Wind noise challenge in the automobile industry

Abstract

Although automobile wind noise performance keeps improving, some fundamental aspects of wind noise generation and transmission paths remain uncertain. This paper raises issues to be solved in vehicle shape related wind noise root cause understanding and prevention. Wind noise mechanisms such as the generation of vehicle body wall pressure fluctrrations (pseudo-noise) and their interaction with body structures, resulting in panel vibration, which radiates as noise, are described. Challenge issues such as the evaluation of the relative importance of low wave number versus convective contributions of pseudo-noise to structural excitation are discussed.