Submitted: Published:

13,11,2016 31, 01, 2017

ASRODOI:
www.asrongo.org\doi:4.2017.2.1.10

Application of Finite Element Based Simulation and Modal Testing

Methods to Improve Vehicle Powertrain Idle Vibration
Polat Sendur1, Ali Kurtdere2
Principle Contact: polat.sendur@ozyegin.edu.tr
Mechanical Engineering Department, Ozyegin University, Cekmekoy/Istanbul, Turkey 1
Vehicle Engineering, Ford Otomotiv A.S., Sancaktepe/Istanbul, Turkey 2

Abstract
Current practice of analytical and test methods related to the analysis, testing and improvement of
vehicle vibrations is overviewed. The methods are illustrated on the determination and
improvement of powertrain induced steering wheel vibration of a heavy commercial truck. More
specifically, the transmissibility of powertrain idle vibration to cabin is investigated with respect
to powertrain rigid body modes and modal alignment of the steering column/wheel system is
considered. It is found out that roll mode of the powertrain is not separated from idle excitation for
effective vibration isolation as well as steering wheel column mode is close to the 3 rd engine
excitation frequency order, which results in high vibration levels. Powertrain roll mode is
optimized by tuning the powertrain mount stiffness to improve the performance. Steering column
mode is also separated from the 3rd engine excitation frequency by the application of a mass
absorber. It is concluded that the use of analytical and test methods to address the complex relation
between design parameters and powertrain idle response is effective to optimize the system
performance and evaluate the trade-offs in the vehicle design such as vibration performance and
weight.

Keywords: Steering Wheel Vibration, Modal Analysis, Transmissibility, Body Sensitivity,

Powertrain Rigid Body Modes, Engine Mounts

1 Introduction
Sound quality and vibration properties of vehicles have become very important in recent years
(Hatti et al., 2013, Cerrato 2009). Customer sensitivity and expectation on vehicle noise and
vibration properties have improved greatly. Considering customer response with regards to
quality feeling, steering wheel vibration is an important phenomenon and needs to be considered
as a system level property (Wang, 2010).

One of the primary tools for product development,in which dynamics and vibrations are
important, is the numerical simulation of dynamic system models representing the design.
Application of computer aided engineering (CAE) techniques has become an integral part of the
vehicle development processes to optimize the product and make decision between trade-offs in
the design. A wide variety of modeling methods have been developed in that regard finite element
and multi-body dynamics modeling methods being the most commonly used in the analysis of
dynamics and vibration problems (Wang, 2010, Offner et al. 2001, Acri et al. 2016).

Vol: 2, Issue: 1, (Year:2017), pp:10-31

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Besides the development of the modeling strategies, the last decades have also witnessed a
tremendous interest in a better understanding of the structural dynamic behaviour, and identifying
the modal parameters, namely the natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes, has
become a major concern of structural dynamicists. This field of research is referred to as modal
analysis in the technical literature (Ewins, 2000). Modal analysis can be analytical or test-based.
In case of test-based approach, it is called Modal Testing. The knowledge of the modal
parameters can serve various purposes such as structural modification (Mottershea et al., 2004),
vibration based damage identification (Alvandi and Cremona, 2006).

The complex dynamics of the system is usually investigated using the modal analysis and modal
testing methods along with the source-path-receiver models (Wang, 2010) and Transfer Path
Analysis (van der Seijs et al. 2016) to identify the relationship between source, body and chassis
sensitivity and steering response. Powertrain is primary source of the vibration [Gaurav et al.,
2015]. It transmits vibration to the vehicle cabin, sub-systems and components in the cabin. Basic
function of powertrain mounting system is to hold the powertrain and to isolate the vibrations of
the engine from the vehicle (Yunhe et al. 2001). Mounting system should be compliant with
powertrain and body interface. For good idle vibration characteristics, powertrain vibration
isolation should be at a certain level specified by the OEM to be competitive at idle condition.
Optimum locations and stiffness of the powertrain mounts lead to the decoupling of the
powertrain rigid body modes and thereby resulting in superior NVH characteristics especially at
low frequencies related with idle, start-up and shut-off conditions (Jeong and Singh, 2000).
However, modal coupling may cause complex movements on the powertrain with a given input.
Powertrain have six rigid body modes namely pitch, roll and yaw for rotational modes and
bounce, lateral, longitudinal for translational modes. Rigid body mode coupling is frequently
described in terms of the kinetic energy distribution amongst the modes (Venkitachalam et al.,
2016). Each rigid body mode of the powertrain has its energy distributed among the different
modes of vibration or movement. In a completely decoupled system, each rigid-body mode would
have all its energy concentrated in only one mode, so that each rigid body mode (modal
frequency) lines up with one mode of vibration (Sachdeva and Hadi, 2003). Powertrain roll mode,
which is the rotation of powertrain on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, is one of the most
critical rigid body modes on steering wheel vibration. Separation of main combustion excitation
frequency with roll mode frequency is essential for good vibration isolation at idle condition.
Power plant isolation strategies, torque roll axis decoupling, elastic axis decoupling and natural
frequency placement are discussed with the assumptions involved in each of these techniques by
(Jeong and Singh, 2000). It is also demonstrated that the layout of the mount position has a
greatest impact on the isolation performance of the mounting system (Tetsuya et al., 1993).
Johnson and Subhedar proposed a design method, which tunes all of the system natural
frequencies to desired values and decouples each mode of vibration through dynamic analysis
and optimization (Venkitachalam et al., 2016). Engine mounting for a heavy duty vehicle has
been studied by (Sakai et al., 2001). Powertrain mounting system optimization for vibration
isolation and interference avoidance have also been addressed by the same authors.

Another important variable for the idle vibration is the body sensitivity i.e. system transfer
functions between steering system as a response and powertrain as a source of force (Wang,
2010). Body sensitivity is a metric to describe relation between applied force and system
response. This study focuses on steering system modal response as a body sensitivity variable,
and powertrain rigid body modes as powertrain contribution variables. The approach taken in this
paper is based on minimizing body sensitivity to powertrain induced excitation.

11
The objective of the paper is to integrate the various numerical, analytical and experimental
approaches available in the literature to optimize the steering vibration on idle condition and to
evaluate the trade-offs between various attributes such as vehicle vibration and weight. The paper
is organized as follows: First, most commonly used analytical and test methods, such as
parameter sensitivity, modal analysis, modal testing, modal alignment and vibration isolation, in
the field of studying powertrain idle vibration are explained in Section 2. The methods are
illustrated on a heavy commercial vehicle with a 6-cylinder inline engine by correlating the
analytical tools and test results in Section 3. Various optimization studies have been performed to
improve the powertrain idle performance and trade-offs between design parameters are discussed
in Section 4 followed by conclusions in Section 5.

2 Materials and Methods

In this section, analytical and test related methods related to vehicle vibration problems are
reviewed. The section starts with the discussion of the parameters affecting the powertrain idle
performance. Then, the mathematical models that are commonly used in vibration analysis are
described in detail. The theoretical background on the modal analysis using the mathematical
models is given followed by modal testing in order to correlate the mathematical models to the
test data. The derivation of the powertrain rigid body modes, which are amongst the most
influential parameters on the idle response, is followed next. The section is concluded with a
short description of the vibration isolation methods in order to explain how the performance could
be improved.

2.1 Powertrain Parameter Sensitivity

The relationship between source excitations, body sensitivities and steering response has been
investigated in order to determine the most effective method. Figure 1 shows design parameters
affecting powertrain idle performance such as powertrain contribution, body sensitivity to engine
mounts and steering system response, powertrain forces composed of firing and sub-firing order
combustion forces, inertial forces, auxiliary elements forces, and powertrain assembly imbalance
forces. Crankshaft originated forces excite powertrain rigid body modes, and vibration
transmitted to the chassis and cabin systems via engine mounts. Amount of transmitted energy
depends on the system transfer functions between cabin and engine mounts. The vibrational
energy on cabin at the idle frequency excites subsystems like panels, floor, and seats, cross car
beam or steering system. Steering system is connected with the cross car beam from the column
with brackets. In this paper, design parameters to tune are considered as firing order combustion
forces, engine mount rates, powertrain roll mode, steering column & steering wheel mode.

12
 Idle Speed
Steering Wheel Vibration

Body Sensitivty to
Powertrain Contribution Engine Mount
Velocity/Force

Cabin Ridig Body

Modes
Center-of-Crank Center-of-Crank
Forces Sensitivity
Chasis Frame
Modes

Steering Column
Sub-Firing
Eng/Trans Mount Modes Body / Trim
Combustion
Rates Isolation to PT /
Forces Cooling Module
Cabin Suspension
Inertial Forces Eng/Trans Mount Bush Stiffness
Hose /Lines /
Damping
Cables Isolation

Closure Rigid
PT Assm. P/T Rigid Body Modes
Imabalnce 1EO Modes

Firing Order Panel Modes

Suspension /
Combustion
Forces Wheel Modes

AC/FEAD
Loading

Figure 1. Bubble Diagrams of Idle Vibration

2.2 Numerical Simulation Model Details

Numerical simulation methods are extensively utilized in resolving vibration related problems.
This approach enables the detailed analysis of the root-cause and identification of the design
action to improve the steering wheel vibration instead of trial-and-error approach. Most
commonly used mathematical models are finite element based, where the geometry is represented
by “finite elements” for which the structural performance can be calculated (Zienkiewicz, 1977).
Finite element models range from simple bar, Euler beam elements to volume elements such as
tetra and hexa elements. Full vehicle CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) model consists of
trimmed chassis, trimmed cabin, powertrain / transmission model, front and rear suspensions.
Most of the structural components for trimmed chassis and cabin are represented by finite
element models forming more than two million degrees of freedom system. While structural parts
are finite element models, since the main objective of modelling of the system is to calculate
vibration response of steering wheel, seat track and some other critical points, many of the trim
parts are modelled as mass elements with representative mass and inertia properties to reduce
degree of freedom of the system. Higher number of degree of freedom increases solution time,
output data size and reduces post processing performance of the computers. Front suspension
model consists of leaf springs, antiroll bar, knuckle and spindle system. Leaf spring has been
modelled with shell element with different thickness to better represent variable cross section of
each leaf. Figure 2 shows the assembly of a full vehicle model of a heavy commercial truck.
General approach to the tire models is to create finite element models of the tires in deformed
configuration due to the weight of the vehicle and run modal analysis at this configuration to
obtain modal model of the tire. Another simple approach used in this case is to model the tires as
spring and bushing elements with measured stiffness values. The modelling approach would
depend on the engineering problem to be studied. In this model, modal tire model is integrated in
the full vehicle model.

13
 Figure 2. Full Vehicle NVH Model of a heavy commercial truck

Internal combustion engine is one of the main excitation sources of the vehicles due to the
oscillating and rotating masses of the crank train and combustion pressures. Because of the
geometry of the crank train and the oscillating piston and connecting rod masses there exists a
mass torque around crankshaft axis and shaking forces perpendicular to crankshaft axis of an
internal combustion engine. The inertia forces can be expanded into Fourier series giving
components of orders of engine speed. Another important excitation of the engine comes from the
combustion pressure inside the cylinders. Combustion pressure in the cylinders depend on the
engine speed and need to be considered separately while generating a load case to simulate wide
open throttle conditions. Combustion torque of the engine is calculated by the multiplication of
the piston area and crank train geometry. Combustion pressure is similarly expanded to Fourier
analysis to calculate the dominant engine orders.

2.3 Modal Analysis

Modal analysis is a mathematical tool that is often used to determine the system characteristics in
terms of the resonances. This information is then used to build an analytical model. In this
section, a short theory on the modal analysis is summarized.

The equations of motion of a multi-degree-of-freedom mass and spring system can be written as:

[𝑀] ∙ [𝑥̈ ] + [𝐾] ∙ [𝑥] = 0 (1)

Assuming a harmonic solution of the form:

{𝑥} = {∅} ∙ sin⁡(𝜔 ∙ 𝑡) (2)

Substitution of the assumed harmonic solution to the equation of motion, the following equation
is obtained:

−𝜔2 ∙ [𝑀] ∙ {∅} ∙ sin⁡(𝜔 ∙ t) + [𝐾] ∙ {∅} ∙ sin⁡(𝜔 ∙ t) = 0 (3)

where {∅} is the mode shape (or the eigenvector) and 𝜔 is the circular natural frequency results in
the eigenmode shown in Equation (2). Simplifying the Equation (3) leads to the classical
eigenvalue problem to solve for the natural frequency and mode shapes as in Equation (4).

14
 ([𝐾] − 𝜔2 ∙ [𝑀]) ∙ {∅} = 0 (4)

The general mathematical eigenvalue problem reduces to solving the Equation (5) to obtain the
natural frequencies of the system.

|[𝐾] − 𝜔2 ∙ [𝑀]| = 0 (5)

The determinant is zero for a set of discrete eigenvalues (𝜔𝑖2 ) as given in Equation (5). There is
an eigenvector, ∅𝑖 , corresponding to each eigenvalue that satisfies Equation (4).

([𝐾] − 𝜔𝑖2 ∙ [𝑀]) ∙ {∅𝑖 } = 0 (6)

There are N number of undamped natural frequencies in the system. While the natural
frequencies are unique, the mode shapes can be arbitrarily scaled.

2.4 Modal Testing

Modal testing is a test-based modal analysis where the transfer function is calculated by dividing
the response of a system by the excitation force (referred as the transfer function or frequency
response function). Generally, impact hammer or modal shaker is used to excite the system. Then,
the modal parameters are derived from the transfer function. In this section, an overview of the
modal testing is presented.

The Frequency Response Function (FRF), H ( ) , is the ratio between a response (output, degree
of freedom (DOF), Xi) signal and a reference (input) signal as shown in Figure 3 (input, degree of
freedom (DOF), Xj).

Figure 3. Frequency Response Function (FRF)

The response signal is most commonly chosen as the acceleration at the response DOF due to a
force input. The peaks in the FRF indicate that low input levels generate high response levels
(resonances), while minima indicate low response levels, even for high inputs (anti- resonances)
as shown in Figure 4.

15
 Figure 4. Resonance and anti-resonances in FRF

In modal testing number of measurement channels are defined in order to derive the modal model
and visualize the response of each degree of freedom of the system. The response locations are
chosen so that the mode shapes in the frequency range of interest can be identified during
analysis. Then the system is excited by an impact hammer to excite system resonances.

The analysis of the data from modal testing, as described in Figure 5, provides a set of modal
parameters that characterize the dynamic behavior of the structure. The poles, natural frequencies
(damped and undamped), damping factors or ratios, mode shapes, and residues are commonly
referred to as modal parameters.

Figure 5. Estimation of modal parameters

Curve fitting methods are used to minimize the error between modal model output and test data
by tuning the modal parameters. Modal model is expressed as in Equation (7).

𝑟 𝑟∗
ℎ𝑖𝑗 (𝑗𝜔) = ∑𝑁 𝑖𝑗𝑘 𝑖𝑗𝑘
𝑘=1 ((𝑗𝜔−𝜆 ) + 𝑗𝜔−𝜆∗ ) (7)
𝑘 𝑘

where ℎ𝑖𝑗 (𝑗𝜔) is the FRF between the response DOF 𝑖 and reference DOF 𝑗, N is the number of
modes of vibration that contribute to the structure’s dynamic response within the frequency range
of interest, 𝑟𝑖𝑗𝑘 is the residue value for mode 𝑘 and 𝜆𝑘 is the value of the pole for mode k
(𝜆∗𝑘 designates the complex conjugate of 𝜆𝑘 ).

16
The eigenvalue (or pole) can be expressed as:

2
𝜆𝑘 = −  𝜔𝑛𝑘 + 𝑗𝜔𝑛𝑘 √1 −  (8)
𝑘 𝑘

where 𝜔𝑛𝑘 is the undamped natural frequency and  is the damping ratio of mode k.
𝑘
Then, the residue (the error between the model and test) can be calculated as:

𝑟𝑖𝑗𝑘 = a𝑘 𝑣𝑖𝑘 𝑣𝑗𝑘 (9)

where⁡𝑣𝑖𝑘 is the mode shape coefficient at response DOF i of mode k, ⁡𝑣𝑗𝑘 is the mode shape
coefficient at response DOF j of mode k, and 𝑎𝑘 is the complex scaling constant, which is
determined by the scaling of the mode shapes as:
1
𝑎𝑘 = (10)
2𝑗𝑚𝑘 𝜔𝑑𝑘

where 𝑚𝑘 is the modal mass of mode k.

2.5 Powertrain Rigid Body Modes

The determination of the system’s modes and mode shapes can be of great use for the design
engineers to design the system so that the system response meets the design requirements. Modal
alignment (Taeseok, 2000) is a method to place the modes of a system at “desired frequencies” by
making sure that the modes are not coupled at one frequency and are separated from each other
sufficiently for the frequency range of interest. The transmissibility of powertrain idle vibration to
vehicle cabin highly depends on the modal alignment of powertrain rigid body modes and
therefore, in this section, the derivation of the powertrain rigid body modes is explained.

The powertrain is a rigid body system connected to the chassis frame with elastic mounts. It has
six degrees of freedom. Powertrain rigid body modes have major influence on vehicle vibration
during idle and start-up/shut-off conditions. Separation of main combustion excitation frequency
with roll mode frequency is essential for good vibration isolation at idle condition (Prince et al.,
2015). Also, rigid body mode coupling with first engine order should be eliminated concerning
powertrain first order imbalance. Rigid body modes depend on powertrain mass and inertia
properties and elastic mounts system (Jeong and Singh, 2000). Table 1 shows parameters that
affect rigid body modes.

Powertrain Mass Parameters Mount System

Mass Orientation
Center Of Gravity Location
Moment of Inertia Stiffness
Table 1. Parameters Affecting Rigid Body Modes

The heavy commercial truck engine mounting system, schematically shown in Figure 6, generally
consists of a powertrain/transmission unit and several mounts connected to truck’s chassis. The
equation of motion for the system can be written as:

[𝑀] ∙ [𝑞̈ ] + [𝐶] ∙ [𝑞̇ ] + [𝐾] ∙ [𝑞] = [𝐹] (11)

17
where [𝑀]⁡is the mass matrix, [𝐶] is the damping matrix, [𝐾] is the stiffness matrix and [𝐹] is the
excitation forces acting on the engine mounts due to inertia and combustion forces from
powertrain. [𝑞]⁡is the generalized displacement vector of size 6x1 i.e.,⁡[𝑞] = [𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧, 𝜃𝑥 , 𝜃𝑦 , 𝜃𝑧 ].

Figure 6. Schematic of Engine Mount System

The equation of motion for the powertrain/transmission assembly can be derived by the
application of the Newton’s Law or Lagrange Equations. The overall mass matrix of the
powertrain/transmission assembly is given as in Equation (12).

m 0 0 0 0 0 
0 m 0 0 0 0 

0 0 m 0 0 0 
M    0 0 0 I  I zx 
 (12)
 xx I xy
 0 0 0  I xy I yy  I yz 
 
 0 0 0  I zx  I yz  I zz 

where m is the overall mass of the powertrain/transmission assembly, I xx , I yy , I zz are the

moments of inertia and, I xy , I zx , I yz are the product of inertia about the centroidal x, y and z axis
of the powertrain/transmission assembly.

The stiffness matrix, [𝐾]⁡in Equation (11), for engine mount system can be written as:

[𝐾] = ∑𝑛𝑖=1[𝐵𝑖 ]𝑇 ∙ [𝑇𝑖 ]𝑇 ∙ [𝑘𝑖 ] ∙ [𝑇𝑖 ] ∙ [𝐵𝑖 ] (13)

where [𝑘𝑖 ] is the stiffness matrix for the ith engine mount (i from 1 to 4 for the configuration in
Figure 6) as:

𝑘𝑥 𝑖 0 0
[𝑘𝑖 ] = [ 0 𝑘𝑦𝑖 0] (14)
0 0 𝑘𝑧𝑖
18
where Bi  is the position matrix of the mount i (i from 1 to 4 for the configuration in Figure 6):

1 0 0 0 zi  yi 
Bi   0 1 0  zi 0 xi  (15)
0 0 1 yi  xi 0 

and [𝑇𝑖 ] matrix refers to the angle matrix between the elastic principal axis of mount and system
coordinates, as given in Equation (16).

𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼𝑥𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛽𝑥𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛾𝑥𝑖

[𝑇𝑖 ] = [𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼𝑦𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛽𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛾𝑦𝑖 ] (16)
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼𝑧𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛽𝑧𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛾𝑧𝑖

Ignoring damping and external force, Equation (5) and Equation (6) can be used to calculate the
powertrain rigid body modes and corresponding mode shapes with [𝑀] and [𝐾] given in Equation
(12) and Equation (13), respectively.

One of the primary functions of powertrain mount systems is to isolate the vehicle body from
structure-borne noise and vibration for better occupational comfort. Powertrain rigid body modes
and its mode shape purity are the performance indicators for isolation of mount system. Mode
shape purity (also known as decoupling) depends upon the mount stiffness, its location and
orientation as well as center of gravity, mass and moment of inertia of the
powertrain/transmission assembly. %100 purity or decoupling is only possible when the center or
engine mounts and the center of the engine coincide with each other.

Modal purity can be defined as the ratio of the kinetic energy of the mode (for example roll
mode) to the overall energy that the system has for all the modes (fore-aft, lateral, bounce, roll,
pitch and yaw) corresponding to a specific frequency.

The kinetic energy of a specific mode (j) is calculated according to Equation (17) as the
summation of all rigid body modes:
1
𝐸𝑗 = ∙ 𝑀𝑘𝑙 ∙ 𝜑𝑘𝑗 ∙ 𝜑𝑙𝑗 ∙ 𝜔𝑗2 (17)
2

where 𝜑 is the corresponding mode shape. The total energy of each mode can be calculated from
Equation (18):

1
[𝐸𝑘 ]𝑗 = ∑6𝑙=1 ( ∙ 𝑀𝑘𝑙 ∙ 𝜑𝑘𝑗 ∙ 𝜑𝑙𝑗 ) (18)
2

The total energy of the powertrain/transmission mount system is the sum of the energy for all
modes (fore-aft, lateral, bounce, roll, pitch and yaw modes) and can be calculated from Equation
(19):

1
𝐸𝑗 = ∑6𝑘=1 ∑6𝑙=1 (2 ∙ 𝑀𝑘𝑙 ∙ 𝜑𝑘𝑗 ∙ 𝜑𝑙𝑗 ) (19)

Modal purity is then calculated as shown in Equation (20):

19
 [𝐸𝑘 ]𝑗
[𝑃𝑘 ]𝑗 = ∙ 100% (20)
[𝐸]𝑗

%100 modal purity means that there is only one mode and there is no coupling between the mode
and other modes.

2.6 Vibration Isolation

It is generally desired to minimize the vibrations and therefore passive or active vibration
isolation systems may be required in order to achieve the desired vibration performance of the
system. A single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system under base excitation to it is shown in Figure
7.

Figure 7. SDOF system under base excitation

The response of a single-degree-of-freedom system, known as displacement transmissibility,

under base excitation is given as in Equation (21).

1  2    r 
2
X

 1  r   2    r 
(21)
Y 2 2 2

where X is the amplitude of the displacement of mass, Y is the amplitude of the excitation input,
 is the damping ratio and r is the ratio between the excitation frequency ( b ) and natural
frequency (  n ) of the system.

The response of the system is plotted in Figure 8 for various damping ratio. As can be seen from
the figure, the frequency ratio should be greater than 2 in order to achieve transmissibility
values less than unity. Therefore, either the excitation frequency (if possible) and/or natural
frequency of the system should be modified to reduce the vibration levels. In order to reduce the
transmissibility for the frequency ratio less than 2 , the damping ratio should be increased.

20
 Figure 8. System response to base excitation

3 RESULTS
One of the requirements for powertrain vibration performance can be considered as the reducing
the vibration levels at the steering wheel under idle operating condition. Measurement of the
steering wheel with accelerometer was performed to determine the vibration velocity
characteristic at idle condition. Figure 9 shows frequency spectrum of vibration velocity in X, Y,
and Z directions. Excessive vibration is observed at around 27 Hz, which is primarily due to 3rd
firing order of the 6-cylinder inline engine.

*Vertical axis is in logarithmic scale

Figure 9. Steering Wheel Vibration FFT Analysis (X-Y-Z Directions)

3.1 Steering System Modes (Modal Analysis and Modal Testing)

Analytical modal analysis and modal testing was performed to figure out the modal response of
the steering system as depicted in Section 2.3 and Section 2.4, respectively. Modal analysis has
been performed for full vehicle model as well as model testing has been performed in order to
correlate the steering column and steering wheel modes in vehicle conditions. Figure 10 shows
21
assembly of steering column wheel model. Experimental modal analysis has been performed with
modal hammer. The system is excited in three directions (x, y and z directions) on the steering
wheel and in two directions (x and y directions) on the steering column. Excitation in X, Y, Z was
executed for steering wheel, and in X and Y direction on steering column. The correlation results
are summarized in Table 2. The relative error between the test and analysis is less than 5% for all
three modes.

Figure 10. Steering Column and Steering Wheel

It is found out that first mode of the steering column vertical mode of 27.2 Hz is coupled with idle
3rd firing engine order frequency (27Hz). This modal coupling, therefore, results in excessive
vibration at steering wheel. These results show that the vertical mode of the steering column
should be separated from the 3rd order excitation frequency in order to reduce the steering wheel
vibration.

Description of Steering Wheel CAE

Test (Hz)
Mode (free-free condition) Calculation (Hz)
Steering Column Vertical 27.4 27.2
Steering Column Lateral 31.6 31.2
Steering Wheel Mode 54.7 52.2
Table 2. Correlation of Steering Column Modes (Modal Analysis versus Modal Testing)

3.2 Powertrain Rigid Body Modes

Analytical modal analysis for the powertrain system has been has been performed by the methods
described in Section 2.3 and Section 2.5. Physical parameters described in Table 1 are used as
input for the tool to find the rigid body modal coupling matrix and kinetic energy distribution.
Powertrain rigid body modes are also experimentally determined by exciting the vehicle on a four
poster with frequency sweeping. The power spectral density of the accelerations attached to the
engine cover can be calculated to find the rigid body modes. There is good correlation between
the finite element model and experimental results. For example, modal analysis predicts the roll
mode as 20,8 Hz, while experimental results show that roll mode is at 21 Hz. Powertrain roll
mode is shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11. Powertrain Roll Mode

22
The results on the powertrain rigid body modes and the kinetic energy distribution of all modes
are summarized in Table 3 and Figure 12. Figure 12 is a visualization of the results in Table 3
showing the rigid body modes and the kinetic energy of the modes. The size of the circles in
Figure 12 is an indicator of kinetic energy associated with the mode, the bigger the circle means
the contribution of the associated mode is high at that frequency.

Following remarks can be made from the results of Table 3 and Figure 12:
1. Pitch Frequency of 8,6Hz would be excited by 1st order engine excitation at idle
corresponding to 9 Hz.
2. Powertrain roll mode of 20,5 Hz, one of the most sensitive to powertrain idle vibration, is
close to the critical range of transmissibility. Shifting the roll mode to lower frequencies is
required to improve the vibration levels at the steering wheel. Roll mode acceptance criteria is
further discussed in Section 3.3.

Modes Fore-
Lateral Vertical Roll Pitch Yaw
Hz Aft
20,51 0,0 0,2 0,0 95,4 0,0 4,3
16,71 99,9 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0
11,90 0,0 0,2 98,5 0,0 0,1 1,2
11,65 0,0 16,4 1,4 4,3 0,0 77,9
8,57 0,0 0,0 0,1 0,0 99,9 0,0
8,33 0,0 83,2 0,0 0,2 0,0 16,6
Table 3. Powertrain Rigid Body Mode Kinetic Energy Distribution

YAW
PITCH
ROLL
VERTICAL
LATERAL
FORE-AFT

8.3Hz 8.6Hz 11.7Hz 11.9Hz 16.7Hz 20.5Hz

Figure 12. Powertrain Rigid Body Mode Coupling Matrix

3.3 Vibration Isolation

Roll mode of the powertrain should be over the critical range of generic transmissibility curve.
For vibration isolation, transmissibility T, should be less than unity in order to isolate the
vibrations. Since the ratio of the excitation frequency to the roll mode is 1,28 as calculated in
Equation (21), the transmissibility is greater than unity as shown in Figure 13.

F_main⁡firing⁡order
Froll
= 1,28 < √2⁡so⁡⁡T > 1.⁡⁡ (21)

23
The roll mode corresponding to T=1 is calculated as in Equation (22). Therefore, the roll mode
frequency should be lower than 19 Hz for vibration isolation.

Disturbing Frequency F_Main⁡Firing⁡Order 27Hz

Natural Frequency
= √2 F_Roll
= √2 ⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡F_roll = = 19⁡Hz (22)
√2

The original roll mode of 20,6 Hz violates the vibration isolation requirement. This means that
powertrain excitation is not isolated sufficiently and vibration is transmitted to the vehicle cabin
as shown in Figure 13.

Figure 13. Design Curves for the Transmissibility (T A) vs. the Frequency Ratio

4 Improvement and Optimization of Steering System Vibration

The basic principle to improve the vibration would be by decoupling the steering column mode of
steering system from idle combustion firing frequency with the structural design change on the
steering column. Considering the associated cost of the design change and time constraints, this
design direction has not been taken. However, changing the excitation frequency by increasing
idle combustion frequency is considered as a means of reducing the transmissibility ratio
indirectly. Results of the iterations on idle combustion frequency change are presented in Section
4.1.

Alternatively, design parameters of engine mounts such as the orientation, location and stiffness
of the engine mounts can be changed to improve of powertrain roll mode isolation. Softening the
engine mounts option has been considered only since the change of the location and orientation is
not practical in terms of program timing constraints. Results of the iterations on engine mount
stiffness are presented in Section 4.2.

4.1 Idle Combustion Frequency Change

Vehicle idle frequency is increased for effective separation of steering column mode from 3 rd
order engine idle combustion frequency in order to achieve desired roll mode separation. Figure
14 presents steering wheel vibration levels with respect to different engine idle speed. Increasing
idle speed increases the combustion forces. However, both steering system design criteria and roll
mode design criteria are satisfied. Therefore, overall vibration levels are improved. Figure 15
shows the correlation between the analytical model and test results related to the idle frequency
24
change. Even though the steering wheel vibration levels improve related to the 3 rd engine order
excitation, this design change is not considered effective since it degrades the fuel economy
attribute of the vehicle.

*RSS is root sum square of overall levels of all directions calculated from the overall RMS
values of X, Y & Z vibration
Figure 14. Idle Frequency Change and Steering Wheel Vibration

Figure 15. Idle Frequency Change and Steering Wheel Vibration CAE & Test Results

4.2 Powertrain Mount Stiffness Optimization

Powertrain mount stiffness rates have been softened in order to achieve roll mode frequency
criteria. Roll mode frequency has been reduced from 21 Hz to 19 Hz with the design change.
This provides transmissibility value to be equal to 1, which is the lowest allowable value for
isolation. Improvement of the roll mode is limited to the softening of the engine mounts. Further
reduction of lowering the engine mount stiffness may result in durability problems of the engine
mounts so the roll mode is set to 19 Hz. Powertrain rigid body modes and kinetic energy
distribution corresponding to the design with soft engine mounts are summarized in Table 4 and
Figure 16. Lowering the roll mode from 21 Hz to 19 Hz is expected to improve the idle vibration.
The following remarks from the results can be concluded:
1. The respective powertrain lateral and yaw mode overlap at 9.7 Hz, which is close to 1st
order excitation frequency (9Hz).
2. Yaw mode modal purity is below 60% and lateral mode modal purity is 34.5% at 9.7 Hz.
This coupling might deteriorate the imbalance caused vibration at idle and engine start-
up/shut-off vibration.

25
 Modes Fore-
Lateral Vertical Roll Pitch Yaw
Hz Aft
18,87 0,7 4,5 1,5 83,1 2,2 7,9
14,98 97,9 0,0 0,1 1,2 0,3 0,4
12,32 0,3 54,9 6,3 7,9 1,5 29,1
10,80 0,1 4,0 87,7 2,1 5,9 0,1
9,72 0,4 36,4 0,4 0,7 1,6 60,7
6,27 0,6 0,1 4,0 5,0 88,4 1,8
Table 4. Powertrain Rigid Body Mode Kinetic Energy Distribution

YAW

PITCH
ROLL

VERTICAL
LATERAL
FORE-AFT

6.3Hz 9.7Hz 10.8Hz 12.3Hz 15Hz 18.9Hz

Figure 16. Powertrain Rigid Body Mode Coupling Matrix

Design changes related to the engine mount stiffness are verified on a vehicle. Idle floor vibration
has been analyzed first. Figure 17 compares idle floor vibration levels between vehicles with
design level engine mount and optimized mounts with respect to roll mode criteria. Fast Fourier
Transformation (FFT) analysis shows that first order vibration level (9Hz) has deteriorated due to
the first order frequency of crank train. Engine 3rd order vibration levels (27 Hz) was improved.
First order vibration degradation is more critical than 3rd order improvement subjectively due to
the imbalances of powertrain system.

26
 *Green Curve: design level mounts Blue Curve: optimized mounts with respect to roll mode criteria
*Vertical axis in logarithmic scale
Figure 17. Idle Floor Vibration (X-Y-Z Directions)

Figure 18 shows the idle steering wheel vibration levels between vehicle with design level engine
mount and optimized engine mount configuration. Steering wheel vibration level has been
improved at 3rd order engine excitation (27 Hz) and at overall level effectively as a result of the
roll mode shift to lower frequencies.

*Green curve: design level mounts Blue curve: optimized mounts with respect to roll mode criteria
*Vertical axis in logarithmic scale
Figure 18. Steering Wheel Vibration (X-Y-Z Directions)

This design is considered infeasible since the 1st engine order excitation frequency coincides with
pitch model of the powertrain and results in floor vibration even though it improves the steering
wheel vibration at idle.

4.3 Mass Absorber Application on the Steering Wheel

As described in Section 3.1, steering column vertical mode frequency is 27,4 Hz and coupled
with 3rd order engine firing order frequency (27 Hz). Application of a mass absorber is considered
to modify the steering column mode as shown in Figure 19.

27
 Figure 19. Mass Absorber at Steering Hub

Mass absorber, optimized using the simulation model, is applied on the steering wheel hub to
separate the steering column mode from 3rd order engine firing order frequency. The correlation
of the results of the simulation and test is shown in Figure 20.

Figure 20. Idle Steering Wheel Vibration Levels

Figure 21 shows the vehicle level vibration improvement while vehicle is idling. It can be
observed that the amplitude of the vibrations at the 3rd order engine firing frequency (27Hz) is
improved by around 40%.

*Vertical axis is in logarithmic scale

Figure 21. Idle Steering Wheel Vibration FFT Analyses (X-Y-Z Directions)

28
5 Conclusion
This paper explains the methodology for improving steering wheel vibration by integrating
numerical, analytical and experimental studies. Integration of mathematical modeling
provides efficient way on the root cause analysis and determination of the optimum design
of steering wheel vibration issues. The root cause has been investigated by the re lationship
between source, body and chassis sensitivity and steering response.

Modal response of the steering wheel system has been analytically and experimentally
determined. The results point the weakness in the design since the steering column vertical
mode is close to the excitation frequency of the 3 rd order powertrain idle frequency.
Similarly, the design deficiencies in the placement of the powertrain rigid b ody modes are
identified using the analytical methods. The results show that roll mode acceptance criteria
is not satisfied and roll mode is in the critical transmissibility zone. These two concerns
show that powertrain contribution, body sensitivity to engine mounts and steering system
response should be variables for effective solution.

As illustrated in the case study, various design alternatives are considered to improve the
performance analytically since the high correlation between analytical result s compare very
well with the test results. Once optimized with analytical tools, design alternatives are
verified in vehicle level to make sure that the design targets are met. Advantages and
disadvantages of the design alternatives are discussed in the li ght of the simulation and test
results. Even though, the improvement of the powertrain idle vibration is achieved with the
design actions on the idle combustion frequency change (by changing idle speed), the
design change is not implemented due to deterioration on the fuel economy. Simulation
tools therefore are very powerful to make design optimization studies and to address the
trade-off between various attributes. Similarly, the power of simulation and test method has
been demonstrated with the engine mount stiffness optimization study. It has been shown
through simulation results that even though there is improvement on the steering wheel
vibration by softening the engine mounts, the design results in an increase in the floor
vibrations demonstrated with vehicle testing, and therefore not implemented. Finally, the
optimization of the mass absorber on the steering wheel has been performed to satisfy all
the vehicle target requirements using the analytical, numerical and testing methods
described throughout the paper. Significant improvement on the idle vibration is achieved
without affecting the other vehicle attributes by the application of optimum mass absorber
design. This proves the strength of the simulation and testing methods in the product
development cycle

It is concluded that the use of analytical and test methods to address the complex relation
between design parameters and powertrain idle response is effective to optimize the system
performance and evaluate the trade-offs in the vehicle design such as vibration performance
and weight. In order to make product development cycle shorter and less costly, the
capability of the simulation and test technologies should be continuously improved with
regard to replicating and identifying the engineering problems, and accuracy of the
methods to real world problems.

29
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