Analysis of the contributions from vehicle cabin surfaces to the interior noise

In order to optimize the acoustic package of a vehicle, cost and weight are, besides the acoustical performance, the fundamental objectives. Detailed knowledge about the noise emitting surfaces in the vehicle interior is important for an efficient development process. To analyze contributions from vehicle cabin surfaces to the interior noise, the panel noise contribution analysis method is applied. In a first step, a transfer path analysis from the surfaces to a response position in the vehicle is performed. For the reciprocal method a monopole sound source with measured volume velocity and particle velocity sensors near the panels are used. To preserve phase information while repositioning the panel sensors, pressure microphones complete the setup. The second step is to actually measure the particle velocity at predefined panel positions while the cabin is excited from the outside. The analysis results are contributions from the cabin surfaces to the interior noise, identifying critical panels, which have to be regarded in the further selection of damping and insulation during development of the acoustic package.