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Application of the Hybrid FE-SEA Method to Predict Sound Transmission Through Complex Sealing Systems

Currently, the use of numerical and analytical tools during a vehicle development is extensive in the automotive industry. This assures that the required performance levels can be achieved from the early stages of development. However, there are some aspects of the vibro-acoustic performance of a vehicle that are rarely assessed through numerical or analytical analysis. An example is the modeling of sound transmission through vehicle sealing systems. In this case, most of the investigations have been done experimentally, and the analytical models available are not sufficiently accurate. In this paper, the modeling of the sound transmission through a vehicle door seal is presented. The study is an extension of a previous work in which the applicability of the Hybrid FE-SEA method was demonstrated for predicting the TL of sealing elements. A numerical validation of simplified Hybrid FE-SEA model is performed, which is followed by the application of the method to the TL of a car door seal. A full non-linear deformation/contact analysis is used to estimate the deformed geometry of the door seal in real conditions. The geometry is then used in a vibro-acoustic analysis to predict the in-situ transmission loss of the seal using a local Hybrid FE-SEA model. The channel between the door and the car structure where the seal is located is also included in the analysis. Results for the transmission loss are compared with experimental data, showing a good correlation.