Ricardo upgrades anechoic test facility

Ricardo has upgraded its Vehicle Anechoic Test Facility (VATF) at the Shoreham Technical Centre to expand the range of vehicles that can be tested.

Commissioned in 1993, the UK facility enables vehicles to be tested for their noise and vibration performance in a controlled environment, with full motoring and absorbtion using an integrated rolling road chassis dynamometer.

In the upgrade, just completed, the VATF has been installed with a new 344 kW chassis dynamometer, expanding the range of vehicles that can be tested.

The system has been comprehensively upgraded with full transient and enhanced steady-state capabilities, allowing new drive cycles and control with road load simulation. 

Also, the original anechoic cell ‘wedges’ have been stripped out and replaced with Metadyne wedges that are more durable and conform to the latest international standards.

“Vehicle refinement has never been more important than it is today,” commented Simon Tate, Ricardo's NVH manager. “The major international markets are facing unprecedented future requirements to make vehicles quieter in terms of exterior noise, while automakers are also perceiving the importance of creating the ‘right’ noise signature as a crucial driver for future sales. This is not just for niche, high performance vehicles, but is increasingly the case for mainstream products aimed at differing local and regional international market tastes, and especially so for alternative powertrain vehicles such as plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.