Energy Finite Element Analysis by MES: A Solution for Controlling Interior Automotive Noise
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries
- Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
Applicable Industries
- Automotive
- Chemicals
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Predictive Maintenance
- Vehicle Performance Monitoring
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The customer in this case study is Michigan Engineering Services, LLC (MES), a research and development company that specializes in developing commercial software and advanced technology for engineering simulations. MES operates in both the defense and commercial industrial sectors. Through its engineering services, MES facilitates an efficient technology transition to its customers. In this particular case, MES was working with automotive companies that needed to control the airborne noise generated within the interior of their vehicles due to various external sources.
The Challenge
Michigan Engineering Services, LLC (MES), a research and development company specializing in commercial software and advanced technology for engineering simulations, was faced with a challenge from automotive companies. These companies needed to control the airborne noise generated within the interior of a vehicle due to external sources such as motors, engines, transmissions, and tires. The goal was to achieve the least amount of noise with minimal penalties in cost and weight. The challenge was that conventional Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methods, used for simulations up to 8KHz to 10KHz (the typical upper frequencies of interest for airborne noise), were either computationally expensive or infeasible due to the small size of finite elements required to model the vehicle at such high frequencies.
The Solution
MES developed a solution using Energy Finite Element Analysis (EFEA). The EFEA requires a smaller number of elements in the model because the new primary variables are based on the energy of the structural vibration and of the acoustic field. The EFEA uses a library of elements (similar to the FEA) for modeling any physical system and a library of joints (similar to the coupling loss factors in Statistical Energy Analysis) for representing the power transfer mechanisms which exist in the system. The EFEA model can be developed using the same tools (i.e., Altair HyperMesh™) and by following a process similar to developing FEA models. Due to the significantly fewer elements required compared to FEA, alternative designs can be evaluated rapidly enough to influence the design.
Operational Impact
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