Review of the application of a vehicle structural-acoustic finite-element system model for predicting interior noise

This paper reviews the development of a structural-acoustic finite-element system model of an automotive vehicle that is commonly used in the vehicle design stage to evaluate the interior sound pressure response. The structural system model consists of finite element models of the trimmed body, suspensions, powertrain, and exhaust subsystems. The structural system model is coupled with an acoustic finite element model of the interior passenger compartments to predict the interior sound pressure levels for road or powertrain excitation. Experimental validations of each of the subsystem models are obtained to ensure their accuracy. Experimental accuracy of the vehicle structural-acoustic system model is considered for three types of load excitations: (1) rear shaker excitation, (2) tire patch excitation, and (3) on-road excitation. The vehicle structural-acoustic system model is demonstrated to predict the sound pressure response for each type of load excitation. The validations illustrate that the vehicle structural-acoustic system model is sufficiently accurate for evaluating the interior sound pressure response in the low- to mid-frequency range for use in the automotive vehicle design stage. With the current advanced computational capabilities, the accuracy of the vehicle structural-acoustic system model can be further improved, thereby improving it's accuracy for interior noise prediction.