Numerical Analysis and Optimization of the Front Window Visor for Vehicle Wind Buffeting Noise Reduction Based on Zonal SAS k-ε Method

Numerical investigations were conducted to determine the effectiveness of the front window visor for wind buffeting noise reduction. An unsteady flow simulation was carried out using a zonal Scale Adaptive Simulation (SAS) k-ε turbulence model. Firstly, the accuracy of the simulation method was validated based on a benchmark problem. The benchmark results, frequency, and sound pressure levels of feedback and resonance modes all matched well with the experimental data. The effect of the front window on the buffeting noise reduction was numerically investigated based on three different front side window openings. The analysis focused on the suppression effect of the front window visor. The results show that the front window visor changed the A-pillar vortex shedding trajectory and thus reduced the driver’s ear pressure fluctuation. On this basis, an optimization algorithm was employed to optimize the shape of the front window visor. The main design goal was to decrease the sound pressure level (SPL) values of the driver’s left ear. Simulation results showed that the monitoring point’s SPL of buffeting noise after the visor optimization was reduced by 12.6%, compared with that of the original visor.