PREDICTION AND ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL NOISE FROM A U-BEAM USING THE FE-SEA HYBRID METHOD

With urban rail transit noise becoming an increasingly serious issue, accurate and quick analysis of the low to medium frequency spectral characteristics of this noise has become important. Based on the FE-SEA (Finite Element - Statistical Energy Analysis) hybrid method, a vibration prediction model of a U-beam was established using a frequency-dividing strategy. The frequency domain and spatial characteristics of the vibration and structural noise of the U-beam within the 1.25-500 Hz frequency range, when subjected to vertical wheel-rail interaction forces, were analyzed. Compared with other methods described in the literature, the proposed FE-SEA hybrid method improves the calculation efficiency while ensuring better accuracy for a wide frequency range of structural noise and vibration. It was found that the excitation frequencies of the wheel-rail force dominate the spectra of the vibration and structural noise of the U-beam. Therefore, the frequency band containing the excitation frequencies should be the target for noise and vibration reduction when implementing strategies. The results show that the bottom plate contributes the most to the sound pressure level at all prediction points, and therefore should be the focus for noise and vibration reduction.