Exhaust System Prototype Parts Tailpipe Noise Performance Variability 2015-36-0336

Exhaust system noise has significant impact on vehicle exterior and interior noise. In a vehicle development, during early design verification phase, the exhaust tailpipe orifice noise performance is measured and validated at the proving ground tracks using design intent prototype parts developed and delivered by supplier, following previously technical specifications agreements and specific package constrains and targets. At late design verification phase, new measurements are performed in production intent prototype parts, and the results achieved are compared with initial measurements made for design intent prototype parts - with conflicting results in some situations. This work presents a project where the scope is to identify opportunities to implement parts variability and robustness control in the current prototype building and assembling process of the exhaust system supplier, to ensure representative prototype parts in terms of tailpipe noise performance and also find opportunities to improve the current tailpipe noise measurement made at the proving ground tracks.