NVH Methods for E-Mobility Development and Audio Acoustics

The upcoming market potential of electric vehicles (e-vehicles) suggests new directions for the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) development methods and strategies. In general, a dominant internal combustion engine (ICE) noise in the frequency range between 30 and 500 Hz is shifted toward higher frequencies in the kHz range, leaving behind an in-cabin noise decomposing with a mid-frequency gap. Customers might get discomforted by a nonbalanced background noise, and NVH engineers are struggling with reduced masking effects for standstill and low-speed conditions.

This talk will present results from selected feasibility studies, which contribute to e-vehicle acoustics. A multiphysics whining noise simulation of an e-motor power train gives insight into source characteristics and implies optimization potentials. The mid-frequency gap is suggested to be masked using a physical modeling approach of synthetic engine noise. Finally, potential directivity improvements of a personal zone audio integration within a headrest are shown.

The Application of COMSOL Server™ in the Design of Tailored Steel Belt Machines

The Berndorf Band Group has attained the position of global leader in the production of steel belts and steel belt systems thanks to their 90 years of experience.

For most processes involving steel belts, the transfer of heat through the belt into or out of the product (heating and cooling) is important. A main benefit of steel belts compared to polymer belts is their relatively high thermal conductivity, which enables high thermal flow rates.

In order to obtain tailored solutions for our customers, thermal simulations of the steel belt process are used to find optimal machine configurations. As the material properties under process conditions are often unavailable, we have developed a dedicated measurement system for thermal characterizations of customer products.

A series of COMSOL^® applications have been developed to support our technical sales workforce. This talk will focus on thermomechanical simulations of double-belt presses and single-belt coolers and the associated simulation applications.

Use of CFD Simulation Methods in Polymer Extrusion

In polymer extrusion, you are dealing with viscoelastic fluids in a laminar flow regime. The most important aspects to know are the pressure drop and velocity distribution as well as the shear rate in the melt channel. The viscosity of the polymer melt depends on the melt temperature and the shear rate or shear stress in the melt. Many applications are coextrusion applications, like multilayer films. As you can tell, there are a lot of reasons to use CFD simulation for tool design and process description in polymer extrusion. In addition, the calculation of cooling tracks is of interest in plastic processing. Therefore, heat transfer is combined with CFD.

Topics like laminar flow, multiphase flow, and heat transfer in polymer extrusion use cases will be discussed in this talk.