PSA Peugeot Citroen

The vibratory and acoustic behaviour of the internal combustion engine is a highly complex one, consisting of many components that are subject to loads that vary greatly in magnitude and which operate at a wide range of speeds. The interaction of these components and the excitation of resonant modes of vibration is a major problem for the powertrain engineer when optimising the noise and vibration characteristics of the powertrain. Finite element analysis (FEA) and dynamic simulation programs such as ENGDYN have been developed which provide the engine with simulation tools that enable ‘what if ’ comparative studies to be undertaken. Such tools have been extensively used by Ricardo and PSA over a number of years using the Ricardo software products described as part of this paper. This paper summarises a study that has been undertaken to assess and optimise the dynamic behaviour of a current production 1.6 litre gasoline engine with the objective of reducing low frequency radiated noise from the cylinder block. PS