Simulation of acoustical properties of technical systems using a network-based sound-server

Today, the development of new industrial products is often a time-consuming and costintensive process. Therefore, the demand for novel methods, which help to make product development more efficient, is increasing. In this regard virtual engineering can open up new possibilities. For instance, the simulation of product properties and the interactive presentation in a Virtual Reality (VR) environment allow verifying and discussing product requirements at an early stage of the development process. The focus of this paper is on acoustical reproduction of virtual sound sources via a real-time capable, network-based sound-server. A main task of the sound-server is to reproduce the state-dependent properties of different sound sources. For this purpose the sound propagation chain of each sound source has to be reproduced. The transmission of both structure-borne noise and airborne noise has to be considered. The developed methods are explained in the paper using an automotive example. The aim of the example application is to simulate a car passing test (according to DIN ISO 362) in a VR environment. For this purpose the auditory impression along a virtual test track is recreated. Different sound sources which cause the sound of the car (for example the wheels, the engine and the exhaust system) are described by digital filters. The filters are based on measurements carried out beforehand on an acoustical roller test bench.