quickly. The solver module supports the various direct and iterative solvers for multi‐DOF structures. The predictions of vibration for real vehicles by using the developed software were performed successfully.