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Powertrain NVH and Powertrain Sound Quality requirements are among the key attributes to meet when developing new engines or vehicles. Source-Path-Contribution (SPC) solutions are commonly used to support the vehicle design and development. They allow to quantify the relative contributions of the different excitation sources, whether airborne or structure-borne, and the transfer paths to the noise and vibration measured at the receiver locations. When performed in time domain, SPC analysis is also a very effective tool to evaluate interactively the powertrain Sound Quality and how it can be affected by design changes. In this paper, we present a joint project performed by B&K Global Engineering Services together with Subaru where the team leveraged SPC models for powertrain noise of existing vehicles to create a new virtual vehicle assembly when the powertrain from the first vehicle is installed in the body of the second vehicle.

The development of an effective Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) is not solely about adhering to safety regulations; it also involves crafting an auditory experience that aligns with the expectations of vulnerable road users. To achieve this, a deep understanding of the acoustic transfer function is essential, as it defines the relationship between the sound emitter (the speaker inside the vehicle) and the receiver (the vulnerable road user). Maintaining the constancy of this acoustic transfer function is paramount, as it ensures that the sound emitted by the vehicle aligns with the intended safety cues and brand identity that is defined by the car manufacturer. In this research paper, three distinct methodologies for calculating the acoustic transfer function are presented: the classical Boundary Element method, the H-Matrix BEM accelerated method, and the Ray tracing method.