Automotive Engineering - June 2023 - 25

COVER STORY
NVH software simulation solutions
Among NVH simulation software tools from
dozens of suppliers are these popular products
used by SAE readers:
Altair
The HyperWorks simulation suite contains a
broad range of solutions for NVH model build,
assembly, diagnostics, analysis and optimization.
The suite's customizable NVH Director
automates the tasks involved in NVH analysis
by integrating the entire process of meshing,
assembly, loadcase setup, and post-processing,
to reduce full-vehicle NVH 'sim' time.
Ansys
Rapid NVH workflow for the concept design
stage compares noise levels for different
e-motor designs/topologies to predict the
noise over a full speed sweep. It can identify
the cause of motor noise early on and help
make relevant design changes in trade-off
with other motor performance targets, allowing
the NVH, thermal, and electromagnetic
behavior to be investigated at the
same time. The NVH workflow is integrated
into Ansys Motor-CAD to provide designers
with various representations of force, displacement,
and acoustic power. 2D and 3D
models and vibroacoustic analysis then can
be generated in Ansys Maxwell and Ansys
Mechanical.
AVL
The X-FEM NVH is a 4-channel acquisition
module suitable for use with all common
acoustic sensor output types such as voltage,
charge and ICP/IEPE. Each channel can be
individually configured and raw signals are
stored in a compressed file at high resolution
and in time-synchronized formats. An optional
NVH TOOLBOX for AVL IndiCom or
AVL Concerto includes the most common
NVH analysis tools and online NVH macros.
Dassault
The widely used and iconic SIMULIA suite
offers a comprehensive simulation toolset
for NVH work.
Dewesoft
Among the NVH-focused tools is Sound
Quality Measurement, which addresses the
need to empirically evaluate how sound
produced by different kinds of machines is
perceived by the human ear. The tool helps
engineers determine how the sound is perceived
and tune the sound.
Hexagon
The company's Romax Spectrum enables
electro-mechanical powertrain NVH simulation
and offers complete, parametric wholesystem
modelling of the powertrain including
gear and bearing contact surfaces. The
Romax suite offers interfaces to third-party
CAE tools, including Actran for acoustic behavior:
Adams for multibody sim; JMAG and
Maxwell for electromagnetic simulation
Nastran for FE modeling, and VI-grade for
vehicle NVH and sound quality.
The FE-based Actran tool that is widely
used to solve NVH problems in the midfrequency
(400-1500Hz) range critical for
EV design. An 'open' tool, it leverages existlevels
while also damping both radial and axial excitations
generated by the compressor.
The new mounting bracket is lighter and more robust
than traditional brackets, according to Vibracoustic, and
enables NVH tuning in all directions - something not
possible with coil springs typically used in such applications,
the company claims. Additionally, the bellow-type
bushing design allows for high displacement at low strain
levels, replicating the performance of springs. The rubber
material also helps maintain resonance peaks within a
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
ing FE and CFD sim models and is used to
study EV transmission and ancillary (pumps,
compressors) noise sources. GM engineers
used Actran to optimize noise-damping
treatments in the Cadillac Lyric EV.
Siemens Digital Industries
Siemens' Simcenter suite continues to add
NVH analysis tools that benefit from the
digital twin approach to accurately predicting
vehicle interior and exterior NVH performance.
VI-grade
The
Desktop NVH Simulator, Compact NVH
Simulator, On-Road Simulator, SimSound,
Source Path Contribution, and VSound allow
engineers to design and evaluate interior and
exterior vehicle sounds for vehicles of any
configuration, and to utilize sound design
software interactively to design the right
soundscape for the vehicle.
Virtual prototypes created directly from
CAE models can be evaluated in these simulators.
The CAE model data can be combined
with test data to create an immersive, realistic
environment.
-Company reports/Lindsay Brooke
reasonable range, because the rubber compound demonstrates a dynamic
stiffness peak that is up to 60% lower than of a coil spring, company
engineers claim.
The key to NVH science and engineering in EVs going forward, according
to Govindswamy at FEV, is striking a balance: meeting customer
refinement expectations without degrading vehicle range. " If
you can secure the electric motor's efficiency and accept a slightly
higher noise but improve the traditional vehicle to minimize the effect
to the customer - that's the challenge we're working on. And it
comes down to systems optimization. "
June 2023 25
FEV
Automotive Engineering - June 2023

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