Experimental and numerical techniques for lightweight vehicle sound package development

Abstract

The use of lightweight structural materials poses great challenge to noise control of a vehicle. A new approach to sound package design in lightweight vehicles was developed to reduce vehicle interior noise level without addition of weight. This new approach relies on lightweight acoustical materials that provide superior sound absorption performance to reduce noise level at the source, e.g., inside engine compartment and near the tires. Vehicle NVH finite element analysis (FEA) models were used to develop the lightweight vehicle’s structural design to bring the lightweight vehicle’s low and mid frequency responses closer the baseline vehicle’s performance. Full vehicle SEA (statistical energy analysis) model was developed to evaluate the high frequency NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) performance of a vehicle. This correlated SEA model was used for the vehicle sound package optimization studies to develop sound package design to improve lightweight vehicle’s acoustic performance. In this paper, the use of NVH CAE (computer aided engineering) simulations for lightweight vehicle design is presented to highlight the limitation and use of FEA and SEA in lightweight vehicle development.