Method guideline for the simulative and experimental determination of bearing transfer functions up to the acoustically relevant frequency range

 

Starting Situation

The increasing relevance of acoustics, which is driven, among other things, by legislation in the form of stricter limit values, can be observed in almost all industries. One machine component that acts as a link between rotating components and the surrounding structure and influences the structure-borne sound transmission behaviour is the bearing arrangement. More and more complex simulation models are being used to predict dynamic system behavior. A prognosis of the acoustic behaviour of a system therefore requires valid modelling which describes the radiation behaviour up to the acoustically relevant frequency range with sufficient accuracy. In addition to the lack of knowledge of the validity ranges of simplified calculation approaches, the calculation engineer lacks instructions for bearing modelling, which enable a well-founded selection of the necessary modelling method depending on the expected result quality and taking into account the application-specific boundary and operating conditions.

Research Objective

The aim of the research project is the development of a method guideline for the simulative and experimental determination of bearing transfer functions up to the acoustically relevant frequency range. The acoustically relevant frequency range is understood to be the range < 5 kHz, since the human auditory system has the highest sensitivity in the frequency range 2 kHz - 5 kHz. The IMSE and the WZL of RWTH Aachen University are involved as research institutes. The experimental and simulative investigations are summarized in a method guideline, so that the required modelling depth can be selected for different applications. In the last step, the method guideline is applied to a case study of a single-stage spur gear.