Search Results

Transfer Path Analysis and Synthesis is a widely-used troubleshooting and engineering method in the development process of a car. An engine TPA model should include the engine mounts because they are important elements of the structure-borne paths from the engine to the driver's ears. This allows identifying if the structure, the sound radiation or the mount is a weak point of the transmission. A mount can be characterized, e. g., by a mount attenuation function, a four-pole model, or a simple parametric mount model. If the mount characteristics are known, the influence of a different mount on the structure-borne sound can be virtually predicted without a real modification. The mount characteristics could be determined on special test rigs but the transferability to the real situation is often questionable because the same boundary conditions on the test rig and in the car are difficult to guarantee.

In the engine development process, the ability to judge NVH comfort as early as possible is a great benefit. The prediction of engine noise on the basis of a prototype engine without the need to install it in a real car significantly speeds up the development process and leads to a cost reduction, as prototype modifications can be evaluated faster. Meaningful predictions of the perceived NVH comfort cannot be achieved just by comparing order levels, but require listening to an auralization of the engine noise at the driver's position. With the methods of Transfer Path Analysis and Synthesis (TPA/TPS) a prototype engine can be virtually installed in a car using test-bench data. The interior noise can be estimated by combining source signals containing near-field airborne noise radiation and mount forces with transfer functions describing the transmission to the target position in the cabin.