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· Project Title: Radiated Driveshaft Noise Characterization and Reduction

· Sponsor: Visteon, Inc.

· Faculty Sponsor: Dr. John Lamancusa

· Date: December 12^th, 2003

Project Summary:

Quiet Technologies, Inc. is a Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Team from Penn State University. The team is working in conjunction with Visteon, Inc., an automotive component supplier located in Dearborn, Michigan. Visteon requests the noise characterization and reduction of the VN127 driveshaft used in the Ford Econoline / F-series trucks. The driveshaft induces an unacceptable amount of NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) on the vehicle occupants. The ultimate goal was to reduce the noise level radiated from the driveshaft by at least 30%.

Different methods to reduce noise and vibration in the shaft were studied. The first step was mapping the noise and vibration in the unmodified driveshaft. The most dominant frequencies and mode shapes along the driveshaft were identified using an accelerometer and a computer. Four different design solutions were explored. A series of acoustical and vibrational tests were conducted on each design solution. The results of each test were compared with the baseline driveshaft. The final design solution was selected based on noise reduction performance as well as other considerations such as cost, weight, etc.

The design team:

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail any member of our team:

Jessica Bicks

Email: jnb145@psu.edu

Matthew Breese

Email: meb247@psu.edu

Stephen Holmes

Email: sjh207@psu.edu

James Golinsky

Email: jag363@psu.edu

If you have any further questions about Visteon, you can email our contact person, Yohannes Haile at:

yhaile@visteon.com

You can also contact Dr. John Lamancusa at:

jsl3@psu.edu