Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols 494-495 (2014) pp 63-67 Online: 2014-02-06

© (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.494-495.63

Wind-induced vibration of the rear-view mirrors of car at high speed

Chengchen Xionga, Haoyan Chenb and Zhou Fanc

Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Automotive Components, Wuhan University of
Technology, Wuhan 430070, China;
a
cexochen1988@163.com, btylerchan@126.com, cfanzhou97@gmail.com

Key words: rear-view mirror, vibration, theoretical analysis, simulation

Abstract. Rear-view mirrors vibration that was dangerous when the car is moving at high speed
poses a serious threat to traffic safety. The wind-induced vibration has been one of the urgent issues
in rear-view mirror system. The air power generated when the car is fast moving and inertia force
generated when the rear-view mirror vibrates, constitute a feedback process in the form of a closed
loop, so that the amplitude will increase with time. A gas excitation model coupled rearview mirror
with air flow vibration was established. CAE analysis method was adopted to prove the theoretical
methods.

Introduction
Nowadays, cars have entered the common family, car safety has become more and more important.
Rear-view mirror as the main passive safety devices, if it vibrations generated in the process when
in the car driving, it would seriously affect driving safety. According to statistics, traffic accidents
resulted from the defects in the rear-view mirror accounts about 30% of total traffic accidents each
year in China [1], while this ratio is as high as 70% on the highway [2]. Rear-view mirrors
excessive vibration is one of the common defects, which can cause accidents if it serious, therefore,
the research on characteristics of rearview mirror vibration appears to be quite vital [3].
Researching in rear-view mirror vibration has become very hot in recent years as for the blurry
vision problems on a commercial vehicle at high speed. Other researchers like Xuming set up
physics equations on the question of rear-view mirror bracket, and proposed a series of approaches
to get improvements [4]. Wangzhiliang use hammers data collection approach to modal
identification and then it combined with the finite element method, he optimized the performance of
the vibration rear-view mirror [5]. In summary, although the researchers above have made a lot of
contributions on rear-view mirror vibration research, but it is not difficult to find that along with the
car speeds increasing, since the rear-view mirror is paced outside of the car as a bluff item, it is
bound to bring greater disturbance as to the flow of external air. High speed and unstable airflow
may cause rear-view mirror to vibrate. In this paper, through the fluid-structure interaction analysis,
the writer studied on the influence of wind-induced vibration of a rear-view mirror at high speed.
Wind-induced vibration equation of motion
The rear-view mirror as a system with airflow in the self-excited force, the equation of motion for
the vibration system
+ + = (1)
M , C , K is structural mass, damping and stiffness matrices; v , v , v is node acceleration,
velocity, displacement column vector; is the role of the bridge girder element nodes self-
excitation force.

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64 Current Development of Mechanical Engineering and Energy

In the rearview mirror vibration analysis, the main consideration self-excited aerodynamic drag
and torque effects. For small vibration effect in the rearview mirror on the mirror housing units self-
excited aerodynamic drag and moment universal aerodynamic derivatives described as
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
= + + + (2)

∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
= + + + (3)
ρ is the air density;U is the ambient wind speed; L is the characteristic length rear-view mirrors;B is
（ ）
the characteristic width rear-view mirrors; K K = Bω/U is a dimensionless frequency
translation, ω is the circular frequency vibration ； H∗ and A∗ i = 1,2,3,4 is the aerodynamic
derivatives, Which is a function of the frequency conversion of the K
The aerodynamic drag and moment force as uniform across the unit to focus on the
node, the group set be P , which is displacement of the expression of the node and the node
aerodynamic resilience velocity aerodynamic damping force, namely
= + (4)
and is pneumatic stiffness and aerodynamic damping matrix.
The equation (4) into (1), the motion equation of the vibration system can be expressed as
M v + C v + K v = 0 (5)
C = C C , K = K K (6)

Numerical Simulation
Geometry. According to the three-dimensional CAD model of a particular vehicle, extract the outer
surface of its body and use the geometry software UG to process the geometry and form a closed
body. Conduct a detailed model on the rearview mirror body, a pillar, side mirrors and other
structures that effect windscreens air flow field in order to ensure the accuracy of calculation.

Fig.1 Geometry of rear-view mirror

Mesh Generation. Establish a numerical simulation which is consistent with the wind tunnel test
model with the ration of 1:1. The whole calculation scope is determined as a space with 5m width,
5m height and 10m length. By setting the symmetry boundary to simulate the whole atmosphere
and helps reduce the number of numerical grid wind tunnel.

Fig.2 Rear-view mirror Grid model

 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 494-495 65

Grid is as shown in Fig (2), the region near the rearview mirror will apply the tetrahedral units,
on the mirror's surface and the boundary of simplified cab will adopt the three-prism unit. The
remaining space of the computational domain will be using hexahedral elements, the grid number is
3.6 10 .
Parameter settings. For wind speed, wind direction produced by fluctuating wind load:
, = ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ = ∙ (7)

is the ripple factor; is the shape factor; is for the pressure in the height; 0 is the
basic wind pressure; is area for the node order of the wind; is the normalized downwind
random function to fluctuating wind pressure, import FLUENT UDF program in preparation.
Boundary conditions: Entrance is the speed inlet, export is pressure outlet. Body is still no-slip
boundary, ground is the mobile wall. Speed and inlet to flow is at the same rate. Let symmetry plane
set symmetry boundary, the other for slip wall boundary.
Set of initial conditions: Calculation region is homogeneous medium in air pressure of 1 atm.
Steady-state calculations uniform with Realizable k-ε turbulence model to calculate the steady-state
calculation result as the initial transient turbulent eddy simulation model in model selection.
Considering the complexity of large eddy simulation and calculation time required to determine the
Strouhal number based on the sampling time and sampling time of 0.2s, the flow characteristics can
be fully reflected.
Vibration Analysis. The geometric model into the finite element software ANSYS, first
performed on the rear-view mirror modal analysis, the natural frequencies of the top ten of the rear-
view mirror. Then the air flow field analysis results will be loaded into finite element analysis
software. In the finite element software, we only simply mesh for rear-view mirror, and get air flow
field analysis of the results into an array of categories, which will load to rear-view mirror the finite
element model. At last, though setting the boundary conditions, we can the results of vibration
analysis.

Simulation Results Analysis

Analysis of air flow. Front windshield and A-pillar is shown in Figure (3). A a pressure gradient of
rear-view mirror is large, the outer edge of the mirror in particular very severe pressure gradient, the
negative pressure gradient, resulting in a flow separation zone. Generated at the leeward side
mirrors, two relatively large eddy, rear-view mirrors and A-pillar body shape matching problem.
Rear-view mirrors linear flow geometry is also a problem. The airflow at near the body cannot be
smoothly through the rearview mirror flow backwards along the side windows in the side window
area of confusion swirl, forming a strong pulsating pressure field, such as Figure(4). Fluctuating
pressure field is a major factor in vibration.

Fig.3 Rear-view mirror velocity vector Fig.4 Rear-view mirror pressure contours
66 Current Development of Mechanical Engineering and Energy

Vibration Analysis of ANSYS. Before performing dynamic loading, the natural frequency of the
mirror model analysis results are as follows:
Tabale.1 Top ten natural frequency values
Numble 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Frequency(Hz) 35.6 43 46 53 71 89 106 110 154 168
Before analysis, the door mirror surface in Figure (5) shows set watch points, which can help us
convenient results view.

Fig.5 Representation of data points on mirror surface

According to the flow field analysis, using ANSYS array of features aerodynamic loads will be
loaded as a force, vibration analysis results obtained as Figure (6) and (7) shows, which selects the
feature points 3 and 47 for detailed analysis. Points 3 and 47 from the feature point can be seen in
the frequency range of 0~100Hz mirror maximum vibration amplitude vibration surface, but also a
serious flow rate, the greater the speed, the greater the amplitude. From the rearview mirror natural
frequency analysis can be drawn, mirrors first six frequencies were less than 100Hz, so in this range,
the air is easy to make an impact on the rearview mirror rearview mirror resonance, and the faster
the flow, aerodynamic resistance value is greater. The greater of the amplitude of the vibration at
high speeds is likely to cause blurred vision.

Fig.6 Highest vibration RMS at point 3 Fig.7 Highest vibration RMS at point 47

Conclusion
A rear-view mirror has been selected by the author, for high speed rear-view mirror vibration theory,
CAE methods and procedures were in-depth researched. Rear-view mirrors gas excitation theory
proposed calculation method, based on this study to be validated CAE analysis, study of results of
 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 494-495 67

the analysis confirmed the theoretical approaches and practical means of CAE methods. By the
research of the rear-view mirror, you can use the former CAE tools to control outside rearview
mirror vibration risks and reduce the risks and costs post-reform. We can give full play to the
advantages of CAE for vehicle performance development services.

References
[1] S.J. Xiao : High-speed flow field aerodynamic noise of cars (MS. Jilin University, China 2006),
p. 22
[2] Thomas Ayres, LiLi: International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics,Vol.35 (2005) No.11,
p.： 157-162
[3] G.Pastor.P: Transportation Research ,Vol. 286 (2006) No. 9, p. 293-297
[4] M.Xu, R.H.Fang: Journal of Noise and Vibration Control, Vol. 15 (2008) No. 7, p.13-17.
[5] Z.L.Wang, Y.X.Man, R.H.Fang: Journal of Vibration and Shock, Vol. 19 (2010) No.4, p. 158-
162.
Current Development of Mechanical Engineering and Energy
10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.494-495

Wind-Induced Vibration of the Rear-View Mirrors of Car at High Speed

10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.494-495.63