We were honored to have Ricardo De Alba Alvarez from Ford Motor Company present at the 2026 SIMULIA Americas Users Conference in Novi, Michigan, May 13-14, 2026.

Abstract: 

Interior noise in vehicles affects passenger comfort and perceived quality.  At higher vehicle speeds windnoise is often one of the dominant contributors to interior noise.  In order to model interior windnoise it is necessary to describe both the unsteady pressure fluctuations on the exterior of the vehicle along with the transmission paths to the vehicle interior.  The level of detail that is required to describe the paths can be application dependent.  For many paths it is possible to use the templated models in PowerACOUSTICS together with PowerFLOW in order to describe transmission.  Such models are often well suited for quick predictions and when limited information is available about certain paths.  However, in some instances it is useful to created more detailed models by using wave6 together with PowerFLOW.  This paper discusses work carried out by Ford and Dassault Systèmes to look at ways to add more detail to certain paths.  Various examples will be discussed including path contributions through a stiff quarter glass, diagnosing transmission paths through door and glass seals using wave6 network diagrams and the influence of local interior A and B pillar geometry on interior noise.

Presenter: 

Ricardo De Alba Alvarez

Technical Specialist - Ford Motor Company

Ricardo de Alba Alvarez, based in Detroit, Michigan, United States, is currently a CAE Process Lead at Ford Motor Company, bringing experience from previous roles at Blachford Acoustics Group and Gissing North America, LLC. Ricardo de Alba Alvarez holds a 2007 - 2011 Ph.D. in Sound and Vibration, (Structural Dynamics) at the University of Southampton. With a robust skill set that includes Structural Dynamics, Vibration, NVH, Modal Analysis, Finite Element Analysis and more, Ricardo de Alba Alvarez contributes valuable insights to the industry.