Advancements and trends in vehicle sound package for noise control: A comprehensive review

Vehicle sound package system plays a critical role in determining vehicle’s noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance. With the advent of new energy vehicles, novel acoustic challenges arise in the absence of the masking effect provided by engine noise. The need for more efficient sound package is an important topic for both automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and academic researchers. Despite the wealth of research on the sound package, a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art has been lacking. This review aims to fill this gap by providing a concise and up-to-date overview of the various noise sources and transmission paths, functions, materials, components, and study approaches involved in the vehicle sound package technology. Vehicle sound package is fundamental in controlling the engine noise, road noise, and wind noise inside the vehicle, with functions that include sound absorption, sound insulation, damping, and sealing. To optimize these functions, an assortment of materials have been employed, from conventional options like foam and fiber to more innovative solutions like plastic and rubber, as well as functional materials and multilayer composites. To enhance vehicle sound package performance, both experimental and numerical methods, such as finite element analysis (FEA) and statistical energy analysis (SEA), artificial intelligence (AI)-driven optimization are employed in academic research, while the industrial development process often involves a more intricate and practical approach. This review also makes some recommendations for future research work in this area. It is expected that this review will provide useful information for further development of vehicle sound package technology.