Partnership with VI-grade offers Romax users real-time interactive sound quality assessment of simulated powertrain noise
An expanded technology collaboration between Romax software and VI-grade provides solutions which will bring powertrain and vehicle NVH engineers closer together, combining powertrain design tools and vehicle simulation technology to facilitate better, faster NVH decisions whilst reducing need for physical prototypes.
Engineers are always seeking to improve product quality, with NVH, in particular, being a key differentiator in a crowded market. To improve performance in this arena, engineers need to understand how the powertrain noise will sound in the vehicle cabin before it is manufactured. Ultimately, achieving a better understanding of electro-mechanical powertrain NVH performance as early as possible in the development process allows engineers to reduce development cycles, and, by identifying these NVH issues early and correcting them while the design space is still large, to also reduce prototype test cycles.
Furthermore, new industry trends are changing the fundamental processes and challenges associated with powertrain design. NVH is a significant area for change here, as meeting the sound quality requirements for an electric vehicles poses different challenges compared to vehicles with internal combustion engines. Not only does the loss of engine masking in an electric vehicle pose issues, but demand for lightweight and stiff chassis designs also presents challenges to designing with low NVH in mind.
To solve these challenges, Romax and VI-grade have developed a process to perform an interactive evaluation of an EV virtual prototype using a combination of Romax’s simulation tools and the VI-grade NVH Simulator.
VI-grade provides software products and services for advanced applications in the field of system level simulation. VI-grade’s NVH Simulators can be used to experience vehicle noise based on a combination of simulated and measured noise sources. Experiencing the noise through simulated driving provides greater insight into the vehicle interior noise quality, allowing the effect of design changes to be considered before a real vehicle exists.
Romax Spectrum’s accurate prediction of gearbox and electric powertrain noise and vibration can be automatically calculated and exported for use in the VI-grade NVH simulator to provide a virtual driving experience that accurately represents in-vehicle noise from all sources. By presenting complex CAE simulation results in a way that anyone can interpret and understand, this feature will democratize advanced technologies and aid with cross-departmental collaboration.
To further this joint solution, the 2021 release of Romax software has seen a level of automation added to enhance the process. The generation of the vibration results in Spectrum and the data processing, which used to be done manually, has now been replaced with an automated export which speeds up the process and avoids human error.
This solution allows engineers to quickly assess the sound quality performance of a design under realistic driving conditions without requiring any physical prototype, thus saving on time and cost. They can make better design decisions (for example deciding on key vehicle components and parameters) rapidly and with confidence, even performing A/B comparisons of competing design concepts and repeating assessments as the design develops, and understand expected NVH variability. And as well as resulting in better quality products, users can expect to arrive at the right answers much more quickly.
Overall, the joint solution between Romax and VI-grade allows users to achieve virtual NVH sign-off of a powertrain design before any prototypes are created, bringing CAE-led design to the world of vehicle NVH testing.
For more information, register for our upcoming webinar.