Search Results

Increasing sound quality with advanced audio technology has raised the bar for perceived quality targets for minimal interior noise and maximal speaker sound quality in a passenger vehicle. Speaker-borne structural vibrations and the associated squeak and rattle have been among the most frequent concerns in the perceived audio quality degradation in a vehicle. Digital detection of squeak and rattle issues due to the speaker-borne structural vibrations during the digital vehicle development phase has been a challenge due to the physical complexity involved. Recently, an effective finite element method has been developed to address structure-borne noise [1] and has been applied for detecting the issues of squeak and rattle in passenger vehicles due to vehicle-borne vibrations at vehicle, component and subcomponent levels [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].

Door side intrusion (FMVSS 214, Static) is a quasi-static test to determine the sufficiency of door strength and integrity of its mounting in the event of side impact. Explicit nonlinear solutions are often adapted for simulating the side intrusion test performance using the finite element method. The side intrusion performance involves intense rupture at panels as well as their connections such as spot welds, bolts and hems. The load path changes significantly with the material fracture in the panels and at their connections. Conventional finite element models assuming no material separation cannot capture such load path changes and cannot recognize the associated loss in structural integrity. Accordingly, the conventional nonlinear finite element analysis tends to over-predict the intrusion strengths by a large margin and fails to predict the potential separation of the door from the body at the latch and hinge connections.

The ability to accurately predict roof crush strength as well as the timing of structure intrusion is of great importance in the enhancement of the automotive roof design. Roof crush performance is a complex nonlinear phenomenon involving large-scale deformations and strains with many structural parameters influencing the performance. FMVSS216 testing is being used as an industry standard to determine the sufficiency of body structure strength against a stipulated roof crush load. In this paper, sensitivity of roof crush strength and stiffness predictions in a finite element simulation of FMVSS216 testing condition is studied systematically. Various physical parameters and their mathematical representation in finite element simulations are examined for their contribution to body structure strength as well as stiffness against roof crush loads.