Sound Package Performance, Weight, and Cost Optimization Using SEA Analysis 2003-01-1571

The design of automotive trim configurations has become increasingly driven to maximize the acoustic performance benefit while minimizing material cost and weight. Statistical Energy Analysis can serve as a useful tool to quickly step through several design iterations and predict the high frequency acoustic and vibration response on both a component and full vehicle level. This paper focuses on using SEA in conjunction with material cost and weight constraints to maximize the acoustic performance of the vehicle sound package while minimizing cost and weight. Results from vehicle SEA models are presented and incorporated into an example optimization demonstrating a set of acoustic performance response metrics with respect to material cost and weight. The methodology for finding a range of solutions for the best-performing sound packages relative to cost and weight considerations is presented.