Modelling of a hydraulic engine mount with fluid–structure interaction finite element analysis

Hydraulic engine mount (HEM) is now widely used as a highly effective vibration isolator in automotive powertrain. A lumped parameter (LP) model is a traditional model for modelling the dynamic characteristics of HEM, in which the system parameters are usually obtained by experiments. In this paper, a fluid–structure interaction (FSI) finite element analysis (FEA) method and a non-linear FEA technology are used to determine the system parameters, and a fully coupled FSI model is developed for modelling the static and lower-frequency performance of an HEM. A FSI FEA technique is used to estimate the parameters of volumetric compliances, equivalent piston area, inertia and resistance of the fluid in the inertia track and the decoupler of an HEM. A non-linear FEA method is applied to determine the dynamic stiffness of rubber spring of the HEM. The system parameters predicated by FEA are compared favorably with experimental data and/or analytical solutions. A numerical simulation for an HEM with an inertia track and a free decoupler is performed based on the FSI model and the LP model along with the estimated system parameters, and again the simulation results are compared with experimental data. The calculated time histories of some variables in the model, such as the pressure in the upper chamber, the displacement of the free decoupler and the volume flow through the inertia track and the decoupler, under different excitations, elucidate the working mechanism of the HEM. The pressure distribution calculated with the FSI model in the chambers of the HEM validates the assumption that the pressure distribution in the upper and lower chamber is uniform in the LP model. The work conducted in the paper demonstrates that the methods for estimating the system parameters in the LP model and the FSI model for modelling HEM are effective, with which the dynamic characteristic analysis and design optimization of an HEM can be performed before its prototype development, and this can ensure its low cost and high quality for development.