Vibration-based Finite Element Model Updating of a Car Seat Frame Using Experimental Modal Parameters

Car seats have a vital role in safety and riding comfort. Therefore, the automotive industry is always focusing on improving the design of the seats. Numerical modeling and analysis of the car seat are necessary to predict its behavior and redesign it to improve the performance. The vibrations can be transmitted through the seats to the occupants, and they may bring riding discomfort. Therefore, vibration modeling of the car seat is of great importance. In this research, the finite element (FE) method is used to study the vibrations of the car seat frame and extract its modal parameters. The Young’s modulus and the density of different parts of the frame are defined as the design parameters. Their optimum values are then obtained by minimizing the difference between the experimental and numerical natural frequencies. The results indicate that the updated FE model of the frame matches well with the experimental model.

Keywords:

Car Seat Frame , Vibration , Modal Analysis , Model Updating.