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In order to align with net-zero CO2 ambitions, automotive OEMs have been developing increasingly sophisticated strategies to minimise the impact that combustion engines have on the environment. Intelligent thermal management systems to actively control coolant flow around the engine have a positive impact on friction generated in the power cylinder by improving the warmup rate of cylinder liners and heads. This increase in temperature results in an improved frictional performance and cycle averaged fuel consumption, but also increases the piston to liner clearances due to rapid warm up of the upper part of the cylinder head. These increased clearances can introduce piston slap noise and substantially degrade the NVH quality to unacceptable levels, particularly during warmup after soak at low ambient temperatures. Using analytical techniques, it is possible to model the thermo-structural and NVH response of the power cylinder with different warm up strategies.

Unpredictable faults oriented from ambiguous reasons could occur in an engine of a vehicle. However, there are some symptoms from which an engine is working abnormally before the engine is stalled by faults. In this paper, methods for diagnosis of engine faults by using vibrations are proposed. Through bench tests, to extract features for fault diagnosis, various samples with normal and abnormal conditions are prepared and vibration signals from the block of an engine are measured and analyzed. To consider cost and performance of a sensor, vibrations from a knock sensor signal as well as accelerometers are analyzed. Measured vibration signals are synchronized with signal of the crank position sensor and analyzed to detect which event is involved. Modulation analysis and Hilbert transform are applied to extract features representing the symptoms of engine faults and to indicate when the abnormal event happens, respectively.

Most research of internal combustion engine focuses on improving the fuel economy and reducing exhaust emissions to satisfy regulations and marketability. Engine combustion is a key factor in determining engine performance. Generally, engine operating parameters are optimized for the best performance and less exhaust emissions. However, abnormal combustion results in engine conditions that are far from an optimized operation. Abnormal combustion, including a misfire, can happen for a variety of reasons, such as superannuated vehicles, extreme changes in the driving environment, etc. Abnormal combustion causes serious deterioration of not only noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), but also the fuel economy and exhaust emission. NVH stands for unwanted noise, vibration and harshness from the vehicle. The misfiring especially deteriorates vehicle comfortability. Abnormal combustion at one cylinder breaks the exciting force balance between cylinders and causes unexpected vibration.

This paper presents the influence of radiated noise from engine surface according to assembly condition between the engine block and oil pan. At the first, the force exciting the main bearing of cylinder block is calculated by using a multi-body dynamics model of the engine crankshaft. Secondly, the modal analysis is processed to obtain the mode contribution and modal participation factors for the FEM of a virtual cylinder block. Thirdly, the radiated noise from a structure is calculated by acoustic-FEM analysis. This structure is assembled by the virtual oil pan with a rigid connection method and a soft connection method. The sandwich panel connection model is used for the soft connection method. The sound radiated from this assemble structure is calculated according to two different connection properties respectively. The sound matrices for two results are compared using an objective method.

In the automotive industry, various simulation-based analysis methods have been suggested and applied to reduce the time and cost required to develop the engine structure to improve the NVH performance of powertrain. This simulation is helpful to set the engine design concept in the initial phase of the powertrain development schedules. However, when using the conventional simulation method with a uniformed force, the simulation results sometimes show different results than the test results. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a method for predicting the radiated noise level of a diesel engine using actual combustion excitation force. Based on the analytical radiated noise development target, we identify the major components of the engine that are beyond this development target by in the frequency range. The components of the problem found in this way are reflected in the engine design of the early development stage to shorten the development time.

This paper presents two closed-loop control methods for monitoring and improving the combustion behavior and the combustion noise on two 4-cylinder diesel engines, in which an in-cylinder pressure and an accelerometer transducer are used to monitor and control them. Combustion processes are developed to satisfy the stricter and stricter regulations on emissions and fuel consumption. These combustion processes are influenced by the factors such as engine durability, driving conditions, environmental influences and fuel properties. Combustion noise could be increased by these factors and is detrimental to interior sound quality. Therefore, it is necessary to develop robust combustion behaviors and combustion noise. For this situation, we have developed two closed-loop control methods. Firstly, a method using in-cylinder pressure data was developed for monitoring and improving the combustion noise of a 1.7L engine. A new index using the values calculated from the data was proposed.

The combustion noise of a diesel engine can be deteriorated by combustion characteristics such as the maximum rate of heat release and the start of combustion. These combustion characteristics in turn are influenced by the factors such as the engine NVH durability, driving conditions, environmental factors and fuel properties. Therefore, we need to develop the robust combustion noise that is insensitive to these factors. To achieve this aim, methods for predicting combustion characteristics has been developed by analyzing the vibration signal measured from the engine cylinder block. The closed-loop control of injection parameters through combustion characteristics prediction has been performed to produce the desired engine combustion performance. We constructed an ECU logic for the closed-loop control and verified the design in a diesel passenger car. We also evaluated the effect of combustion noise and fuel consumption by applying the closed-loop control.

In this paper, the vibration and noise reduction technology for diesel common rail injection system is studied. The NV problems of the injection system come typically from mechanical contacts (injector needle, pump) or fluid pulsations. They are exciting the injection system, which translates the excitations to the engine through the connection points. But it's not easy to identify the characteristic of internal excitation force exactly, so the simulation model based measurement test is considered at here. In order to predict the vibrations due to excitation related with the injection system of the diesel engine, the 1D/3D simulation models are used and the necessary dynamic tests, which are needed to create and validate the models, are done in the test bench.

The source of the combustion noise of diesel engines was investigated in this paper. In the development of exhaust emission and combustion noise, we must optimize the injection parameters at the cell where engine noise can not be measured. To solve this problem, it is necessary to identify a method for developing combustion noise through in-cylinder pressure measurements. It is known that the combustion noise of a diesel engine is generated mainly in the phase of premixed combustion and depends on the rate at which the pressure increases. The combustion noise was analyzed by measuring the in-cylinder pressure and engine noise. Our results show that the combustion noise has a low correlation with the maximum rate of pressure increase. For this reason, a new index called the combustion noise index was developed based on the cylinder pressure level. This paper describes an advanced method for developing combustion noise and illustrates some examples of the results obtained.

A comprehensive investigation was carried out in order to develop the idle sound quality for diesel V6 engine when the engine development process is applied to power-train system, which included new 8-speed automatic transmission for breaking down the noise contribution between the mechanical excitation and the combustion excitation. First of all, the improvement of dynamic characteristic can be achieved during the early stages of the engine development process using experimental modal analysis (EMA) & the robust design of each engine functional system. In addition, the engine structural attenuation (SA) is enhanced such that the radiated combustion noise of the engine can be maintained at a target level even with an increased combustion excitation. It was found that the engine system has better parts and worse parts in frequency range throughout the SA analysis. It is important that weak points in the system should be optimized.

In accordance with the characteristics of the engine structure and of combustion excitation, diesel engines have distinctive noise characteristics in comparison to gasoline engines. In particular, the combustion excitation of the diesel engine produces significant excitation of high frequency noise. This paper describes the influence of the piston pin clearance, bed-plate design, and transmission bell housing structure, using a variety of experimental methods. Design solutions to improve the high frequency noise of diesel engines are also provided, beginning with identification of the root cause for noise generation, through the design modification of the engine structure, to the control of combustion excitation forces.

The development of a new method to evaluate the NVH quality of diesel combustion noise bases upon following questions by regarding typical driving modes: Driving behavior with diesel vehicles Which driving situation causes an annoying diesel combustion noise Judgment of diesel combustion noise as good or bad A suitable test course was determined to regard typical driving situations as well as the European driving behavior. Vehicles of different segments were tested on that course. The recorded driving style and the simultaneously given comments on the diesel combustion noise results to a typical driving mode linked to acoustics sensation of diesel combustion noise. The next step was to simulate this driving mode on the chassis dynamometer for acoustical measurements. The recordings of several vehicles were evaluated in listening test to identify a metric. The base of metric was objective analyses evaluating diesel combustion noise in relevant driving situations.

For optimizing the performance of SI engine such as engine torque, fuel consumption, and emissions, various types of system for variable valve timing were developed by many automotive researchers. In this paper, we investigated the relationship between valve timing and intake orifice noise, and suggested how to improve NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) performance as well as engine torque. Some experiments using the engine dynamometer were carried over about 150 different operating conditions. BEM analysis was also conducted in order to calculate acoustic modes of intake system. The results show that the valve timing and overlap of breathing systems have influence on NVH behavior, especially intake orifice noise over whole range of operating conditions. Valve timing and overlap of intake and exhaust valve were optimized in the view of sound quality as well as overall noise level.

Hyundai has developed a brand new 3.0L V6 diesel engine for luxury vehicle with electronic VGT, piezo injector and bedplate block structure. In addition to challenging targets for fuel consumption and emission levels, engine specifications were focused on performance and NVH. This paper presents the detailed process of reinforcing engine components such as block, cylinder head and oil pan in view of low sound pressure and high quality. Generally, the fast reaction speed of piezo injector can improve the emission, but it usually causes injector noise. We reduced this noise through developing new ECU logic and isolating this part with noise reduction foam. In addition to that, we could reduce the combustion noise using DoE method for the optimization of injection parameters considering the emission and fuel economy. As a result of these attempts, 3∼4dBA of overall sound pressure level from engine itself could be reduced without any loss of fuel economy and power characteristics.

This paper presents an advanced technique for noise reduction and sound quality analysis in direct-acting type of valve train system. Mechanical Lash Adjust (MLA) system has lower friction loss and simpler and lighter structure in comparison with Hydraulic Lash Adjust (HLA). Despite of such advantages, MLA system has a weak point which generates harsh impulsive noise whenever cam comes into contact or detaches suddenly from tappet during the valve operation in the ramp area. A sound quality analysis technique was used to analyze the detail noise and vibration characteristics during valve opening and closing operation respectively. This paper describes a procedure and advanced technique to identify noise sources and its generation mechanism by analyzing measured data taken from direct-acting valve train system. Subsequently, an optimum cam profile was redesigned and used in new Hyundai-motor V6 engine.

Driveline clunk is perceived as disturbing metallic noise due to severe impact at driveline components such as gear pairs when the engine torque is suddenly applied and transmitted to the driveline system. In this work, experimental method detecting the most contributive gear pair to the clunk generation was investigated and applied to mini van vehicle of front-engine and rear-wheel-drive. Another experimental method, TPA (Transfer Path Analysis), was employed to identify transfer path of the clunk. And then, driveline clunk model was developed using commercial multi-body-dynamics program, ADAMS, in order to further investigate the critical clunk mechanism and potential clunk reduction solutions by performing parameter study.

This paper reflects an efficient and comprehensive approach for vehicle sound optimization integrated into the entire development process. It shows the benefits of early consideration of typical vehicle NVH features and of intensive interaction of P/T and vehicle responsibilities. The process presented here considers the typical restriction that acoustically representative prototypes of engines and vehicles are not available simultaneously at the early development phase. For process optimization at this stage, a method for vehicle interior noise estimation is developed, which bases on measurements from the P/T test bench only, while the vehicle transfer behavior for airborne and structure-borne noise is assumed to be similar to a favorable existing vehicle. This method enables to start with the pre- optimization of the pure P/T and its components by focusing on such approaches which are mainly relevant for the vehicle interior noise.

The crankshaft torsional vibration angle is measured from a running engine, using a toothed wheel attached to the front of crankshaft. The torsional vibration stress near the node of torsional vibration is also measured by using strain gages mounted on the journal of crankshaft in a running engine. A theoretical analysis of torsional vibration of crankshaft is performed with a simplified model subject to the excitation torque. The comparison between the theoretical and experimental results shows that the idealized approach is applicable to predict the torsional vibration of crankshaft. It is found that the torsional vibration of crankshaft is mainly dependent upon the characteristics of rubber damper, i.e., the stiffness and damping coefficient of rubber, and the inertia of damper ring. It is recognized that the rubber damper should be carefully selected considering the variation in the dynamic characteristics of rubber.