A Structural-Acoustic Vehicle System Model for Noise and Vibration Analysis

A structural-acoustic finite-element model of a sedan-type automotive vehicle is developed and experimentally evaluated for predicting vehicle interior noise and structural vibration. The vehicle system model is developed from finite-element models of the major structural subsystems, which include the trimmed body, front suspension, rear suspension, powertrain and exhaust system. An acoustic finite-element model of the passenger compartment cavity is coupled with the vehicle system model to predict the interior noise response. The predicted interior noise and structural vibration by the vehicle system model are compared with the measured responses for shaker excitation at the axle to 200 Hz. The comparisons demonstrate the accuracy of the structural-acoustic vehicle system model, and they indicate where modeling improvements are required.