A Study on Noise Reduction of a Fan DC Motor in a Vehicle using FEM

The DC motor in a vehicle may cause noise and vibration because of high speed revolution, which can make a driver feel uncomfortable. There have been various studies attempting to solve these problems, focusing mostly on the causes of and ways to reduce noise and vibration. It is suggested that the noise in a DC motor may be primarily due to interaction between a brush and a commutator. Brush noise, the most common noise in a DC motor, results from a brush bounced from the surface of the commutator, fluctuation of the friction between the brush and the commutator, and the impact on the brush when passing over slots of the commutator. Based on the noise test, one of the most important design parameters was shown to be the roundness of the commutator. As the DC motor is used, the roundness of the commutator gets bigger with subsequent increase of the level of brush noise and vibration. There must be a threshold in order to prevent the brush noise from getting worse. Using the method of CAE is more efficient than the real test for purposes of looking for various design parameters to maintain the roundness of the commutator. In this study, the design process to reduce the brush noise is presented with the use of a computer model. The design parameters to reduce the brush noise and vibration are proposed by using FEM. The design parameters are used to reduce the noise and vibration of a DC motor and it is verified with the test results on a fan DC motor in a vehicle. This method may be applicable to various DC motor.

유한 요소법을 이용한 차량용 팬 DC 모터 소음 저감에 관한 연구