Test system for acoustic noise replication by hybrid simulation

Abstract

A system and method for use with a test machine (10) having an actuator (22) for applying a load or displacement to a test specimen (13) includes a sensor (18, 24) operably coupled to the test specimen (13) to sense motion or force and provide a sensor output signal (48A, 48B). A signal transformation processing circuit (54) coupled to receive the sensor output signals (48A, 48B) and configured to provide an output signal (56) related to audible and / or inaudible acoustic domains of the test specimen (13) and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen (13). And an output device (62, 64) coupled to receive an output signal (56) related to the audible and / or inaudible acoustic domain and to present information related to vibrations generated by the test specimen (13) and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen (13).

Description

Background Art

[0001] The following discussion is provided for general background information only and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0002] Within vehicle testing, there's a subfield known as noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH). NVH studies the undesirable effects on vehicle occupants in the form of mechanical vibrations, acoustic noise, and harsh impacts. These noises can originate from the road, ambient airflow, the engine, motor mounts, and shock absorbers, among other sources. In the case of shock absorbers (also known as dampers), for example, acoustic noise can be further subdivided into those arising directly from impact, such as squeaking due to friction, or what's commonly referred to as "whooshing" noise (typically from oil flow within the damper). Another type of damper-generated noise is structure-borne noise, which begins with mechanical vibrations within the vibrating mass itself. These structural vibrations then propagate from the damper body to the damper rod and then toward the upper shock absorber mount. Near the coupling between the damper rod and the chassis' structural mass (or potentially at some distance), these mechanical vibrations transform into acoustic noise.

[0003] For example, in the field of damper NVH testing, the airborne noise emitted directly from shock absorbers is well understood and can be easily replicated and identified in a damper load frame through laboratory component testing. Testing involves measuring the acoustic noise with a microphone and training the damper body with a series of displacement waveforms known to highlight acoustic noise emissions. However, in the field of NVH damper testing, the structure-borne noise path, commonly referred to as "rattle," is more difficult to replicate and identify in the laboratory on a component test load frame. There are several reasons for this. One primary reason is that the load frame introduces interference, which contaminates the measurement results. Furthermore, typical damper test measurements are low-frequency (<50 Hz), while for this particular NVH test, higher-frequency measurements are required due to the higher frequency content of the rattle (>100 Hz). However, another reason is that the true impedance of the surrounding structure coupled to the damper rod is not adequately replicated in the load frame simulation. Furthermore, the data measured from vibration tests (acceleration and force), for example, for damper fatigue testing purposes, do not directly represent the desired acoustic phenomena. More specifically, it is desirable to identify the source and presence of acoustic noise, which is typically audible but may be inaudible in some cases, and fatigue testing and measurements do not target this phenomenon.

[0004] A testing machine is desired that can replicate such acoustic noise phenomena (such as, but not limited to, "rattles") from test coupons and components coupled thereto, which noises may be audible and / or inaudible, for purposes of subjective investigation and / or quantitative analysis. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form, which will be further explained in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to describe the key features, essential features, or all features of the present invention. Additionally, the description and claimed subject matter provided herein should not be construed as intended to address any shortcomings discussed in the background technology.

[0006] A system of one or more computers may be configured to perform specific operations or actions by installing software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof on the system, which, when in operation, causes the system to perform those actions. One or more computer programs may be configured to perform specific operations or actions by including instructions that, when executed by a data processing device, cause the device to perform those actions.

[0007] A system and method for use with a testing machine having an actuator for applying a load or displacement to a test specimen, the system and method comprising: a sensor operably coupled to the test specimen to sense motion or force and provide a sensor output signal; a signal conversion processing circuit coupled to receive the sensor output signal and configured to provide an output signal related to an audible and / or inaudible acoustic domain of the test specimen and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen; and an output device coupled to receive the output signal related to the audible and / or inaudible acoustic domain and present information related to vibrations generated by the test specimen and the virtual component coupled to the test specimen.

[0008] Another aspect is a method, wherein obtaining a signal transformation processing relationship may include: obtaining a finite element analysis model of a test specimen and a component coupled to the test specimen, and performing a harmonic analysis on the finite element analysis model to obtain the signal transformation processing relationship. Obtaining the signal transformation processing relationship may include: obtaining a finite element analysis model of the test specimen and a component coupled to the test specimen, and performing a virtual transfer path analysis on the finite element analysis model to obtain the signal transformation processing relationship. Obtaining the signal transformation processing relationship may also include: constructing the test specimen and a component coupled to the test specimen, moving the test specimen and / or applying a force to the test specimen, measuring vibrations of the test specimen and / or a component coupled to the test specimen, and performing a transfer path analysis using the measured vibrations to obtain the signal transformation processing relationship. Implementations of the described technology may include hardware, methods or processes, or computer software on a computer-accessible medium.

[0009] On the other hand, a test system is provided, comprising: a base; at least one pair of posts connected to the base; and a transverse head connected to the posts at a position spaced apart from the base. At least one pair of sample holders is provided, and the at least one pair of sample holders includes: a first sample holder supported by the transverse head and facing the base, and a second sample holder supported by the base, the base being the portion connected to each post closest to the transverse head. An actuator is connected in series between one of the sample holders and the corresponding base or transverse head. The system also includes a sensor operably coupled to a test sample to sense motion and / or force and provide a sensor output signal. A signal conversion processing circuit is coupled to receive the sensor output signal and is configured to provide an output signal related to the audible and / or inaudible acoustic field of the test sample and a virtual component coupled to the test sample. The output device is coupled to receive output signals related to the audible and / or inaudible acoustic domain and present information related to vibrations generated by the test specimen and the virtual component coupled to the test specimen. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the actions of these methods.

[0010] Implementations of the foregoing aspects may include one or more of the following features. The output device may include a speaker to provide noise that is typically subjective to the user, or additionally or alternatively, the output device may include a module for visually presenting the output signal. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the signal conversion processing circuit may include an analog circuit system and / or a processor coupled to a memory, the memory being configured to store values ​​indicative of the sensor output signal and to store instructions that are configured to process the stored values ​​and generate an output signal associated with the acoustic domain of the test specimen and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen. The processor and instructions may include a digital filter. The output signal may be generated substantially in real time with the sensor output signal, or may be generated non-real time relative to receipt of the sensor output signal. Implementations of the described technology may include hardware, methods or processes, or computer software on a computer-accessible medium. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a side view of the test machine.

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a process control loop used to control the operation of a testing machine.

[0013] Figure 3 is a block diagram depicting certain components of a computing device.

[0014] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the processing of sensor(s) signals from a test machine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary testing machine 10 for applying force or motion to a test specimen 13 (such as, but not limited to, a damper, shock absorber, motor mount, etc.) is shown. The testing machine includes a frame 11 having a base 12, a pair of columns 14 extending upward from the base 12, and a transverse head 16 coupled to the columns 14 at a location spaced apart from the base 12. At least one pair of specimen holders 20A and 20B is provided. A first specimen holder 20A is supported by the transverse head 16 and extends toward the base 12. A second specimen holder 20B is supported by the base 12 and extends toward the transverse head 16. It should be noted that the base 12 is the portion of the testing machine 10 that is coupled to each column 14 and is closest to the transverse head 16.

[0016] The actuator 22 is connected in series between one of the specimen holders 20A, 20B and the corresponding base 12 or transverse head 16. Figure 1In the embodiment shown in FIG, a first specimen holder 20A is connected to a force transducer 24 supported by the transverse head 16, while a second specimen holder 20B is coupled to an actuator 22 in the base 12. It should be noted that in FIG. Figure 2 In another embodiment shown in , the actuator 22 is positioned in the transverse head 16 , while the force transducer 24 is attached to the base 12 .

[0017] The control system described below controls the operation of actuator 22 based on the desired test profile to be applied to test specimen 13. The desired force and / or motion is applied to test specimen 13 while feedback is provided from a suitable sensor (e.g., force transducer 24 as shown herein and / or a motion sensor such as a displacement sensor, velocity sensor, or accelerometer 28). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the aforementioned motion sensors can be used with appropriate processing to obtain the desired parameter indicative of motion (typically acceleration), but this should not be considered limiting. In the illustrated embodiment, accelerometer 28 is typically coupled to one end of test specimen 13 for convenience, but this arrangement or positioning should not be considered limiting.

[0018] The actuator 22 is typically an electromagnetic linear actuator, that is, the actuator 22 should be able to move and apply force with high fidelity. A suitable actuator is described in U.S. Published Patent Application 20210108998 (Serial No. 17 / 069,498), filed on October 13, 2020, entitled "ELECTRIC ACUATOR," and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, but the specific configuration should not be considered required in all applications. While electric actuators are well suited for the tests described here, servo-hydraulic actuators may also be suitable, depending on the test specimen and the desired acoustic information, and therefore, may also be used if desired.

[0019] It is further desired that the loading frame 11 does not obstruct the acoustic information to be obtained and, therefore, should be sufficiently rigid so as not to enhance or diminish the desired acoustic information to be obtained. U.S. published patent application 20210215587, serial number 17 / 148,267, filed on January 13, 2021, and entitled "TESTING SYSTEM WITH COLUMN BRACE," describes additional supports for a testing machine to increase rigidity and may be used if desired, and the entire contents of that application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0020] Figure 3The control system for the testing machine 10 is shown and generally includes a computing device 21, a system controller 23, and a servo controller 26. The computing device 21 allows a user to interact with and / or control the testing machine 10, while the system controller 23 controls the servo controller 26 based on the test being performed. The servo controller 26 provides actuator command signals 19 to a controlled device 25 (e.g., a servo valve, a servo drive, a power controller) to operate an actuator 22 (located in the transverse head 16 in this embodiment), which in turn excites the test specimen 13. It should be noted that the controller 26 and the controlled device 25 have a design suitable for the type of actuator being controlled. Suitable feedback 15A can be provided to the controller 26 from the actuator 22 or from other sensors. One or more remote transducers (e.g., displacement sensors, strain gauges, accelerometers, load cells, thermometers, microphones, cameras, etc.) on the test specimen 13 and / or the actuator 22 and / or the specimen supports 20A, 20B and / or the support frame 11, etc., provide a measured or actual response 21B. In the exemplary embodiment, the load sensor 24 also provides a response 21A. The system controller 23 may also receive an actual response 21B as feedback in response to the drive signal 17 as an input to the servo controller 26. Figure 2 In the diagram, signal 17 is the reference signal, signal 19 is the manipulated variable (command to the actuator), and signal 15A is the feedback variable. Figure 2 While illustrated for a single-channel case, a multi-channel embodiment in which signal 15A includes N feedback components and signal 19 includes M manipulated variable components is also possible and is considered another embodiment of the present invention. Typically, the types of loads that may be applied to or act on test specimen 13 include tension, compression, and / or torsion in one or more degrees of freedom, applied individually or simultaneously (usually via separate actuators). Test specimen 13 may also or alternatively undergo controlled displacement in one or more degrees of freedom, applied individually or simultaneously.

[0021] Computing device 21 , system controller 23 , and controller 26 may each be implemented on digital and / or analog computers or circuitry. Figure 3The following and related discussions provide a brief overview of a suitable computing environment in which the computing device 21, system controller 23, and controller 26 can each be implemented. The computing device 21, system controller 23, and controller 26 can be implemented, at least in part, in the general context of computer-executable instructions (such as program modules) executed by the computer 31. Generally speaking, program modules include routine programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. Those skilled in the art can implement the following description and / or block diagrams into computer-executable instructions that can be stored on a computer-readable medium. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented using other computer system configurations, including multi-processor systems, networked personal computers, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Various aspects of the present invention can also be implemented in distributed computing environments, where tasks are performed by remote processing devices linked via a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules can be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

[0022] Figure 3 The computer 31 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a conventional computer having a central processing unit (CPU) 27, memory 33, and a system bus 35 that couples various system components, including memory 33, to CPU 27. System bus 35 can be any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. Memory 33 includes read-only memory (ROM) and random-access memory (RAM). The central processing unit or processor 27 is coupled to the memory and is configured to store values ​​indicative of sensor output signals and to store instructions configured to process the stored values ​​and generate output signals related to the acoustic domain of the test specimen and virtual components coupled to the test specimen. A basic input / output (BIOS) program, containing basic routines that help transfer information between components within computer 31, such as during startup, is stored in ROM. A storage device 37, such as a hard disk, floppy disk drive, or optical drive, is coupled to system bus 35 and used to store programs and data. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that other types of computer-readable media accessible by a computer, such as magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, random access memories, read-only memories, etc., may also be used as storage devices. Typically, the program is loaded into the memory 33 from at least one storage device 37 with or without accompanying data.

[0023] Input devices such as a keyboard 41 and a pointing device (mouse) 43 allow a user to provide commands to computer 31. A monitor 45 or other type of output device is further connected to system bus 35 via a suitable interface and provides feedback to the user. If monitor 45 is a touch screen, pointing device 43 may be integrated with it. Monitor 45 and a typical input pointing device 43 (such as a mouse) together with corresponding software drivers form a graphical user interface (GUI) 47 for computer 31, which is particularly useful for various aspects described below.

[0024] Interface 49 on each of computing device 9 and system controller 23 allows communication between computing device 9 and system controller 23. Similarly, interface 49 on each of system controller 23 and controller 26 allows communication between system controller 23 and controller 26. Interface 49 also represents circuitry for sending signals 19 or receiving signals 15 as described above, as well as other parameters of the physical system (such as the status of locks, doors, indicators, whether power is applied, etc.). Typically, this circuitry includes digital-to-analog (D / A) and analog-to-digital (A / D) converters, as are known in the art. Controller 26 may also include analog controllers with or without digital supervision, as are known in the art. The functionality of computing device 21, system controller 23, and controller 26 may be combined into a single computer system. In another computing environment, controller 26 is a single-board computer operating on the network bus of another computer, which may be controller 23 or another supervisory computer. Figure 3 The schematic diagrams are intended to generally represent computers for these and other suitable computing environments.

[0025] Figure 4is a block diagram illustrating the processing of sensor signal(s) 48A, 48B from a testing machine 10 applying a load or displacement to a test specimen 13 to present information in the audible and / or inaudible acoustic domain and related to vibrations generated by the test specimen 13 and virtual components (not shown) coupled thereto. Generally speaking, sensors such as load cells 24 or accelerometers 18, depicted herein by way of example (although other types of sensors, such as velocity or displacement, may be used as described above), provide sensor output signals indicative of force 48A or motion 48B. As shown, sensed force 48A may be used as the process signal. Alternatively, if motion 48B is provided (such as that sensed by accelerometer 18), the motion may be processed directly or converted to a corresponding force by an acceleration / force conversion module 50 using, for example, a model based on equations between force and acceleration or using an empirically based lookup table. Since higher frequency components are generally most desirable, a suitable high pass filter 52 may be used to remove any low frequency components in the signals 48A and / or 48B that may be undesirable.

[0026] The sensor(s) signals 48A, 48B are provided to a signal conversion processing circuit or module 54, which is configured to provide an output signal 56 related to the audible and / or inaudible acoustic domain of the test specimen and virtual components coupled to the test specimen but not present on the test machine 10. For example, in a damper used on a vehicle, a flexible member present near the upper shock mount can act as an acoustic speaker driven by the damper rod's force-applying function. One aspect of the present invention is to address the mechanical impedance mismatch between the test specimen 13 and its virtual components (such as the upper shock mount and surrounding flexible member) and to directly convert these vibrations into the acoustic noise (sound pressure) expected to be generated in a real vehicle body. The mechanical vibration response of the upper shock mount and surrounding structure can be quite complex in terms of its mechanical impedance characteristics; however, these coupled components, which significantly contribute to the generated acoustic noise, can be modeled (as shown at 58), for example, using current state-of-the-art FEA (finite element analysis). In one embodiment, the impedance can be modeled and characterized, for example, by generating convolution information, such as a frequency response function, using the signal transformation processing circuit or module 54. This can be achieved through FEA harmonic response analysis 60 of the FEA model 58, and the FEA model 58 can then be represented by a reduced-order state-space model between finite input and output locations used by the signal transformation processing circuit or module 54.

[0027] There are two exemplary approaches for converting the response of the specimen 13 (e.g., the damper rod response, or the physical damper rod and physical upper elastic shock mount included in the physical specimen setup) into the resulting noise emission from the virtual speaker (the coupled virtual component). One approach uses the forces measured at the specimen 13 (e.g., the damper rod and physical upper elastic shock mount included in the physical specimen setup) as the input excitation for the virtual component; the other approach uses the measured acceleration of the damper rod and physical upper elastic shock mount included in the physical specimen setup as the input excitation for the virtual component. The first approach (force input) is potentially more straightforward and simpler. In the case of a damper (but also with other specimens), the upper shock mount region typically consists of an elastic isolator mounted to the metal vehicle body structure (where the elastic isolator can be represented as part of the virtual representation or included as part of the physical specimen). Through FEA analysis, the resulting mechanical motion of this upper mount region derived from the input force function can be generated through harmonic modal analysis.

[0028] In terms of inputs to the FEA model, force excitations are typically introduced at the actuator locations. Displacement, acceleration, and force outputs are then measured at various locations, which helps determine transmissibility. Dynamic stiffness is often measured on a "standard" or actual test specimen. Acceleration compensation is sometimes required. These can all be modeled using harmonic FEA analysis. While harmonic analysis is often used to predict the response to different discrete sinusoidal input excitations, this frequency-by-frequency response can be more generally used to study the system's response to any input, sinusoidal or non-sinusoidal. This sinusoidal discrete frequency data is the information needed to create a frequency-domain transfer function, or alternatively, it may be transformed in other forms as noted herein.

[0029] This harmonic modal analysis can generate a frequency response function for the motion (displacement or acceleration) output for the force input. This frequency response function can be approximated using fitting techniques to a reduced-order continuous transfer function of reasonable magnitude for the frequencies of interest. This continuous transfer function can be transformed into an equivalent discrete transfer function and then implemented as a digital filter that can be applied to the signal in real time (i.e., as the specimen is actuated by actuator 22). This digital filter then represents the forced response (dynamic response) of the virtual component acting as a virtual loudspeaker.

[0030] The forces 48B measured by the high-bandwidth force transducer 24 on the physical loading frame 11 can be fed into the model of the virtual speaker in the signal conversion processing circuit or module 54 (via convolution with a digital filter). The resulting output signal 56 can then, if desired, be sent to the physical speaker 64 so that anyone can hear the simulated noise emanating from the vehicle body in real time. Preferably, the physical speaker 64 should be of high fidelity so as not to introduce its own dynamic characteristics into the simulation. This provides a real-time subjective assessment of the acoustic properties of the physical specimen 13 in the loading frame 11 when coupled to a virtual component (such as an upper shock mount assembly) from any specific vehicle platform used in the FEA model 58. Thus, the test machine 10 with the signal processing described herein can help identify which specific load or displacement profiles (e.g., from the road) generate unwanted noise and help identify potential sources of noise within the specimen's physical and / or virtual components.

[0031] In the case of dampers, for example, the presence or absence of acoustic noise (i.e., rattle) is significantly affected by the upper shock mount and the vehicle body's structural impedance. For example, the presence of rattle cannot be determined solely by a physical test specimen (i.e., the damper, or damper and upper mount). Only the virtually modeled coupling system (i.e., the test specimens such as the damper, upper shock mount, and vehicle body's structural impedance) can accurately reproduce rattle. Furthermore, this virtual representation approach allows for very rapid evaluation of different upper coupling assemblies and / or virtual coupling components with varying physical or material properties using a real test specimen (e.g., the damper described as an example).

[0032] It is important to note that the forces transmitted through the test specimen 13 (e.g., a damper rod) may be influenced to some extent by the coupling between the (virtual or physical) upper shock mount and the surrounding (virtual) body structure. Note that, where practical, portions of the body structure may also be included in the physical specimen. Most of the coupling behavior depends on the most elastic component in the coupling system, typically the elastomeric component. In the case of certain test specimens (e.g., dampers), the majority of the acoustic signature is expected to come from the surrounding virtual metallic coupled flexible body components. Therefore, it is advantageous that the true elastic components on the test specimen or virtual elastic components in the modeling case should match relatively closely the true elastic dynamic stiffness components present in the system being modeled; however, even if the dynamic stiffness deviates by, for example, a factor of two or less, the virtual component acting as a loudspeaker should still replicate the noise.

[0033] As an alternative or in addition to sending the resulting output signal 56 from the signal conversion processing circuit or module 54 to the speaker 64, the output signal 56 can also be provided to the sound processing module 62 to calculate the resulting pressure fluctuations (and therefore the sound pressure level) associated with the output signal 56. This estimated sound pressure level can then be used as a more objective test of the permissible emitted noise, and the resulting data from this test can be presented to the user in any convenient hard copy or data format, on a computer-readable medium (such as a spreadsheet or table), and / or on a suitable monitor. For example, these estimated sound pressure levels can be filtered using conventional weighting methods and converted to 1 / 3 octave bands. If desired, the user can configure the pass / fail criteria that can be used, for example, by assigning an overall dBA acceptable level or an acceptable dBA level for one or more selected octave bands. These levels can be processed by the sound processing module 62 and then presented to the user. This specification illustrates the use of 1 / 3 octave bands as the most commonly used by acoustic engineers, but time domain traces, power spectra, or other frequency domain representations can also be used.

[0034] It is worth noting that in yet another method for converting measured acceleration into acoustic noise, the inverse forced response of the test specimen is used in the simulation chain. In this method, the measured acceleration is first filtered by the signal conversion processing module 54 as a digital filter, which represents the inverse forced response, and then multiplied by the force response of the virtual speaker. The resulting signal is then played at the physical speaker 64 or provided to the sound processing module 62.

[0035] At this point, it should be noted that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to real-time processing, i.e., generating output signal 56 substantially in real time with the load and / or displacement of test specimen 13 provided by signals 48A and / or 48B. In other words, the processing of signal conversion processing circuitry or module 54 can be performed in non-real time, such as after the force and displacement of test specimen 13 have ended, based on stored data indicative of signals 48A and / or 48B. Similarly, signal conversion processing circuitry or module 54 need not process data to generate output signal 56 capable of generating acoustic noise in a manner perceptible to humans, but rather to generate additional information that is not necessarily perceptible to humans.

[0036] Finally, the concepts presented herein should not be limited to FEA modeling and subsequent harmonic analysis. Specifically, modeling and analysis can take other forms, such as, but not limited to, transfer path analysis. Transfer path analysis can be based on virtually modeled components or empirically based on measurements taken from actual components, with the measurement data used to help create the virtually modeled system or to derive convolution information or relationships, such as an FRF (frequency response function) or perhaps some other transform used by the signal transform processing circuit or module 54. Figure 4In the example of FIG. 7 , the processing module 60 may include a transfer path analysis of the FEA model. Alternatively, an actual test specimen and coupled component (herein, a vehicle component is used as an example) are used and passed through the instrument to obtain vibration measurements at 70 . If desired, a vibrator or the like can be attached to the actual component and actuated to obtain vibration measurements (typically force and / or acceleration), or such measurements can be obtained from actual field data of the test specimen and coupled component. The vibration measurements are then empirically analyzed at 72 to obtain a transfer function (or some other transform) for use in the signal transformation processing circuit or module 54 . Transfer path analysis is well known and is described in a 2018 white paper, “Transfer Path Analysis,” by Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0037] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to specific environments, structural features, and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not limited to the environments, specific features, or acts described above as a court has determined. Rather, the environments, specific features, and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A system for use with a testing machine having an actuator for applying a load or displacement to a test specimen, the system comprising: a sensor operatively coupled to the test specimen to sense motion or force and provide a sensor output signal; a signal conversion processing circuit coupled to receive the sensor output signal and configured to provide an output signal related to an audible and / or inaudible acoustic domain of a test specimen and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen; as well as An output device is coupled to receive the output signal associated with the audible and / or inaudible acoustic domain and present information related to vibrations generated by the test specimen and the virtual component coupled to the test specimen.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein: The output device includes a speaker.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein: The output device comprises means for visually presenting the output signal.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein: The output device includes a speaker.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein: The signal conversion processing circuit includes an analog circuit system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein: The signal transformation processing circuit includes a processor coupled to a memory, the memory configured to store values ​​indicative of the sensor output signal and to store instructions configured to process the stored values ​​and generate the output signal related to the acoustic domain of a test specimen and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein: The processor and instructions include a digital filter.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein: The output signal is generated substantially in real time with the sensor output signal.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein: The output signal is generated in non-real time relative to receipt of the sensor output signal.

10. A method of generating audible and inaudible information in an acoustic domain associated with a test specimen and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen, the method comprising: obtaining a signal transformation processing relationship for a test specimen and a component coupled to the test specimen, the signal transformation processing relationship relating movement or force of the test specimen to audible and / or inaudible vibrations generated by the test specimen and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen due to the movement of the test specimen and / or the force applied to the test specimen; mounting the test specimen in a testing machine having an actuator configured to move the test specimen and / or apply a force to the test specimen; sensing at least one of motion of the test specimen and / or force applied to the test specimen and obtaining a sensor output signal; applying the sensor output signal to the signal transformation processing relationship of a test specimen and a component coupled to the test specimen; obtaining, from the signal transform processing relational signal, an output signal related to an acoustic domain of a test specimen and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen; as well as The output signal is applied to an output device and presents information related to the audible and / or inaudible vibrations produced by the test specimen and the virtual component coupled to the test specimen.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: Obtaining the signal conversion processing relationship includes: obtaining a finite element analysis model of the test specimen and the component coupled to the test specimen; and A harmonic analysis is performed on the finite element analysis model to obtain the signal conversion processing relationship.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein: Obtaining the signal conversion processing relationship includes: obtaining a finite element analysis model of the test specimen and the component coupled to the test specimen; and A virtual transfer path analysis is performed on the finite element analysis model to obtain the signal conversion processing relationship.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein: Obtaining the signal conversion processing relationship includes: constructing the test coupon and the component coupled to the test coupon; moving the test specimen and / or applying a force to the test specimen; measuring vibrations of the test specimen and / or the component coupled to the test specimen; and A transfer path analysis is performed using the measured vibration to obtain the signal conversion processing relationship.

14. A testing system comprising: base; at least one pair of posts coupled to the base; a transverse head coupled to the post at a location spaced from the base; at least one pair of specimen holders, wherein a first specimen holder is supported by the lateral head and faces the base, and a second specimen holder is supported by the base, the base being attached to that portion of each post that is closest to the lateral head; an actuator connected in series between one of the specimen holders and the corresponding base or lateral head; a sensor operatively coupled to the test specimen to sense motion or force and provide a sensor output signal; a signal conversion processing circuit coupled to receive the sensor output signal and configured to provide an output signal related to the audible and / or inaudible acoustic domain of a test specimen and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen; and An output device is coupled to receive the output signal associated with the audible and / or inaudible acoustic domain and present information related to vibrations generated by the test specimen and the virtual component coupled to the test specimen.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein: The output device includes a speaker.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein: The output device comprises means for visually presenting the output signal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein: The output device includes a speaker.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein: The signal conversion processing circuit includes an analog circuit system.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein: The signal transformation processing circuit includes a processor coupled to a memory, the memory configured to store values ​​indicative of the sensor output signal and to store instructions configured to process the stored values ​​and generate the output signal related to the acoustic domain of a test specimen and a virtual component coupled to the test specimen.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein: The output signal is generated substantially in real time with the sensor output signal.

Images