%0 Conference Paper %A Walsh, Stephen %A Kumar, G. %A Krylov, Victor V. %D 2012 %T Numerical modelling techniques to optimise automotive-type panels for reduced sound radiation %U https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/conference_contribution/Numerical_modelling_techniques_to_optimise_automotive-type_panels_for_reduced_sound_radiation/9220721 %2 https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/ndownloader/files/16797974 %K untagged %K Engineering not elsewhere classified %X Numerical predictions are becoming ever more important in automotive development when analysing the Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) performances of vehicles. In the low- to midfrequency range, vibro-acoustic predictions are generally performed using the finite element method (FEM) and/or boundary element method (BEM). In this paper, a numerical optimisation technique is described that aims at reducing the sound radiation from automotive-type panels over the frequency range of interest. The objective function, i.e. the radiated acoustic power, is calculated with a quadratic equation in terms of surface velocities. The genetic algorithm (GA) based optimisation aims to minimise the value of the objective function by modifying the normaldirection (Z-direction in an X-Y plane) of a few nodes of the finite element model of the panel, thereby imposing a geometrical change in the panel. The equation of an ellipsoid is used to smooth out the discontinuity after the change in the nodal coordinates and, hence, dome-shaped indentations are obtained. The resulting panel designs are analysed, both numerically and experimentally to support the approach presented. %I Loughborough University