Experiences Tuning An Augmented Power Unit Sound System For Both Interior and Exterior of An Electric Car
Experiences Tuning An Augmented Power Unit Sound System For Both Interior and Exterior of An Electric Car
Experiences Tuning An Augmented Power Unit Sound System For Both Interior and Exterior of An Electric Car
Citation: Maunder, M., “Experiences Tuning an Augmented Power Unit Sound System for Both Interior and Exterior of an Electric Car,”
SAE Technical Paper 2018-01-1489, 2018, doi:10.4271/2018-01-1489.
Abstract
harmonic content can be enhanced and tuned to provide a
A
system for realistic augmentation of power unit sound variety of sonic timbres, reinforcing a wide range of brand
has been applied to an electric car. Augmented and product images, although flexibility is limited to an extent
interior sound has been shown to be a powerful due to the authentic sound source. Outside the car, a balance
enabler for the acceptance and appeal of electric cars. In some can be found between informing pedestrians effectively and
territories augmented exterior sound is a legal requirement, avoiding environmental noise pollution.
to provide a safe urban environment particularly for vision- A practical trial-and-error approach has been used to
impaired pedestrians. tune the gain map, filter parameters, and other controls. A set
An accelerometer located on the electric motor casing of simple tools was developed to support this, including input
provides a live-streamed signal from the power unit that and output data logging, spectral analysis with order cursors,
conveys authentic and genuine information. The sound’s level and simple slope and shape parameterization for the gain map.
and frequency content are modulated by acceleration demand These tools can be used in the vehicle, enabling quick and
and vehicle speed signals respectively, thus tapping into the interactive tuning of the system to meet interior and exterior
existing ‘language’ of car sound. Inside the car, this enriches sound requirements. Thus, a concise set of candidate sound
the dynamic driving experience during spirited driving, while schemes can be developed, to be presented to senior stake
retaining acoustic comfort under cruising. The sound’s holders for selection.
Introduction
be addressed in legislation in many territories in the
E
ngine sound has long been a key attribute in vehicle coming years [2, 3, 4]
design, providing emotional engagement and driver •• Non-powertrain noise sources (road and wind noise,
feedback, and conveying brand image and identity. ancillary noise) are more prominent due to lack of
Vehicles with electric drives are becoming increasingly masking noise from an internal combustion engine, and
common in the passenger car market. The International reduced acoustic insulation due to vehicle weight
Energy Agency predicts that electric vehicles will make up 7% reduction initiatives - these factors damage the
of all cars sold in major markets between 2016 and 2020, with acceptance of electric cars [5, 6, 7, 8]
more than 12 million vehicles in the stock by 2020 [1].
These electric cars can deliver strong and responsive •• Poor dynamic driving experience, lack of excitement and
vehicle performance, due to the high levels of torque delivered emotion, leading to a weaker brand image - these factors
damage the appeal of electric cars [9, 10, 11]
instantly and smoothly by an electric machine. However, with
engine sound absent from the in-cabin and exterior sound An electronic augmented sound system named Realistic
scape, electric cars naturally lack the acoustic feedback that Augmented Sound by Ricardo (RAS-R) [12, 13] was therefore
internal combustion engines provide. The opportunity to developed to meet the need for power unit sound in electric
convey a brand identity through sound is also missing. vehicles. The system has the following features:
The quietness of electric cars is very good for in-cabin
comfort and environmental noise pollution. However, there •• A vibration sensor attached to the case of the electric
are three key disadvantages: machine provides a live stream of authentic power unit
sound, rich in genuine information content
•• Potentially dangerous for pedestrians, particularly those (encompassing both magnetic forces and forces from the
that are visually impaired, and particularly at low vehicle motion of the driveline gear meshes)
speeds where tire noise is insignificant - this issue will
•• A rotary encoder measures the rotational speed of the paper comes mainly from a Nissan Leaf demonstrator car devel-
electric machine (the CAN-bus does not provide oped in a research program by the author and his team.
sufficiently finely time-resolved data)
•• An accelerator pedal sensor (alternatively this
information can be derived from the CAN-bus)
Sound Quality Targets
•• An analogue-to-digital converter
Sound quality can be defined as the degree of excellence of a
•• A processor unit
product’s sound in relation to customer expectations for the
•• A digital-to-analogue converter, an audio amplifier and a product and/or brand image.
set of loudspeakers, both inside the cabin and on the With regard to electric cars, it is fair to say that customer
exterior of the vehicle - a shaker attached to the body experience and thus expectations are immature and still in a
shell is an alternative transducer that can emit sound state of transitory development. There are few if any excellent-
inside the cabin sounding electric cars in the market, and thus it is difficult
for the target setting process to make use of existing bench-
In fact, this system is nearly identical to one developed for
marks. The definition of a sound quality target for electric
in-cabin powertrain sound in internal combustion-engined
cars (regardless of brand image) therefore both requires and
vehicles, differing only in the type and location of its sensor.
stimulates creativity.
The authors made a philosophical decision to use a sensor
It is reasonable to expect an electric car’s power unit
and to avoid sound synthesis as far as possible. The use of a
sound inside the cabin to be informative of its operating state,
sensor intrinsically converts the actual physical behaviors of
while also being pleasant and in some way desirable and
the electric machine into a sound signal - the sound is of the
attractive, maybe even exciting. Outside the car, information
motor. With synthetic sound, the human brain’s excellent
content is the priority. The base in-cabin sound of the Nissan
capacity for pattern recognition means that sooner or later,
Leaf (Figure 1) is certainly not unpleasant, but very little infor-
the percept of the synthetic sound can be separated from the
mation content can be understood easily by the driver, and
percept of the behavior of the electric machine. The synthetic
the sound scape is inoffensive rather than attractive.
sound is no longer of the motor, it therefore lacks authenticity,
Previous subjective evaluation exercises have yielded
and it no longer contributes to a genuine feedback between
further insights. There seems to be a negative connotation asso-
the car and the driver, becoming merely a purposeless noise.
ciated with existing electric modes of transport (such as light
The main advantages of the described electronic
rail). On the other hand, positive feelings are generated by
augmented sound system are therefore as follows:
sounds influenced by science fiction. Perhaps this is related to
•• Really enhances the dynamic driving experience, the view that electric cars are futuristic - a perception which will
boosting excitement and emotion, leading to a stronger undoubtedly change as electric vehicles become more common-
brand image, by tapping into the existing ‘language’ of place. As time progresses and experience develops, it is becoming
car sound - boosting the appeal of electric cars clearer that an electric car should sound as such, neither like an
•• Retains an authentic link to the power unit internal combustion engine nor a science fiction movie.
The objectives of the augmented sound tuning process
•• Balances acoustic comfort under cruising with sporty should be to deliver the defined sound quality target both
sound and driver feedback during more in-cabin and at the exterior of the vehicle. The tuneable
spirited driving augmented sound system can support the process of target
•• Tuneable to meet brand image requirements, in a quick definition as well as target delivery, by offering a range of
calibration process - the system can also help define
these brand image requirements by offering different FIGURE 1 Color map showing the unmodified in-cabin
drivable alternatives for selection sound of the Nissan Leaf, undergoing a real-world urban and
•• Practically cost-neutral compared to synthetic sound extra-urban drive cycle.
systems, because the necessary sensors are already
industrialized for automotive use
•• Low complexity - the same hardware can be used for all
vehicle variants and all types of power unit, and only the
calibration (and source sensor type) needs to change
•• Does not impact on pass-by noise legislated level -
exterior sound is generated at lower vehicle speeds than
those used in the pass-by noise test
•• Small and easy to package
© SAE International
differentiated sound scapes that are both practically achiev- broadband driveline clonk can be seen just after the accelera-
able and ready for subjective evaluation. tion demand drops at time 14 s, but this is at a much lower
level than the order content. Other locations were found to
contain greater levels of undesirable content.
Electric Machine Vibration As mentioned the levels of both magnetic and gear
harmonic excitation were load-dependent. That is, their level
tends to increase with electric machine torque output. This is
Surveys have been carried out of vibration at different loca-
desirable in terms of conveying information. Moreover, it was
tions and directions around electric machines and adjoining
discovered that the magnetic forcing associated with regenera-
driveline components. Vibration signals typically consist of
tive braking (negative torque) was also clearly audible but with
a combination of the following excitations:
a greater bias towards low frequencies - this characteristic
•• Magnetic forces - radial, slot harmonics, sound provided further information to the driver.
magnetic unbalance A small amount of magnetic and gear harmonic excita-
tion was present even at very low speeds and light loads,
•• Electronic switching harmonics
providing a sufficient source for providing intuitive informa-
•• Mechanical forces - unbalance, bearing forces, gear tion to pedestrians about the car’s operation.
meshing harmonics, gear rattle and torque reversal clonk The magnetic and gear harmonic content occurred at a
range of different motor orders not in a single harmonic series,
These excitations are then modified, transmitted and resulting in a good deal of harmonic richness and a distinctive
radiated through the dynamic resonant responses of the tonal quality, quite unlike that of an internal combustion engine.
shafts, bearing support structures, casings, mounting brackets
and ancillary components.
Different vibration measurement locations and directions
contain different proportions of the excitations and responses. Loudspeakers
Those elements that provide familiar information content are
the harmonics, both magnetic and gear meshing. These An independent loudspeaker system was applied in the Nissan
increase in frequency with increasing vehicle speed, and can Leaf and in other projects. Two small loudspeakers were
increase in level with increasing vehicle acceleration - both placed under and behind the dashboard inside the cabin, and
characteristics that are well understood by users of internal one weather-proof loudspeaker was placed under the nose of
combustion engines. Gear rattle and clonk and electronic the vehicle. The cabin loudspeakers, without direct line-of-
switching noises provide less familiar and useful information. sight to the driver’s and passengers’ ears, provided a spatially-
A sensor location on the electric machine case close to the end spread sound field that could not be specifically localized at
cap at the driveline end, in the radial direction, was found to moderate sound levels. The exterior loudspeaker, reflecting
offer a good level of harmonic excitation, without too much off the road surface, appeared to radiate sound from the
resonant amplification from cylindrical modes of the motor general location of the electric machine.
case, without too much gear rattle and clonk, and without too It is anticipated that production implementations will
much electronic excitation (Figure 2). A small amount of make use of the existing in-car entertainment loudspeakers.
However, this approach risks localization of the sound at the
loudspeakers, which can be detrimental to the perceived
FIGURE 2 Color map showing the electric machine authenticity of the augmented sound. To avoid this issue,
vibration at the chosen location on the Nissan Leaf, undergoing further work is planned using a shaker attached to the vehicle
a real-world urban and extra-urban drive cycle, together with body shell under the windscreen. This type of transducer and
motor speed and acceleration demand. location is already in production with major car makers.
Tuning Options
A range of different types of tuning option are available in the
described augmented sound system. This section defines each
of them and its practical uses.
A gain is applied to the signal to change its overall level,
according to a two-dimensional map based on both the rota-
tional speed of the electric machine and the acceleration
demand signal. This enables acoustic comfort to be main-
tained under cruising conditions and lower acceleration levels,
while sound level can increase at higher speeds and higher
© SAE International
frequency limit (high pass filter) of 150 Hz has been used. FIGURE 3 Color map showing the tuned, augmented
Sound at frequencies below this limit requires larger loud- in-cabin sound of the Nissan Leaf, undergoing a real-world
speakers and higher-powered amplifiers to reproduce, and the urban and extra-urban drive cycle.
typical acoustic environment inside a car’s cabin includes high
levels of masking noise in this frequency range from road
noise (when travelling at all but the lowest road speeds). A
high frequency limit (low pass filter) of 1000 Hz has been used.
Sound at frequencies above this limit tends to be harsh or
sharp sounding and can be unpleasant. The frequency range
150 to 1000 Hz is familiar to drivers of internal combustion
engined cars. This frequency range is also easy to reproduce
through small, cheap single-driver loudspeaker systems with
low-powered amplifiers.
© SAE International
Notch filters can be used to enhance or reduce the
strength of various frequency ranges. This type of filter is ideal
for counteracting the influences of physical resonances on the
shafts, bearing support structures, casings, and so on. When
using a shaker, resonances of the body shell structure can
be counteracted in the same way. In the Nissan Leaf example,
it proved beneficial to counteract one such resonance, with a oscillating, out-of-phase delay applied. The mixture of these
relatively tight width in the frequency domain. Notch filters three signals is spread around the stereo sound field. This effect
are also useful to boost desirable frequencies - for example in reduces the impression of directionality in which the augmented
the Leaf a broad band from 200 to 600 Hz was given emphasis sound can appear to emanate specifically from the loudspeakers.
as it was found to make the overall sound more pleasant. Such After application and optimization of all these tuning
filters are tuned ‘by ear’ - a series of frequency ranges is options, the augmented in-cabin sound of the Nissan Leaf is
boosted or cut, and those changes that subjectively benefit the shown in Figure 3.
overall sound are retained. This kind of technique is common- Other effects were trialed in an attempt to further broaden
place in the world of music recording. the harmonic content of the signal. These included a mild
Order tracking filters are similar to the notch filters non-linear distortion, frequency modulation, and a pitch-
described above, except that the center frequency is propor- shifting algorithm. The frequency modulation effect gave a
tional to the rotational speed of the electric machine. It is futuristic and dynamically changing tonal quality that was
typical to use a narrow width of order tracking filter in order quite pleasant. However, ultimately none of these effects were
to isolate and control the level of a specific harmonic. These used - they seemed to detract more than they added to the
filters can exert powerful control over the harmonic balance desired authentic sound quality.
present in the augmented sound. In the Leaf example, the The tuning options described above apply equally inside
approach was to equalize the levels of the magnetic and gear the cabin and to the exterior sound of an electric car. However,
whine orders present in the sensor signal, such that no partic- an electric machine produces no vibration when it is not
ular orders dominated the sound. 20 different filters were used turning. This is problematic for pedestrian safety, since pedes-
to achieve this, in the range 2.6 to 32 times the rotational trians would like to know that a car is switched on and ready
frequency of the electric machine. Five of these boosted the to move before it pulls away. Some sound is therefore necessary
strength of an order, and the remaining 15 cut the strength even at zero speed. Under these specific circumstances, sound
of an order. The result was a balanced, harmonically rich tonal synthesis is necessary. In order to keep the sound as authentic
structure that gave a distinctive character to the augmented as possible, this sound was constituted from a looped recording
sound. Alternative arrangements can completely modify the of low speed driving.
tonal character of the sound. Another noteworthy operating condition requiring
A load tracking filter was newly developed, that gave an specific treatment is launch from zero speed. Electric machines
effect reminiscent of the load dependency characteristics of produce specific vibration characteristics under these circum-
the internal combustion engine. At light load (small acceler- stances, particularly under high torque conditions such as hill
ator pedal depression) the filter acts as a straightforward starts. It is desirable for those characteristics to be transmitted
low-pass filter. As accelerator pedal depression increases, the to the cabin and exterior as part of sound augmentation.
filter’s cut-off frequency increases, and an increasingly sharp However, the order tracking filters described above can cause
resonance is introduced just below the cut-off frequency. This problems at very low rotational speeds. Because the center
gives a sharper, louder sound under higher accelerations, and frequency of an order tracking filter is proportional to the
a darker, quieter sound under cruising, deceleration and rotational speed of the electric machine, as the speed
regenerative braking. This filter was strongly inspired by the approaches zero so too does the center frequency. The
‘wah wah’ guitar effect invented by sound engineer Brad re-calculation of filter coefficients becomes numerically
Plunkett in 1966 and made famous by, among others, Jimi unstable, resulting in erroneous filter output that can
Hendrix in the song Voodoo Child (Slight Return) [14]. be extremely loud and unpleasant. Therefore, these conditions
A mild ‘chorus’ effect was finally applied - the signal is need to be identified and avoided so that the natural vibration
repeated three times, and two of the repeats have a slowly information content can be transmitted appropriately.
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Tools to Support Tuning FIGURE 5 Two-dimensional gain map vs. rotational speed
(vertical axis) and acceleration demand (horizontal axis).
© SAE International
studies and objective spectral analysis. A tool was developed
using MathWorks Matlab to perform the spectral analysis and
plot results versus both time and frequency. Standard zoom tools
are available to focus on specific time or frequency ranges.
Standard cursors allow reading of time, frequency and sound
level in numerical format. Specifically developed order cursors
(taking into account the rotational speed signal) facilitate devel-
opment of order tracking filters. These tools empower engineers
to develop the fixed frequency and order tracking notch filter FIGURE 6 Speed dependency shape at zero
parameters as effectively as possible. acceleration demand.
The two-dimensional gain map vs. rotational speed and
acceleration demand was defined using Microsoft Excel. Areas
of the map associated with urban driving, extra-urban
cruising and motorway cruising were identified. The map
(Figure 5) was populated with reference to seven controlling
parameters, which controlled the shapes of the map at zero
acceleration demand (Figure 6), the additional shape at 100%
acceleration demand (Figure 7), and the shape of the map
between those two limits (Figure 8).
© SAE International
© SAE International
FIGURE 8 Load dependency shape between zero and These driving modes have differing sound requirements,
100% acceleration demand. including blending between the internal combustion engine’s
intake manifold pressure sensor and the electric motor’s
casing vibration sensor. It therefore makes sense to calibrate
the augmented sound system in each of the driving modes.
The augmented sound system allows for switching between
sound calibrations according to driving mode selected by
the driver.
Approach to Decision
© SAE International
Making
The tools above can be used to optimize tuning parameters
to generate a range of satisfactory augmented power unit
sounds. Typically, this work is performed in a hands-on
FIGURE 9 Load tracking filter design tool.
driving session at a test track, involving engineering personnel
from the car maker so that the brand requirements can
be considered appropriately.
Subsequently, a concise set of carefully-chosen candidate
sound schemes can be presented to senior stake holders for
final selection.
Conclusions
A system for realistic augmented of vehicle interior sound has
been developed and applied to several different types of
vehicle. For electric cars, an accelerometer located on the
electric motor casing provides a live-streamed signal from the
power unit. This signal’s harmonic content is enhanced, and
© SAE International
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