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The Panel Noise Contribution Analysis (PNCA) is a well-known methodology for an airborne Transfer Path Analysis (TPA) in car interior. Pressure contribution from the individual panels at a reference point can be very accurately calculated. Acoustic Trim package treatment can therefore be optimized in terms of frequency and panel area which saves money and time. The method uses only one type of sensors so called particle velocity probes for measuring source strength as well as transfer function (with a reciprocal measurement). Traditionally the PNCA makes use of a big amount of probes at fixed points (about 50) hence non-stationary conditions can be measured as well. Typically the measurement is performed in 3 sessions resulting in 150 individual panels. Because of the low spatial resolution the method can only be used at mid-low frequency range.

Sound source localization techniques in a car interior are hampered by the fact that the cavity usually is governed by a high number of (in)coherent sources and reflections. In the acoustic near field, particle velocity based intensity probes have been demonstrated to be not susceptible to these reflections allowing the individual panel contributions of these (in)coherent sources to be accurately determined. In the acoustic far field (spherical) beam forming techniques have been used outdoors in the free field, which analyze the directional resolution of a sound field incident on the array. Recently these techniques have also been applied inside cars, assuming that sound travels in a straight path from the source to the receivers. However, there is quite some evidence that sound waves do not travel in a straight line.

With PU probes the sound pressure and acoustic particle velocity can be measured directly. Over recent years, the in situ surface impedance method, making use of such a probe, has proven to be an alternative to Kundt's tube measurements for product development type of work. The in situ method can also be used for the purpose of quality control on the acoustic material, be it during manufacturing or assembly, ensuring the best possible way to monitor the practical effectiveness of the acoustic package designed earlier on. In order to assess the variance of the acoustic package material leaving the assembly line, a relevant number of samples were taken over time. The quality of both the headliners, and the passenger seats were measured, of 25 cars of the same type. The robustness of the measurement method will be discussed, and the results will be presented.

The interior noise of a car is a general quality index for many OEM manufacturers. A reliable method for sound source ranking is often required in order to improve the acoustic performance. The final goal is to reduce the noise at some positions inside the car with the minimum impact on costs and weight. Although different methodologies for sound source localization (like beamforming or p-p sound intensity) are available on the market, those pressure-based measurement methods are not very suitable for such a complex environment. Apart from scientific considerations any methodology should be also “friendly” in term of cost, time and background knowledge required for post-processing. In this paper a novel approach for sound source localization is studied based on the direct measurement of the acoustic particle velocity distribution close to the surface. An airborne transfer path analysis is then performed to rank the sound pressure contribution from each sound source.