Car Cavity Acoustics using ANSYS

Muthukrishnan A
Assistant Consultant
TATA Consultancy Services
185,Lloyds Road, Chennai- 600 086
INDIA
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Introduction
The study of vehicle interior acoustics in the
automotive industry has gained importance due to

Legal restrictions
Growing demand for comfort
To reduce the number of prototypes
High performance of modern computers

The objectives of efficient automobile design are

Safety
Fuel consumption
Interior comfort

The challenges are

Lower weight improves the fuel efficiency but
increases the vibrational sensitivity
Increase in weight generally improves the safety
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Objectives
To predict the individual effect of low frequency noise
(50-200Hz) on the car cavity due to sound absorption
of

Floor carpet
Roof lining
Seat
Front window open
Combined effect of all the above

In all the above cases the front wall is excited with

constant displacement of 1mm
Location of interest

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Drivers right ear (DRE) located at (1.50, 0.8, 1.25)

metre in the global X, Y, Z directions respectively
Passengers right ear (PRE) at the back of the driver
located at (0.6, 0.8, 1.25) in the global X, Y, Z
directions respectively.

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Classification of Noise inside the

Vehicle
Origin of noise

Noise inside the vehicle

Engine vibration

Major source of low frequency noise

Engine airborne noise and its Major source of high frequency noise
transmission
Engine exhaust

Not important

Engine inlet

Not important

Fan noise

May be noticeable

Road excited vibration

Major source of low frequency noise

Noise based on frequency:

Low frequency noise (50-200Hz)
High frequency noise(200-4000Hz)
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Flow Chart for Finite Element Analysis

DIMENSIONAL
MEASUREMENT OF
ACTUAL CAR

FREQUENCY
RANGE

FE MODEL
MODAL ANALYSIS

MATERIAL
PROPERTIES

NATURAL
FREQUENCY
BOUNDARY
CONDITIONS
END
EXCITATION
FORCES

HARMONIC
ANALYSIS

TIME HISTORY POST

PROCESSING

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SOUND PRESSURE
LEVEL

END

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Case Studies
The following five cases were analysed for a typical
Indian car (Ambassador Mark IV)

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Car cavity with no absorption

Car cavity with roof absorption
Car cavity with seat absorption
Car cavity with full absorption
Car cavity with full absorption and window open
condition

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Element Specification
ELEMENT NAME

Fluid 30 (3D volume element)

Number of nodes

Degrees of freedom (D.O.F)

#4 (Ux,Uy,Uz,PRES)-if Fluid
structure interaction is present
#1 PRES if no structure at the
interface

Surface loads

Fluid structure interface

Impedance

ELEMENT OUTPUTS
Pressure

Average pressure

Sound pressure Level

Sound pressure Level in dB

MATERIAL PROPERTIES (AIR)

Density

1.2 Kg/m3

Velocity of sound in air

343 m/s

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Ambassador Car Cavity - Dimensions

0.30

1.58

0.52

0.11

0.30

0.42
0.23

0.50

0.06

0.39

0.30

0.32

1.98

0.21

Overall dimensions of cavity

Length = 2.51m
Width = 1.40m
Height = 1.10m
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Different Finite Element Views Of Car

Cavity

Isometric view of car cavity

Interior rear view of outer elements

Interior side view of outer elements

Isometric view of interior elements

Number of elements 24570

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Number of nodes

27411

Element type

Fluid 30 (Volume element)

Mesh type

Hexagonal Mapped
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Modal Analysis Of Car Cavity

Modal analysis is done for the car cavity and the natural
frequencies are obtained using theoretical calculation and
ANSYS.

The frequency range of interest is 0-200 Hz.

Theoretical calculation is made considering a rectangular box

with the overall dimensions. This enables a quick verification of
computed frequencies.
f = (c/2) (p o /L) + (q o /W) + (ro /H)
Where,
c is the speed of sound in air, L is the length of the car cavity,
W is the width of the car cavity, H is the height of the car cavity

In ANSYS, the equation of motion for an undamped system,

expressed in matrix notation as [M]{ u } + [K] {u} = {0} .
For harmonic vibration {u} = {}i COS i t and the solution is
given by [K] - i2[M]= 0

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Ambassador Car Cavity-Mode Shape

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At 74.99Hz

At 122.69Hz

At 137.20Hz

At 145.65Hz

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Ambassador Car Cavity-Mode Shape

At 162.10Hz

At 175.02Hz

At 188.73Hz

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Comparison-Modal Frequencies
MODAL FREQUENCY
MODES

ANSYS RESULTS

THEORITICAL
RESULTS

(1,0,0)

74.99

68.35

(0,1,0)

122.69

122.55

(2,0,0)

137.2

136.71

(1,1,0)

145.65

140.32

(0,0,1)

162.1

155.97

(1,0,1)

175.02

170.29

(2,1,0)

188.73

183.6

(0,1,1)

NA

198.36

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Harmonic Analysis-Solver Options

Analysis options

Harmonic

Analysis type-Solution Method

Full

DOF Print out format

Real + Imaginary

Load step options

Time/Frequency

Harmonic frequency range

50Hz to 200Hz

Frequency sub-steps

Sub-steps of 5Hz

Stepped or Ramped Boundary

condition

Stepped

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Pressure Plot-No Absorption

No impedance-Pressure plot

No impedance-Pressure plot
At 75 Hz

At 125 Hz

At 135 Hz

At 145 Hz

At 165 Hz

At 175 Hz

At 190 Hz

NO IMPEDANCE SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL

160
150
Sound pressure level in dB

140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

Frequency in Hz

NO impedance DRE

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NO impedance PRE

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Roof Absorption
Material properties
Density (DENS)

1100 Kg/m3

Velocity of sound
(SONC)

2400 m/s

Sound absorption
coefficient
(MU)

0.13 (50 Hz -125 Hz)

0.53 (130Hz 200Hz)

Surface load

Impedance value is
set to 1 on all the six
faces of the element.

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3D-Model

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Roof Absorption Pressure plot

Roof impedance only-Pressure plot
At 75 Hz

At 125 Hz

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At 135 Hz
Roof impedance only-Pressure plot
At 145 Hz

At 165 Hz

At 175 Hz

At 190 Hz

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No Absorption and Roof Absorption:

SPL at DRE and PRE
Roof Impedance comparison chart
160
150

Sound pressure level in dB

140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

Frequency in Hz
NO impedance DRE
Roof Absorption coeff 0.13/0.53 DRE

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NO impedance PRE
Roof Absorption coeff 0.13/0.53 PRE

Description

DRE in dB

PRE in dB

Maximum SPL

132.95

133.31

Minimum SPL

95.06

98.60
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Floor Absorption

Density (DENS)

55 Kg/m3

Velocity of sound
(SONC)

343 m/s

Sound absorption
coefficient
(MU)

0.2 (50 Hz -125 Hz)

0.55 (130Hz 200Hz)

Surface load

Impedance value is
set to 1 on all the
six faces of the
element.

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Floor Absorption Pressure plot

Floor impedance only-Pressure plot
At 75 Hz

At 125 Hz

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At 135 Hz

Floor impedance only-Pressure plot

At 145 Hz

At 165 Hz

At 175 Hz

At 190 Hz

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No Absorption and Floor Carpet

Absorption: SPL at DRE and PRE
Floor carpet impedance comparison chart
160
150

Sound pressure level in dB

140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

Frequency in Hz

NO impedance DRE
Floor impedance 0.2/0.55 DRE

Description

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NO impedance PRE
Floor impedance 0.2/0.55 PRE

DRE in dB PRE in dB

Maximum SPL 125.45

125.91

Minimum SPL

107.78

104.18

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Seat Absorption
Material properties
Density (DENS)

80Kg/m3

3D Model

Velocity of sound 343 m/s

(SONC)
Sound
absorption
coefficient
(MU)

0.1/0.5 (50Hz
200Hz)

Surface load

Impedance value
is set to 1 on all
the six faces of
the seat element.

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Seat Absorption Pressure Plot

Seat impedance only-Pressure plot
At 75 Hz

At 135 Hz

At 125 Hz

At 145 Hz

Seat impedance only-Pressure plot

At 165 Hz

At 175 Hz

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At 190 Hz

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No Absorption and Seat Absorption:

SPL at DRE and PRE
Seat impedance comparison chart
160
150

Sound pressure level in dB

140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

Frequency in Hz

Description

NO impedance DRE

NO impedance PRE

Seat impedance 0.1 DRE

Seat impedance 0.1 PRE

Seat impedance 0.5 DRE

Seat impedance 0.5 PRE

0.1 absorption

0.5 absorption

DRE in dB PRE in dB DRE in dB PRE in dB

Maximum SPL

135.53

118.40

130.71

124.32

Minimum SPL

92.88

72.25

102.87

93.10

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Full Absorption
3D Model

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Full Absorption Pressure plot

Full impedance -Pressure plot
At 75 Hz

At 125 Hz

At 135 Hz

At 145 Hz

Full impedance -Pressure plot

At 165 Hz

At 175 Hz

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At 190 Hz

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No Absorption and Full Absorption:

SPL at DRE and PRE
Full impedance comparison chart
160
150

Sound pressure level in dB

140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

Frequency in Hz
NO impedance DRE

Description

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NO impedance PRE

FULL impedance DRE

DRE in dB

PRE in dB

Maximum SPL 122.89

101.66

Minimum SPL

70.50

91.32

FULL impedance PRE

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Full Absorption with window open

3D Model

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Full Absorption with window open

Pressure plot
Full impedance Window open-Pressure plot
At 75 Hz

At 125 Hz

At 135 Hz

At 145 Hz

Full impedance Window open-Pressure plot

At 165 Hz

At 175 Hz

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At 190 Hz

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No Absorption and Full Absorption Window

Open: SPL at DRE and PRE
Full impedance window open comparison chart
160

Sound pressure level in dB

150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

Frequency in Hz
NO impedance DRE
FULL impedance DRE
FULL impedance-window open-Impedance=1 DRE
FULL impedance-window open-Pressure=0 DRE

NO impedance PRE
FULL impedance PRE
FULL impedance-window open-Impedance=1 PRE
FULL impedance-window open-Pressure=0 PRE

Description Absorption Coefficient =1 Pressure =0

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DRE in dB

PRE in dB

DRE in dB PRE in dB

Maximum

114.14

96.38

114.32

97.40

Minimum

83.39

63.00

73.43

54.81
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Conclusions
In each case, the SPL was compared with that of no
absorption and found to decrease considerably.
The major individual contributors were found to be
seat and window open condition.
It has been found that the reduction in SPL
predominantly occurs at modal frequency.
Interior acoustics can be improved by having seat
with more sound absorption coefficient suitably
placed.

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References

Kopuz et al(1995).Analysis of interior acoustic fields using the

finite element method and the boundary element method.
Applied acoustics 45 pp 193-210.

T.Priede (1971) Origins of automotive vehicle noise. Journal

of sound and vibration 15, pp 61-73

Utsuno, et al., Analysis of the sound field in an automobile

cabin by using the boundary element method. SAE Paper No.
891153, 1990, pp. 1147-52

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Acknowledgement

I sincerely acknowledge the valuable guidance given by

Prof.Chandramouli, IITM, Chennai in completing this project.

I acknowledge the support and sponsorship given by my

organization TCS for encouraging me to present this paper

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