UNDERSTAND SOUNDS. CONTROL VIBRATIONS. OPTIMIZE SOUND QUALITY.
The demands placed on modern HVAC systems are constantly increasing. In addition to energy efficiency and performance, noise levels, vibration behavior, and perceived sound quality are becoming increasingly important. Whether it’s heat pumps, air conditioning systems, ventilation units, chillers, or their core components – manufacturers face the challenge of understanding acoustic properties early in the development process and optimizing them in a targeted manner.
HEAD acoustics supports companies throughout the entire development chain, from component development to the complete system. With a comprehensive portfolio of NVH analyses, structural dynamics, Transfer Path Analysis (TPA), psychoacoustics, and Engineering Services, we help identify the causes of noise and vibration, clarify transfer paths, and optimize products in terms of sound quality and acoustics.
Complex HVAC systems consist of numerous interacting components. To effectively address acoustic issues, sound and vibration sources must be clearly identified, and their behavior must be analyzed under various operating conditions.
HEAD acoustics’ NVH solutions like the frontends HEADlab II and SQuadriga III, as well as the software platform ArtemiS SUITE provide the necessary data foundation to reliably identify root causes and implement targeted optimization measures.
The objective evaluation of noise emissions is an essential part of the development of modern HVAC systems. Sound power measurements – for example, using a sound intensity probe (in accordance with ISO 9614-1–3) or a hemisphere for sound pressure level measurements (in accordance with ISO 3744–3747) – are supported by our software and provide reliable and reproducible parameters for comparing products, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and evaluating optimization measures.
In combination with sound source localization, HEAD acoustics makes sound emissions visible and identifies which components or areas of a system contribute significantly to noise generation. With the HEAD VISOR acoustic camera, sound sources can be precisely localized in no time at all using beamforming algorithms. This allows for the targeted identification of optimization potential, supports development decisions, and enables the efficient refinement of products.
Not all sound radiation originates directly from a vibration source. Mechanical vibrations propagate through components such as housing structures and influence the overall acoustic behavior of a system. Using structural dynamics analyses – such as Operational Deflection Shape (ODS) analysis and Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) – in combination with AI-supported workflows and Transfer Path Analysis (TPA), HEAD acoustics makes these relationships visible and helps developers identify the most effective optimization measures.
By describing excitation sources using blocked forces and correlating test results with simulations, HEAD acoustics lays the foundation for model-based development processes. Virtual models are validated using real measurement data and can then be used to evaluate design variants, optimize transfer paths, and validate development decisions.
Compliance with noise limits alone does not determine perceived product quality. Tonal noise, roughness, or impulsive sound components significantly influence the acceptance of an HVAC system.
Our ArtemiS SUITE software includes all relevant psychoacoustic parameters and standards, enabling you to numerically simulate your customers’ perception of sound and thus evaluate it reliably.
With HEAD acoustics’ psychoacoustic analyses, you can describe and interpret the acoustics of your products from a human perspective and easily develop the sound characteristics you desire.
Complex development projects often require additional expertise or specialized measurement technology. Our engineering services support you every step of the way – from test planning, through execution and analysis, to the interpretation of results.
Building on this, we derive concrete optimization measures and sound quality engineering – flexibly, collaboratively, and tailored to your development processes.
COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTIONS FOR HVAC ACOUSTICS
HEAD acoustics combines measurement systems, analysis software, and engineering services for the acoustic development of HVAC systems. From individual components to the complete system, we support the entire process of capturing, analyzing, evaluating, and optimizing noise and vibration.
Analyze and optimize compressor, fan, flow, and structure-borne noise under changing operating conditions.
Evaluate and optimize noise emissions, tonal noise, and vibro-acoustic interactions.
Investigate fan, flow, and housing noise and how it is transmitted.
Characterize components early, compare variants, and optimize in a targeted manner.
Relevant Products
