Method for system level vibro-acoustic gear modeling and simulation of electro-mechanical drive trains

A generic simulation method within heterogeneous system modeling is proposed enabling multi-domain vibro-acoustic gear simulation of electro-mechanical drive trains. The modeling approach accounts for cross-domain system simulation and numerical vibro-acoustic analysis including vibration excitation, structure-borne noise transmission and airborne sound emission. Peripheral mechanisms allow conservative coupling between different physical domains e.g. mechanical, electrical and thermal domain using a generalized physical network. The simulation method fulfills typical system model requirements - modularity, reusability, extensibility, simplicity and efficiency - by choosing a specific simulation technique for each system part. With regard towards the vibro-acoustic analysis, efficient lumped parameter modeling of gear mesh, multi-body simulation of gear components and bidirectional coupling between modal modes of gear housing geometries and rigid-body motion, ensure rapid prototyping. For method verification a system level vibro-acoustic gear model of an electro-mechanical drive train is generated. The simulation model allows studying rotational oscillations of the output shaft as well as three-dimensional multi-body vibration of gear parts and peripheral components. Though no partial differential equations are solved during the system simulation, spatial distribution of housing deflection can be analyzed. Subsequently, experimental results of motor torque and motor speed as well as surface vibration measured by means of a laser vibrometer are used for model validation. It is shown that the proposed method enables the analysis of airborne sound emission within system simulation. Finally, limitations of the modeling approach are illustrated.