Transfer Path Analysis of Body Panel Participation Using a Structural-Acoustic Finite Element Model

In transportation vehicles under operating conditions, interior noise frequently results from forces transmitted through the vehicle structure that excite body panel vibrations that couple with the body modes to radiate noise to the interior. The body panel participations to the interior noise that result from the force transfer paths can be identified using acoustic and structural-acoustic finite element models of the vehicle. This paper describes the transfer path analysis method to identify the body panel and modal participations for prescribed forcing excitations to the vehicle and to evaluate the effect of structural modifications. The theoretical development of the structural-acoustic finite element method and its example applications to two automotive vehicles are presented.