Automotive Engineering - May 2021 - 24

NVH simulation meets REALISM

VI-grade's Desktop NVH and Static NVH simulators feature
full wheel-and-pedal " controls " to replicate the driver-tovehicle interface, as the tool user builds up the model.

New toolsets help reduce development time and bring sound and vibration data
into the real world.

24 May 2021

sound and vibration data into the real world, so it can
be experienced by real people, " Bogema, a 25-year
NVH and simulation veteran, said. " We translate the rich
data content from computer models, from CAE and
CFD analyses, and from different test measurements,
and integrate it into a simulation that engineers can
hear and feel. During a vehicle sign-off, the chief engineer wants to drive and experience the vehicle - he or
she doesn't want to just be told why 3 dB is better. "

Holistic NVH engineering
The company's recently introduced 2021.0 NVH
Simulator incorporates new features and capabilities
aimed at easier use. The standard application is a
desktop workstation; Bogema said many customers
use it " almost as a CAE tool, " that can be scaled up.
" We've got static simulators that resemble a vehicle
buck; these give a very immersive environment to sit in,
with a big screen. It also can be combined with VIgrade's full-motion simulators, to integrate the NVH characteristics in with the vehicle dynamics, " he explained.
The desktop and full-motion simulators feature full
wheel-and-pedal " controls " to replicate the driver-tovehicle interface, as the tool user builds up the model.
High-fidelity vehicle sound is played through
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

ALL IMAGES: VI-GRADE

ehicle development is amidst three concurrent revolutions
- electrification, autonomy and the shift in product design
and engineering to more up-front simulation. And in all of
those, attenuating and shaping NVH (noise, vibration, and
harshness) is a key focus for engineers.
NVH issues traditionally have been related to reliability and quality.
With electric and connected vehicles, however, noise-and-vibration control plays an increasing role in enhancing the entire vehicle experience.
Much of the noise from an ICE powertrain is lower-frequency boom and
rumble below 200 Hz, experts note. Electric motors and EV final-drive
gearing noise is generally at higher (1000 Hz and above) frequencies. And
there's always the question of how much acoustic feedback is desirable.
But development teams face a hurdle: Clear NVH indications often
are available only when the first physical prototypes are available.
This reduces the window for improvements that don't significantly
impact deadlines and costs.
" All the automakers are trying to do more up-front design, reduce
the number of prototypes and shorten time to market, " noted Dave
Bogema, director of NVH Solutions at VI-grade, a provider of software products, services, and professional driving simulators for use in
system-level simulation. " Engineers at many of our customers are
having their physical prototypes taken away, " he said. " That's where
NVH simulators, and virtual NVH prototypes that are easy to build,
come into play. "
VI-grade's tools create an interactive, full-spectrum driver-in-theloop simulation of a specific vehicle's NVH signature. They " bring

by Lindsay Brooke

Automotive Engineering - May 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - May 2021