Method to Improve Powertrain Reliability through Vibration Durability Profile Implementation

This paper presents a method for generating an accelerated vibration driving profile to evaluate the vibration durability of an automotive powertrain system. A key challenge in vibration durability testing is developing a vibration profile in a laboratory environment that accurately reproduces the vibration damage severity and characteristics observed under real-world conditions, taking into account the harsh operating environment of the vehicle. The optimal mounting positions for accelerometers on the target components are determined by analyzing the vibration transfer functions at candidate positions for 3-axis vibration measurements, each corresponding to a different channel. The optimal combination of road profiles was identified by comparing on-road data with special road data and analyzing sensitivity, pattern similarity, and correlations for each vibration channel. Furthermore, an optimization algorithm was applied to minimize errors in fatigue damage estimation and reduce the test duration, leading to the derivation of an optimal accelerated durability test mode. Through a comparative analysis of on-road data and special road data with iterative control to minimize errors, the vibration durability severity error rate was maintained within acceptable limits.