Journal Article

Application of the Time-Domain Boundary Element Method for Acoustic Validation of Structural NVH Simulations

Schneider, S., Giese, T.

2026

Overview

Predicting radiated noise is a key challenge in NVH development across various mechanical systems. This paper presents a time-domain boundary element method (TD-BEM) approach to compute airborne sound fields directly from structural vibrations. Accurate acoustic prediction requires that structural dynamics, excitations, and component properties are precisely modeled. Thus, radiated sound serves as a powerful additional criterion to assess overall simulation quality. A validated flexible multibody model provides surface accelerations and therefore the boundary conditions for the TD-BEM. The method is demonstrated on a gearbox test rig in an anechoic environment, showing excellent correlation between measured and simulated sound pressure levels, with deviations below 1 dB . This confirms that accurate modeling of the structural and dynamic behavior is essential for reliable acoustic predictions. The proposed work-flow establishes acoustic validation as a critical step in simulation-driven NVH development, reducing costly prototyping and enhancing design confidence.

• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Subject: Boundary conditions / Boundary element method / Mechanical systems / Multibody systems / Noise prediction / Prototyping / Sound fields / Sound pressure / Time domain analysis