Structure-borne noise reduction in a truck cab interior using numerical techniques

A computer-aided-engineering (CAE) method is used for noise reduction in a truck cab interior. The finite element (FE) and the boundary element method (BEM) are used to characterize the acoustic field of a truck cab interior in terms of the natural frequencies and the mode shapes. Structural vibration responses of the cab are computed for excitations at the cab mounts in a frequency range from 50 to 250 Hz. Interior noise levels at the driver's right ear are determined using the boundary element method for excitations at the cab mounts. A panel acoustic contribution analysis (PACA) is done to determine the structural areas of the cab contributing most to the noise levels at the driver's right ear. Structure-borne noise is reduced in the interior of the cab by selection and placement of sound absorbing material at the appropriate locations in the cab, as determined by PACA. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.