Noise control of thermal components in a hybrid electric vehicle

1. A method for implementing noise control for a vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying sources of noise in the vehicle, via a computer processor, the sources of noise indicative of vehicle noise producing components and include a thermal management device of a hybrid-electric component of the vehicle and non-hybrid-electric components of the vehicle;

determining a decibel value of the noise produced by each of the sources of noise;

selecting, via the computer processor, the decibel value of one of the vehicle noise producing components having a highest decibel value as a mask limit;

determining an operational limit for the thermal management device, the operational limit including a lowest threshold operating value which, when implemented, maintains a threshold level operating efficiency of the hybrid-electric component;

determining a decibel value associated with the operational limit;

if a decibel value of the noise produced by the thermal management device exceeds the mask limit, reducing a level of operation of the thermal management device to coincide with the decibel value of the operational limit; and

if the decibel value of the noise produced by the thermal management device is lower than or meets the mask limit, maintaining a current level of operation of the thermal management device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermal management device includes at least one of a fan, a pump, and a blower.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle noise producing components include a powertrain, a crankshaft, and at least one of:

a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system;

a cooling fan; and

a stereo system.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

generating a model including decibel values of noise produced by the vehicle noise producing components with respect to a plurality of vehicle operating conditions, the vehicle operating conditions including an engine speed, a vehicle speed, and at least one of:

operating settings of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system;

operating settings of the cooling fan.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the model reflects the decibel values produced by the non-hybrid-electric components based on a driving scenario, the driving scenario including at least one of idle, autostop, and a selected vehicle speed measured in miles per hour.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sources of noise further include:

a stereo system in the vehicle;

vehicle occupant communications; and

vehicles that are proximally located with respect to the vehicle;

wherein the non-hybrid-electric components further include at least one microphone disposed in the vehicle, the at least one microphone monitoring the sources of noise.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

for a given one of the vehicle noise producing components, determining the mask limit as a function of a location in the vehicle for which the noise is perceived by its occupants.

8. A system for implementing noise control for a vehicle, comprising:

a computer processor integrated with the vehicle; and

logic executable by the computer processor, the logic is configured to implement a method, the method includes:

identifying sources of noise in the vehicle, the sources of noise indicative of vehicle noise producing components and include a thermal management device of a hybrid-electric component of the vehicle and non-hybrid-electric components of the vehicle;

determining a decibel value of the noise produced by each of the sources of noise;

selecting the decibel value of one of the vehicle noise producing components having a highest decibel value as a mask limit;

determining an operational limit for the thermal management device, the operational limit including a lowest threshold operating value which, when implemented, maintains a threshold level operating efficiency of the hybrid-electric component;

determining a decibel value associated with the operational limit;

if a decibel value of the noise produced by the thermal management device exceeds the mask limit, reducing a level of operation of the thermal management device to coincide with the decibel value of the operational limit; and

if the decibel value of the noise produced by the thermal management device is lower than or meets the mask limit, maintaining a current level of operation of the thermal management device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the thermal management device includes at least one of a fan, a pump, and a blower.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle noise producing components include a powertrain, a crankshaft, and at least one of:

a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system;

a cooling fan; and

a stereo system.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:

generating a model including decibel values of noise produced by the vehicle noise producing components with respect to a plurality of vehicle operating conditions, the vehicle operating conditions including an engine speed, a vehicle speed, and at least one of:

operating settings of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system;

operating settings of the cooling fan.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the model reflects the decibel values produced by the non-hybrid-electric components based on a driving scenario, the driving scenario including at least one of idle, autostop, and a selected vehicle speed measured in miles per hour.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sources of noise further include:

a stereo system in the vehicle;

vehicle occupant communications; and

vehicles that are proximally located with respect to the vehicle;

wherein the non-hybrid-electric components further include at least one microphone disposed in the vehicle, the at least one microphone monitoring the sources of noise.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:

for a given one of the vehicle noise producing components, determining the mask limit as a function of a location in the vehicle for which the noise is perceived by its occupants.

15. A computer program product for implementing noise control for a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

identifying sources of noise in the vehicle, the sources of noise indicative of vehicle noise producing components and include a thermal management device of a hybrid-electric component of the vehicle and non-hybrid-electric components of the vehicle;

determining a decibel value of the noise produced by each of the sources of noise;

selecting the decibel value of one of the vehicle noise producing components having a highest decibel value as a mask limit;

determining an operational limit for the thermal management device, the operational limit including a lowest threshold operating value which, when implemented, maintains a threshold level operating efficiency of the hybrid-electric component;

determining a decibel value associated with the operational limit;

if a decibel value of the noise produced by the thermal management device exceeds the mask limit, reducing a level of operation of the thermal management device to coincide with the decibel value of the operational limit; and

if the decibel value of the noise produced by the thermal management device is lower than or meets the mask limit, maintaining a current level of operation of the thermal management device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the thermal management device includes at least one of a fan, a pump, and a blower.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the vehicle noise producing components include a powertrain, a crankshaft, and at least one of:

a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system;

a cooling fan; and

a stereo system.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

generating a model including decibel values of noise produced by the vehicle noise producing components with respect to a plurality of vehicle operating conditions, the vehicle operating conditions including an engine speed, a vehicle speed, and at least one of:

operating settings of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system;

operating settings of the cooling fan.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the model reflects the decibel values produced by the non-hybrid-electric components based on a driving scenario, the driving scenario including at least one of idle, autostop, and a selected vehicle speed measured in miles per hour.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the sources of noise further include:

a stereo system in the vehicle;

vehicle occupant communications; and

vehicles that are proximally located with respect to the vehicle;

wherein the non-hybrid-electric components further include at least one microphone disposed in the vehicle, the at least one microphone monitoring the sources of noise.