Advanced design of Close-Proximity (CPX) trailer enclosure acoustics on tyre/road noise measurement

Abstract

The PolyU Mark II Twin-wheeled CPX trailer was developed for the measurement of tyre/road noise in Hong Kong urban environment according to a standard methodology (ISO/CD 11819-2) - the Close-Proximity (CPX) method. Numerical simulations of the acoustics of PolyU Mark II CPX enclosure were conducted and a good agreement between numerical and experimental results was obtained. In order to extend the capacity of the Mark II CPX trailer and enhance the acoustic performance within the enclosure for future tyre/road noise studies, the validated numerical simulations were carried on to design the next generation of the PolyU CPX system. Through analyzing the acoustic performance within the enclosures of different dimensions and the distributions of sound pressure level (SPL) inside the anechoic chamber, the geometry of the PolyU Mark III CPX enclosure was finally determined. With newly designed enhanced interior wall absorption, the new PolyU Mark III CPX enclosure design was delivered into numerical simulations for acoustic analysis. Fewer room modes and high uniformity of SPL distributions were observed within the new enclosure design. The PolyU Mark III CPX enclosure was fabricated based on the corresponding dimensions and the specific absorption layers. Great consistency was achieved between the numerical and measured results of the Mark III CPX enclosure. In addition, the PolyU Mark III CPX enclosure shows an improved acoustic property with a lower background noise level during road tests than Mark II CPX enclosure. The outcome of this study firmly establishes the feasibility of designing advanced CPX enclosure with numerical simulations with results that can be realized in realistic CPX measurement.