Abstract: The object of the invention is to customize the properties of the drive assembly of motor vehicles comprising an intake system, an exhaust system, and/or an internal combustion engine. For this purpose, the mechanical properties of a serial drive assembly, the engine parameters efficiency and rotational torque, and the acoustics of the serial intake and/or exhaust system are stored in a database in an initial step. Furthermore, the construction features of the serial drive assembly that can be customized are stored in the database with their variation parameters and limitations. After varying at least one construction feature, the modifications of the engine parameters resulting therefrom are calculated and stored as a parameter difference. Likewise, the resulting changes of the acoustic features are calculated and stored as sound difference. Thereafter, the original values of the serial drive assembly are overwritten with the difference values and reproduced acoustically.

Abstract: A method for monitoring functional components of a motor vehicle is provided. To this end, microphones, pulsation sensors, strain gauges and a speed sensor are positioned on or next to one of the functional components to be monitored. The electrical signals of the microphones, pulsation sensors, strain gauges, and speed sensor are measured, analyzed by means of Fourier analysis and compared with an acoustic signature.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided, on an intake side of which intake manifold pipes are provided and on an exhaust side, exhaust manifold pipes. The intake manifold pipes and the exhaust manifold pipes are connected gas-tight via an acoustically permeable membrane.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to customize the properties of the drive assembly of motor vehicles comprising an intake system, an exhaust system, and/or an internal combustion engine. For this purpose, the mechanical properties of a serial drive assembly, the engine parameters efficiency and rotational torque, and the acoustics of the serial intake and/or exhaust system are stored in a database in an initial step. Furthermore, the construction features of the serial drive assembly that can be customized are stored in the database with their variation parameters and limitations. After varying at least one construction feature, the modifications of the engine parameters resulting therefrom are calculated and stored as a parameter difference. Likewise, the resulting changes of the acoustic features are calculated and stored as sound difference. Thereafter, the original values of the serial drive assembly are overwritten with the difference values and reproduced acoustically.

Abstract: A method of managing advanced engineering activities is provided. First, customer requirements are collected from a plurality of customers. Next, a plurality of projects tailored to satisfy the customer requirements are proposed. Then, internal capabilities are compared with the customer requirements for each proposed project. A gap is defined for each proposed project as the difference between the customer requirements and the internal capabilities. Finally, each proposed project is scored to determine which proposed projects to activate.

Abstract: A muffler has a housing provided with irregularly arranged ridges computed by an FEM computer program. The ridges are regularly bounded, simple geometric figures, such as circles, circular rings, circular ring segments, rectangles or trapezoids. The size and position of the ridges are selected in such a way that the lowest resonance frequency of the muffler housing is greater than or equal to the dominant excitation frequency of the internal combustion engine over its entire rpm range.