Title: Design, Construction and Application of a World Class Vehicle Acoustic Test Facility
text: The allowable noise emission of vehicles has been continuously reduced by legislation in the past. In parallel the interior noise level and noise quality have been improved dramatically. Even small size cars show today remarkable sound quality. This general effort to reduce vehicle noise has brought about a reduction in the combined effects of noise and vibration on the passengers. Today's vehicles exhibit more closely matched noise contributions from the engine, transmission, inlet and exhaust systems as well as road inputs via the suspension. For a further improvement of vehicle noise levels and sound quality, simple reduction of individual noise sources is no longer a suitable approach. A full understanding of their combined effect on vehicle noise is required, for cost-effective and production-feasible solutions to lead to the desired noise reduction or the achievement of a typical “Brand Sound” through sound engineering. For such development work, a vehicle acoustic test facility is absolutely indispensable. To qualify as a full partner in the Automotive Industry, AVL has established a vehicle test facility equipped with the very latest technology, capable of handling vehicles under all operating conditions. In this paper the vehicle acoustic test facility will be presented in detail, illustrating its use for noise reduction development activities ranging from reducing individual vehicle noise sources via trouble-shooting to sound engineering.