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Current Diesel engines development is facing challenging vibro-acoustic requirements and at the same time is struggling with the need to reduce as much as possible the cost and the weight of the engine. The latter obviously has become a key player for fuel consumption reduction. Large covers are commonly used in the base engine design and their noise contribution to total radiated noise is not negligible. Typical covers architecture shows thick cast and ribbed plates, meaning heavy and expensive covers. An interesting option is represented by using thin stamped covers either in aluminum or in steel, that have to show a low vibrational response. The current paper focuses on the structural optimization of such a peculiar design, trying to mitigate as much as possible its noise radiation with the intent to avoid any additional acoustic enabler (e.g. wrapping by means of acoustic foams) that will increase the final cost of the component.

In the automotive industry, CAE methods are now widely used to predict several functional characteristics and to develop designs that are first-time-capable to meet programs targets. The N&V area is one of the increasing key factors for a product differentiation; costumers expect not only more powerful and more fuel efficient but also less noisy engines. The oil pan is one of the bigger contributors to engine radiated noise and to diesel knocking, so that great attention is paid within GM to optimize oil pans of Diesel engines by following a CAE-based approach to achieve a “first-time-capable” design for this component. This allows focusing the subsequent N&V testing activities to pinpoint modifications mainly on those components with shorter lead time. This paper describes the key-steps that are executed to optimize the oil pan design by using CAE methods with the main intent of reducing its noise radiation.