Optimization of the dynamic behavior of vehicle structures by means of passive interface controls

As a form of passive control, padding rubber layers onto the most heavily deformed zones of a system can improve the dynamic behavior and the acoustic comfort of a vehicle system. This paper proposes an extensive hybrid modal synthesis method in order to study coupled fluid-structure systems, in retaining a few degrees of freedom. Modal criteria, corresponding to noise transmission paths between substructures in the system, have been derived to characterize the dynamic phenomenon from a modal view. These criteria were then substituted by Kriging interpolation models to avoid prohibitive simulation steps during optimization of the complex system. Once the mathematical models of the investigated modal criteria were established and the multi-objective functions for rubber characteristics defined, an approximate optimal solution leading to superior dynamic performance could be obtained based on a genetic algorithm. The analytical results and numerical experiments conducted have also justified the efficiency of our proposed strategy.