The Vehicle Noise Control Engineering Academy covers a variety of vehicle noise control engineering principles and practices. There are two concurrent, specialty tracks (with some common sessions): Vehicle Interior Noise and Powertrain Noise. Students should choose and register for the appropriate track they wish to attend.
The Vehicle Interior Noise track focuses on understanding the characteristics of noise produced by different propulsion systems, including internal combustion, hybrid and electric powered vehicles and how these noises affect the sound quality of a vehicle¿s interior. The vehicle in this case includes passenger cars, SUVs, light trucks, off-highway vehicles, and heavy trucks. The Vehicle Interior track presents relevant numerical analysis techniques and sound package (acoustical) materials that can be used to optimize the vehicle interior acoustics characteristics. Considerable attention is given to how acoustical materials work and to current measurement and instrumentation technologies and their effective use.
As part of this Academy, you will receive the book, Acoustical Materials: Solving the Challenge of Vehicle Noise by Pranab Saha.
Practical Component
This Academy includes workshops on sound quality and on numerical methods. In addition, specific instrumentation suppliers have been selected for an instrumentation workshop on one evening. There is also a field trip to an OEM or supplier noise and vibration facility in the metro Detroit area. Through these activities, you become acquainted with relevant acoustic test facilities, instrumentation, measurement protocols, and problem solving strategies.
Note: The actual OEM or supplier location may vary depending on current COVID- 19 limitations.
- Define vehicle acoustics engineering terminology and principles
- Identify different noise elements in electric vehicles from IC engine vehicles and the uniqueness of the EV propulsion system
- Articulate the differences in various numerical techniques that are used for simulation
- Discuss the importance of sound quality issues for EV and ICE propulsion units in developing a quality vehicle
- Identify available acoustical materials and determine their optimum application
- Recognize new materials that are used in sound package applications
- Formulate a systematic approach to problem solving and measurement
- Conduct appropriate performance verification tests
- Analyze the contributing vehicle noise sources when devising noise solutions
- Produce valid measurements with noise instrumentation and accurately interpret results
Pranab Saha, Lead Instructor With over 40 years of experience, Dr. Pranab Saha is recognized worldwide as an authority on automotive noise, body interior systems and sound package materials. He is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Kolano and Saha Engineers, Inc. In his role as principal consultant of the company, he leads automotive, commercial vehicles, other transportation systems, appliances and product noise related programs. He is the direct link between the client and company¿s staff and resources. Throughout his career, Dr. Saha has directed and participated in numerous advanced noise control engineering programs and training programs including seminars and webinars for various OEM companies and suppliers worldwide.
Dr. Saha is an active member of SAE International, ASA, ASME, ESD, INCE-USA, and NSPE/MSPE. He has presented technical papers and has organized and chaired numerous technical sessions sponsored by SAE and other professional organizations. As a lifelong contributor to SAE International, Dr. Saha assisted in the development of several SAE Standards on acoustics and an SAE document, ¿How to Write an SAE Technical Paper,¿ which guides professionals through the writing process. He is the lead faculty member of the SAE Vehicle Interior Noise Academy and an associate editor for the SAE International Journal of Vehicle Dynamics, Stability and NVH. In 2021, Dr. Saha received the SAE International Medal of Honor, the SAE International Ralph K. Hillquist NVH Lifetime Achievement Award, SAE published his book on Acoustical Materials: Solving the Challenge of Vehicle Noise. Dr. Saha is an INCE-USA Board Certified Member, an INCE-USA Director, a Fellow Member of SAE International and ESD, and has been named an SAE Master Instructor. Dr. Saha holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Acoustics Specialty) from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Ricardo De Alba Alvarez has been working with CAE methods and NVH simulation since 2002 when he started his career at GM Mexico in the so called ¿VSAS group¿ (Vehicle Synthesis Analysis and Simulation). Since then, Ricardo completed a MSc and PhD at ISVR/University of Southampton. From 2011 to 2020 Ricardo worked for ESI Group as Technical Manager for its vibroacoustic application (VA One); working with different methods such as FEM, BEM, PEM and Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) to predict complex vibro-acoustic phenomena and solve engineering problems within different industries, e.g. aerospace, automotive, agricultural, industrial, etc. For the last three years Ricardo worked as lab manager for sound package Tier 1 suppliers before joining Ford Motor Company as CAE process lead.
Eric Frank began his career at the Dana Corporation as an NVH Engineer, focused on driveline components and vehicle development for their customers. Following this, he became a Project Engineer at MTS Systems where he developed skills as a Technical Consultant. In 2006, Eric joined the consulting firm of Sound Answers where he continued to serve as a Senior Project Engineer and other roles related to both technical projects and management. This group eventually joined B&K and now HBK, where Eric is the Head of the Sound & Vibration Engineering Services group. Throughout his career, Eric has worked closely with customers in several industries on Sound Quality and Jury Analysis. He has authored or co-authored more than 20 papers and technical articles for SAE and other publications. Eric has been a member of SAE¿s Noise & Vibration committee since 2012. He has a B.S. Acoustic Engineering, Purdue University, 1999 and a M.S. Engineering Program/Project Management, University of Michigan ¿ Dearborn, 2015.
Todd Freeman is currently a team lead and manager of the HBK Sound & Vibration Engineering Services team in the US, responsible for management and execution of sound and vibration consulting projects in a variety of industries to solve customer problems. He has been a part of this team for 15 years, and has experience with sound quality, transfer-path-analysis, rotating machinery, full-vehicle NVH development, as well as many other areas. Prior to HBK, Todd held roles with Magna Steyr and Ford Motor Company as an NVH Engineer supporting vehicle development efforts. He has a in B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Grand Valley State University, 1998 and a M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan ¿ Dearborn, 2002.
Greg Goetchius is currently the Lead for Noise and Vibration Engineering at Joby Aviation in Santa Cruz, CA as. Greg has overall responsibility for interior noise performance, exterior noise testing, GVT and modal testing, and also aircraft flight test noise and vibration data analysis. Prior to Joby Aviation, Greg led the NVH teams at both Lucid Motors and Tesla Motors with primary responsibility for the NVH performance of the Lucid Air and Tesla Model S. From 2002 until 2010, Greg was the Global Director of Research and Development at Material Sciences Corporation (MSC) in Canton MI, where he led a global engineering team in supporting the implementation of MSC¿s various acoustical products, including ¿Quiet Steel¿. Greg¿s Noise and Vibration development career began at Chrysler Motors in 1986. He was part of the NVH Department for 15 years, focusing his efforts on advanced NVH methodologies, target setting and NVH CAE. Greg has been an active member of SAE for over 20 years. He was the General Chair of the SAE 2009 International Noise and Vibration Conference, and has served as the Chair of the SAE Automotive Chassis Activity (ACA). In 2015, he received SAE¿s Forest R McFarland Award.
He has a B.S.M.E. Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 1986 and a
M.S.M.E. Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan ¿ Dearborn, 1988.
Alan D. Stuart is an emeritus professor of acoustics at Penn State. Since 1993, he taught fundamentals of acoustics courses on both the graduate and undergraduate levels, as well as graduate courses on structural acoustics and applied acoustics. He has conducted numerous professional short courses on acoustics and vibrations and noise control engineering. At Penn State, he was the coordinator of the Summer Program in Acoustics and the Distance Education Program in Acoustics and received numerous awards for his contributions to Continuing and Distance Education. He is an active member of SAE, ASA, INCE and ASEE. Dr. Stuart designed, developed and narrated the Pre-Academy web-based lessons.