Application of global sensitivity analysis to statistical energy analysis: Vehicle model development and transmission path contribution

Abstract This paper focuses on prediction of the sound pressure level inside a vehicle by using statistical energy analysis (SEA) and control of the noise within limited trim materials for vehicle weight reduction. To this end, a vehicle SEA model was developed considering the effects of the SEA parameter uncertainties on the prediction results. Thereafter, the contributions of the sound transmission losses of several vehicle components and the absorptivity of the vehicle interior to the sound pressure level were identified. Global sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate both the effects of the SEA parameter uncertainties and the contribution of the acoustical performance. Only the most influential SEA parameters were calculated or measured to reflect the characteristics of the acoustic material. Our results revealed that the sound pressure levels calculated by using the simplified SEA model agreed well with the measured values. Finally, based on the influences of the acoustic performances of the vehicle components on the interior noise, the design of the trim materials on the dash, which was one of the sensitive components, was modified and compared to the initial design and conventional lightweight design in terms of interior noise and weight.