Numerical and experimental analysis of the vibroacoustic behavior of an electric window-lift gear motor

This paper focuses on the numerical analysis of the vibroacoustic behavior of an electric window-lift gear motor for automotive vehicle which consists of a DC motor and a worm gear. A dynamic modeling of the gear motor is proposed. The excitation sources correspond to radial electromagnetic forces applied to steel stator, electromagnetic input torque fluctuation, rotor mechanical imbalance, worm gear static transmission error and mesh stiffness fluctuations and gear wheel eccentricity. Parametric equations of motion are solved using an iterative spectral method. It allows the computing of the vibroacoustic response of the system, taking account of the interaction between the mesh stiffness fluctuation and the other excitations. The simulation results are validated from comparison with experimental vibroacoustic measurements performed with a specific test bench. Spectrograms of the dynamic response show components corresponding to the harmonics of the excitation spectra, as well as lateral components arising around the mesh frequency and the input torque fluctuation frequency. This spectral enrichment is generated by the interaction between the mesh stiffness fluctuation and the other excitations. The lateral components contribute little to the overall level of the vibroacoustic response, but they may have a significant impact on the quality of noise radiated directly by the gear motor or indirectly by its supporting structure. Finally, the weights of the different excitation sources to the spatial-average mean-square velocity of the radiating surface and the equivalent global dynamic force transmitted to the supporting structure are compared.