A fast numerical formulation for simulating vehicle compartment acoustics

Vehicle noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) problems can be analyzed using numerical methods such as finite element and boundary element analyses that are generally complex and time consuming. In order to reduce the analysis time and calculation burden, this paper discusses the development, use and verification of an enhanced, simplified numerical acoustic cavity formulation for the analysis of vehicle NVH problems. The proposed simplified vehicle model can incorporate multiple acoustic cavities, such as an engine compartment, passenger compartment, and connecting bulkhead compartment, joined by several flexible panels. The damping matrix of the model is constructed from measured acoustic absorption data and panel properties. Utilizing this approach, both single-cavity and three-cavity models are created, different floor panel configurations are investigated, and transfer functions predicted by these models are compared with corresponding transfer functions from measured data. The comparison results show that the proposed simplified model can provide reasonable accuracy for the analysis and simulation of vehicle compartment acoustics.