Acoustics

In the IPETRONIK climate acoustic chamber, typical load cases for the HVAC system of a vehicle can be set as ambient conditions – temperatures of -20 °C to +50 °C, a relative humidity of 20 % to 70 %, as well as a radiant heat of up to 1200 W/m2 as a simulation of the sun. This way, the HVAC system can be operated in a customer-specific way in order to realistically evaluate the cooling and heating capacity or the noise behavior.

When testing the noise behavior of a vehicle or subsystem that might need to be optimized, the IPETRONIK acoustics team equips the complete functional chain with sensors. This way, all relevant influencing variables of possible sources and transfer paths can be identified and improved for subsequent setups and tests.

IPETRONIK development services cover all stages and problems – from complete vehicle testing to unit or component testing on appropriate test benches. If necessary, IPETRONIK also installs subsystems to test the unit in its structural and functional environment.

Ventilation plays a vital role for all noise components in vehicle cooling and heating. On the one hand, airflow components may cause or emit a significant amount of noise themselves. On the other hand, they may also drown out other possible operating noises.

Fast-charging electric vehicles can cause significant waste heat that the refrigeration circuit of the vehicle needs to counteract. The resulting operating noise may partly be subject to the Technical Instructions on Noise Protection (TA Lärm) and thus call for specific testing in vehicle development. For this reason, one of IPETRONIK’s vehicle acoustic chambers includes a 350 kW charging station so that the possible noise emission can be measured in addition to charging capacity and efficiency.

During our long years of experience in vehicle HVAC development, IPETRONIK has formed many trusting partnerships. Countless projects have already benefited from our good and cooperative collaboration with customers and partners. If necessary or desired, IPETRONIK is always ready to partner up for specific projects to achieve a common goal.

To assess novelties and well-proven concepts, IPETRONIK regularly runs benchmark tests evaluating the performance and acoustic behavior of refrigeration circuit components and complete vehicles. Many component developers and vehicle OEMs rely on tests like these for strategic technological decisions.

Since modern electric drives are significantly quieter than traditional combustion engines, they no longer drown out the noise of auxiliary units. To counter that, the requirement specifications often demand the decoupling of e.g. the climate compressor. Thanks to many projects realized for various customers, IPETRONIK possesses extensive experience in all the typical development steps, including concept, simulation, testing, as well as the successful start of production.

As a development service, the acoustic simulation at IPETRONIK is closely intertwined with practical testing and the complete test bench operation, thereby creating a highly efficient synergy between virtual and test-based development. This well-proven combination helps our customers achieve their goals regarding function, time, and costs.