Transmission Loss of Vehicle Components Using Virtual SEA: Validation and Modeling Challenges MSC Software

Format:

Book

Conference/Event

Author/Creator:

Orselli, Joseph, author.

Jacquemin, Gaetan, author.

Park, MyeongMan, author.

Conference Name:

14th International Styrian Noise, Vibration & Harshness Congress: The European Automotive Noise Conference (2026-06-17 : Graz, Austria)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Finite element analysis.

Interior noise.

Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH).

Local Subjects:

Finite element analysis.

Interior noise.

Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH).

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Warrendale, PA SAE International 2026

Summary:

In the automotive industry, controlling noise transmission through vehicle components is essential for passenger comfort and regulatory compliance. Traditionally, Transmission Loss (TL) is estimated using simplified CAD-based metrics, which lack accuracy at high frequencies and for complex assemblies. Modeling complex vehicle components introduces challenges, such as representing fluid-structure and trim interactions, with spatially varying trim thicknesses. This study presents an industrial application implementing the Virtual SEA (Statistical Energy Analysis) method to evaluate TL for a firewall. The study discusses strategies for subsystem adaptation and analytical trim modeling, highlighting the importance of managing spatial averaging effects. The proposed workflow integrates laboratory measurements of trim materials, advanced subsystem definition, diffuse sound field (DSF) excitation and radiation in free-field condition. Virtual SEA results are systematically validated against Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations (where the frequency range allows) and experimental data. Virtual SEA demonstrates strong agreement with FEM, especially at mid and high frequencies where FE starts to be cumbersome, confirming its suitability for industrial Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) applications. While some limitations remainsuch as the inability to fully model mixed-component subsystemsongoing research and practical workarounds are proposed. In conclusion, the Virtual SEA approach enables accurate and efficient TL prediction for vehicle components up to higher frequencies that FEM can achieve, supporting NVH targets and facilitating knowledge transfer to engineering teams. This work advances simulation-based acoustic transparency analysis for modern automotive design

Notes:

Vendor supplied data

Access Restriction:

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