{"id":39730,"date":"2022-07-18T08:06:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T12:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/?p=39730"},"modified":"2026-03-26T06:39:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:39:10","slug":"virtual-acoustics-and-sound-quality-evaluation-using-cae-auralization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/virtual-acoustics-and-sound-quality-evaluation-using-cae-auralization\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual acoustics and sound quality evaluation using CAE auralization"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As virtual acoustics engineers and product designers, especially those that identify as the Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) kind, we like numbers. Quantifiable and objective data gives us a foundation to build great products that meet our customers\u2019 expectations. Unfortunately, this is only part of the story for Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) engineers. Brand recognition and customer acceptance depend not only on Transfer Path Analysis (TPA) forces, panel and path contributions, order cut data, and waterfalls but how these quantities translate into the personal perception of the sound your product makes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about the sound of the coffee maker with that first cup of coffee in the morning, and how the sensation of quality gives you confidence that it will make it exactly how you like it. Or when your car door shuts with a solid \u201cthud,\u201d giving the sense of security and safety, as opposed to a metallic \u201cbang\u201d you would expect from a car made in the 70s. Or even the bell in the bus or tram, how a lifetime of hearing the same sound gives you confidence that the driver will hear it and the bus will stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you make a simulation model \u201csound better\u201d?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One day at the coffee corner\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For many NVH CAE engineers, the following situation may sound familiar. The simulations are running, and for Dave, it\u2019s time for a well-earned coffee. Ahh bliss. Unfortunately, this moment of tranquillity is short-lived as powertrain integration program manager Sarah comes in and starts discussing the prototype tests they have been doing and the difficulties they are having finetuning the gearbox. She approaches Dave and asks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How is it possible that this prototype sounds so annoying and loud given all the effort you put into simulating this electric powertrain?<\/a><\/p>\n– Dave the engineer<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Troubleshooting this purely using tests will be nigh impossible especially given the very tight release timeline. So, it\u2019s up to Dave to come up with some suggestions, to make it all \u201csound right\u201d \u2013 whatever that may mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it looks good, it sounds good, right?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Like in other application areas, efficient integrated NVH simulation workflows for electric powertrain analysis are readily available. Starting from electro-magnetic forces calculated in Simcenter Motorsolve and a structural Finite Element model, a Simcenter 3D Motion model that includes detailed gear and bearing models can very accurately predict the structural vibrations of the outer housing of the electric powertrain. With that information, Simcenter 3D Acoustics can easily predict the noise signature. The advanced post-processing capabilities give a thorough understanding of how this signature came to be, as seen in the different result plots below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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See how Simcenter Motorsolve and Simcenter 3D Motion can predict the structural vibrations of the electric powertrain outer housing in this blog<\/a><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Quantitative NVH data \u2013 blessing or curse?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The question still remains: if we change the design to reduce the most important order line, will this make the powertrain \u201csound better\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why can\u2019t we just listen to a simulation model?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As a matter of fact, we can! The latest releases of Simcenter 3D Acoustics integrated a new Auralization product that allows CAE engineers to take their simulation results and listen to them. Understanding how someone will perceive sound coming from an acoustic source helps to more intuitively design and optimize the acoustic performance of products. Additionally, with such a virtual acoustics model, you enable a much broader set of stakeholders, like engineers, marketeers, or sales personnel, to listen to the acoustic signature of different product designs and select the best one with their ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s get back to Dave and his effort to make the electric powertrain \u201csound better.\u201d Using this new toolset, he can simply take the order cut simulation results from his previous analysis, define one of the typical speed profiles considered during validation testing, and listen to the produced sound with a few clicks. Moreover, he can plot the time data of the powertrain noise and analyze its sound quality using a dedicated tool to evaluate sound quality metrics like loudness and sharpness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sound is playing in his headphones in less than a minute, and he finally understands what Sarah means with \u201cit does not yet sound right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can we extend the virtual acoustics model to the whole car? Or is that too much to ask?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Components or assemblies like a powertrain are not a final product, they are part of a bigger system. To cope with this additional level of complexity, the Simcenter 3D Acoustics Auralization product integrates the capability to create multi-track scenarios. Each of the tracks consists of<\/p>\n\n\n\n