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The vibratory energy from the ring gear resulting due to planet/ring gear dynamic forces is typically transmitted via structure-borne paths and is most evident in the range of 1-6000 Hz for automotive transmissions. In this paper, a comprehensive parametric force response analysis to study the vibration transmissibility characteristics of typical automotive planetary ring gears is performed. Effects of various geometrical parameters and number of planets on vibration transmissibility characteristics of ring gear structure are also studied. The planet/ring gear mesh forces are explicitly defined as externally applied force. Vibration transmissibility is defined by the spatial average acceleration response of the outer surface of the ring gear. The root mean square (RMS) value of these average responses is also predicted.

Gears are essential parts of many precision power and torque transmitting machines. However, the radiated intensive tonal noise due to the gear meshing is highly undesirable and annoying. In very severe cases, the gear vibrations can reduce the life and performance of the power transmitting components. Typical gearbox vibration and sound spectra contain several dominant narrowband tonal signals that are mixed in with a lower level broadband response signals. Hence, the control of mesh response of gearbox housing belongs to the problem of the rejection or cancellation of periodical disturbance. The frequencies of these tonal signals are related to the number of teeth and rotation speed, and highly predictable. Thus, a feedforward control system was normally adopted. In most of existed applications, an accurate reference based on the frequency information of tachometer pulse train signal is required for this kind of control system.

This paper discusses an enhanced active vibration control concept to suppress the dynamic response associated with gear mesh frequencies. In active control application, the control of dynamic gear mesh tonal response is essentially the rejection or suppression of periodical disturbance. Our active control experimental work shows that the existence of un-controlled harmonic result in the increase at these harmonics when applying direct control to the target mesh frequencies. To address this problem, the effect of the existence of un-correlated harmonic components in error signal when applying active control to suppress the target gear mesh harmonics is examined. The proposed adaptive controller that is designed specifically for tackling gear mesh frequency vibrations is based on an enhanced filtered-x least mean square algorithm (FXLMS) with frequency estimation to synthesize the required reference signal.

In the present study, several welded beam and plate specimens are fabricated using an electrical resistance type spot welder and studied experimentally applying the frequency response function approach. The experimental data is used to guide the dynamic finite element modeling effort, and to determine the weld joint representation that most accurately characterizes the measured dynamic response. The results reveal the compliant nature of the spot welds at higher frequencies and in applications consisting of more complex geometrical structures and boundary conditions. This finding shows the inadequacy in the classical rigid element representation that is widely used in current dynamic modeling practices.

The component response synthesis approach utilizing frequency response function (FRF) has been used to analyze the dynamic interaction of two or more vehicle components coupled at discrete interface points. This method is somewhat suitable for computing higher frequency response because experimental component FRFs can be incorporated into the formulation directly. However its calculations are quite sensitive to measurement errors in the FRFs due to the several matrix inversion steps involved. In the past, researchers have essentially used a combined direct inverse and truncated singular valued decomposition (TSVD) technique to ensure a stable calculation, which is typically applied semi-empirically due to the lack of understanding of the influence of measurement error.

A multi-coordinate FRF-based inverse substructuring approach is proposed to partition a vehicle system into two or more substructures, which are coupled at discrete interface points. The joint and free substructure dynamic characteristics are then extracted from the coupled system response spectra. Depending on the actual form of the structural coupling terms, three forms of the coupling matrix are assumed here. The most general one constitutes the non-diagonal form, and the other two simpler cases are the block-diagonal and purely diagonal representations that can be used to simplify testing process and overcome computational problems. The paper is focused on the investigation of the durability of these three formulations when the input FRFs are noise contaminated. A finite element model of a simplified vehicle system is used as the case study.

A simulation methodology for dynamic modeling of geared rotor systems such as superchargers was used for determining the housing vibration response. The approach provides an ability to make quick parametric design modifications to the model for evaluation of relative noise response with the assumption that the averaged housing vibration level correlates approximately to the noise radiating from the surface. The housing in some cases was modeled as a lumped mass representation for efficiency, and when higher accuracy of housing modes was needed, a detailed flexible Finite Element Analysis (FEA) representation was used. The interesting features of the methodology were the use of constraint equations to model the gear mesh response per unit Transmission Error (TE) input, along with summarizing the component kinetic and strain energy for each mode and the mesh compliance for fast evaluation of opportunities for noise reduction.

A spectral-based substructuring approach applying linear frequency response functions (FRF) is proposed for improving the accuracy of simulating the dynamics of coupled systems. The method also applies a least square singular value decomposition (SVD) scheme to overcome the inherent computational deficiency in the basic substructuring formulation. The computational problem is caused by the magnification of measurement errors during any one of the matrix inversion calculations required for this method. The primary objective of applying this approach is to examine the possibility of analyzing higher frequency response that is normally not possible using conventional modeling technique such as the direct finite and boundary element, and lumped parameter techniques. In this study, additional concepts are also evaluated to quantify the limitations and range of applicability of the proposed substructuring approach for simulating the vibration response of complex powertrain structures.

This paper is intended to describe some of the advances in automotive NVH research and applications based on recent developments in the Structural Dynamics Research Laboratory (SDRL) at the University of Cincinnati. State-of-the-art vibro-acoustic research capabilities and infrastructure ranging from advanced vibration modal analysis and spectral techniques for linear and nonlinear automotive systems to computational tools for structure-borne acoustic noise generation, transmission and synthesis problems are discussed. These systems have been devised with the intent of integrating a versatile set of experimental, computational and analytical approaches in order to be able to investigate a variety of crucial automotive NVH concerns. The materials will be grouped into three separate but closely related sets of applications consisting of (i) powertrain noise and vibration control, (ii) analysis and control vehicle system dynamics, and (iii) NVH and sound quality.

This paper describes the procedures used to reduce the tonal noise of a class eight truck engine timing gear train that was initially found to be objectionable under idle operating conditions. Initial measurements showed that the objectionable sounds were related to the fundamental gear mesh frequency, and its second and third harmonics. Experimental and computational procedures used to study and trouble-shoot the problem include vibration and sound measurements, transmission error analysis of the gears under light load condition, and a dynamic analysis of the drive system. Detail applications of these techniques are described in this paper.

Active noise control systems have been gaining popularity in the last couple of decades, due to the deficiencies in passive noise abatement techniques. In the future, a novel combination of passive and active noise control techniques may be applied more widely, to better control the interior sound quality of vehicles. In order to maximize the effectiveness of this combined approach, smarter algorithms will be needed for active noise control systems. These algorithms will have to be computationally efficient, with high stability and convergence rates. This will be necessary in order to accurately predict and control the interior noise response of a vehicle. In this study, a critical review of the filtered-x least mean square (FXLMS) algorithm and several other newly proposed algorithms for the active control of vehicle powertrain noise, is performed. The analysis examines the salient features of each algorithm, and compares their system performance.

An enhanced, frequency domain filtered-x least mean square (LMS) algorithm is proposed as the basis for an active control system for treating powertrain noise. There are primarily three advantages of this approach: (i) saving of computing time especially for long controller’s filter length; (ii) more accurate estimation of the gradient due to the sample averaging of the whole data block; and (iii) capacity for rapid convergence when the adaptation parameter is correctly adjusted for each frequency bin. Unlike traditional active noise control techniques for suppressing response, the proposed frequency domain FXLMS algorithm is targeted at tuning vehicle interior response in order to achieve a desirable sound quality. The proposed control algorithm is studied numerically by applying the analysis to treat vehicle interior noise represented by either measured or predicted cavity acoustic transfer functions.

High speed, precision geared rotor systems are often plagued by excessive vibration and noise problems. The response that is primarily excited by gear transmission error is actually coupled to the large displacement rotational motion of the driveline system. Classical pure vibration model assumes that the system oscillates about its mean position without coupling to the large displacement motion. To improve on this approach and understanding of the influences of the dynamic coupling, a coupled multi-body dynamic and vibration simulation model is proposed. Even though the focus is on hypoid geared rotor system, the model is more general since hypoid and bevel gears have more complicated geometry and time and spatial-varying characteristics compared to parallel axis gears.

A series of system level experiments were conducted using 2 vehicles of identical design to measure, analyze and quantify crank rumble noise from the viewpoint of source strength and path dynamic response. One of the vehicles was known to produce relatively severe crank rumble response (noisy), while the second vehicle was almost free of the annoying response (quiet). Two specific operating conditions most susceptible to crank rumble noise were of interest: (1) no load snaps in neutral and (2) hard acceleration in second gear. For each condition, the vibration and sound pressure responses throughout the vehicle were obtained. The measured data was analyzed critically to determine frequency content and strength of rumble noise at each location. Calculations were also performed from the measured data to determine the modes of transmission and the relative contributions from air-borne and structure-borne paths.

A new multi-level substructuring approach is proposed to predict the NVH response of driveline systems for the purpose of analyzing rear axle gear whine concern. The fundamental approach is rooted in the spectral-based compliance coupling theory for combining the dynamics of two adjacent subsystems. This proposed scheme employs test-based frequency response functions of individual subsystems, including gear pairs, propshaft, control arms and axle tube, in free-free state as sequential building blocks to synthesize the complete system NVH response. Using an existing driveline design, the salient features of this substructuring approach is demonstrated. Specifically, the synthesized results for the pinion-propshaft assembly and complete vehicle system are presented. The predictions are seen to be in excellent agreement with the experimental data from direct vehicle measurements.

A new capability to analyze the dynamic interaction of nonlinear hypoid gear mesh characteristics and time-varying bearing stiffness is proposed. Both backlash nonlinearity and time-varying mesh parameters, such as mesh stiffness, mesh point and line-of-action, are included in the nonlinear hypoid gear mesh model. The time-varying bearing stiffness behavior due to the changing orbital position of rolling elements is also modeled. A practical application is studied to reveal the dynamic characteristics of the complex interactions. Dynamic simulation results show that dynamic mesh force is relatively insensitive to the temporal variation in the bearing stiffness. On the other hand, the dynamic bearing loads are affected significantly by the time-varying bearing stiffness, especially in the case of heavy drive torque load without the occurrence of jump response phenomenon.

The prediction and control of gear vibration and noise has become very important in the design of a quiet, high-quality gearbox systems. The vibratory energy of the gear pair caused by transmission error excitation is transmitted structurally through shaft-bearing-housing assembly and radiates off from exterior housing surface. Most of the previous studies ignore the contribution of components flexibility to the transmission error (TE) and system dynamic responses. In this study, a system level model of axle system with hypoid gear pair is developed, aiming at investigating the effect of the elasticity of the shafts, bearings and housing on TE as well as the contribution of flexible bearings on the dynamic responses. The load distribution results and gear transmission errors are calculated and compared between different assumptions on the boundary conditions.

Actuator and roller screw mechanism are key components of electromechanical brake (EMB) system in automotive and aerospace industry. The inverted planetary roller screw mechanism (IPRSM) is particularly competitive due to its high load-carrying capacity and small assembly size. For such systems, friction characteristic and friction torque generated from rolling/sliding contacts can be an important factor that affects the dynamic performance as well as vibration behavior. This paper investigates the modeling and simulation of the EMB system in early design stage with special attention to friction torque modelling of IPRSM. Firstly, a step-by-step system model development is established, which includes the controller, servo motor, planetary gear train and roller screw mechanism to describe the dynamic behavior of the EMB system.

Spiral bevel gear dynamics are significantly affected by the flexibilities of shafts and bearings. In this study, a new shaft-bearing model has been proposed for computing the effective support stiffness. The results are applied to the lumped parameter dynamic model of spiral bevel geared rotor system with 3-bearing straddle-mounted pinion configuration. Also, using the multi-degree of freedom lumped parameter dynamic model and quasi-static three-dimensional finite element tooth contact analysis program, the responses of two typical shaft-bearing configurations used in automotive applications, that are the 3-bearing straddle mounted pinion configuration and the 2-bearing overhung mounted pinion configuration, are compared. The comparative analysis along with a set of parametric studies highlights their different contributions to the spiral bevel gear mesh characteristics and dynamic response.

The natural modes of the ring gear structure commonly used in automotive transmissions are predicted using the finite element approach, and the sensitivities of these modes to boundary conditions between the housing and ring gear are analyzed. The specific boundary conditions of interest include free-free, simply-supports at equally spaced angular points, and discrete and distributed spring elements. For the free-free boundary condition, clear well-defined modes are observed that can be classified into four fundamental groups corresponding to radial inextensional, extensional, out-of-plane bending and pure torsional. However, when other boundary conditions are applied the mode shapes become more complex. For instance, in the simply-supported case the radial inextensional and torsional modes are seen to appear highly distorted. Also, the natural frequencies of these modes are higher than the free-free ones.