Abstract
This article describes a study into the influence of the semi-axles on the structure-borne transfer of vibrations from the engine in a front-wheel drive car.
The objective of the experimental analysis performed was to identify which structural connections between the engine and the car body could provide a significant contribution to the sound pressure level measured inside the passenger compartment in relation to the various important engine orders. At the same time, a numerical analysis was conducted to investigate whether structural resonances which may be excited by the different engine orders could influence the relevance of the structural transmission of vibrations from the engine through the vehicle suspension systems.
The results indicate that the dynamic behaviour of the semiaxles can influence the importance of the related structure-borne transfer paths and the resulting acoustic performance of the vehicle in operation. Thus the structure-borne transfer of engine noise and vibration through the axles is an aspect which requires particular attention even at the earliest stages of the automotive design and development process.