Method and apparatus for damping vehicle noise
A vehicle having a chassis with a body and a drive train disposed on the chassis is disclosed. The drive train includes a metal housing having a void and a damping element disposed within the void. Also disclosed is a controller for damping vehicle noise that includes a processing circuit for executing instructions for: receiving a signal representative of a sensed vibration at a metal housing of the vehicle; in response to the sensed vibration, generating a control signal to activate a camping element disposed at a void within the metal housing; and causing the damping element to change in such a manner as to change the damping characteristics at the void of the metal housing.
1 . A vehicle, comprising:
a chassis;
a body disposed on the chassis; and
a drive train disposed on the chassis, the drive train comprising a metal housing having a void and a damping element disposed within the void.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the metal housing comprises a plurality of voids each have a damping element disposed therein.
3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the drive train comprises an engine that comprises the metal housing, the metal housing defining an engine block.
4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the damping element comprises a passive damping element made from a material comprising epoxy, rubber, polymer foam, liquid metal, metallic foam, phase- change material, a negative Poisson's ratio, or any combination comprising at least one of the foregoing materials.
5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the damping element comprises an active damping element.
6 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein:
the active damping element comprises a magnetorheological fluid device, an electrorheological fluid device, an electro-active polymer device, a solenoid device, a piezoelectric device, a shape memory alloy device, or any combination comprising at least one of the foregoing devices.
7 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the active damping element comprises a magnetorheological (MR) fluid device having a magnetic field generator in field communication with a MR fluid, and further comprising:
a controller in signal communication with the field generator;
a sensor in signal communication with the controller and disposed to sense a vibration at the metal housing;
wherein in response to a sensed vibration at the metal housing the controller initiates a signal directed to the field generator to change the magnetic field at the MR fluid thereby changing the damping characteristics at the void of the metal housing.
8 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the active damping element comprises solenoid device having a coil in field communication with an armature, and further comprising:
a controller in signal communication with the coil;
a sensor in signal communication with the controller and disposed to sense a vibration at the metal housing;
wherein in response to a sensed vibration at the metal housing the controller initiates a signal directed to the coil such that the armature exerts a force on a surface within the void thereby changing the damping characteristics at the void of the metal housing.
9 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the active damping element comprises a piezoelectric device, and further comprising:
a controller in signal communication with the piezoelectric device;
a sensor in signal communication with the controller and disposed to sense a vibration at the metal housing;
wherein in response to a sensed vibration at the metal housing the controller initiates a signal directed to the piezoelectric device so as to cause the piezoelectric device to vibrate in a manner that is counterproductive to the sensed vibration thereby changing the damping characteristics at the void of the metal housing.
10 . An engine block for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing having a void; and
a damping element disposed within the void.
11 . The engine block of claim 10 , wherein:
the damping element comprises a passive damping element made from a material comprising epoxy, rubber, polymer foam, liquid metal, metallic foam, phase-change material, a negative Poisson's ratio, or any combination comprising at least one of the foregoing materials.
12 . The engine block of claim 10 , wherein:
the damping element comprises a magnetorheological fluid device, an electrorheological fluid device, an electro-active polymer device, a solenoid device, a piezoelectric device, a shape memory alloy device, or any combination comprising at least one of the foregoing active damping element devices.
13 . A method of damping vehicle noise, comprising:
sensing a vibration at an engine of the vehicle;
in response to the sensed vibration, generating a control signal to activate a damping element disposed at a void within the engine; and
in response to the control signal, causing the damping element to change in such a manner as to change the damping characteristics at the void of the engine.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
causing the damping element to exert a force on a surface at the void that is counterproductive to the sensed vibration.
15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
causing the damping element to vibrate in a manner counterproductive to the sensed vibration.
16 . A controller for damping vehicle noise, comprising:
a processing circuit; and
a storage medium, readable by the processing circuit, storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for:
receiving a signal representative of a sensed vibration at a metal housing of the vehicle;
in response to the sensed vibration, generating a control signal to activate a damping element disposed at a void within the metal housing; and
causing the damping element to change in such a manner as to change the damping characteristics at the void of the metal housing.