Cavity noise sensitivity analysis of tire contour design factors and application of contour optimization methodology

Abstract

Cavity resonance noise of passenger car tires is generated by interacting excitation between a tire structure and the fill gas (air), and generally lies in a frequency range of 200–250 Hz. As such, this noise is strongly perceived and may be a serious source of driver annoyance. Thus, many studies regarding the cavity noise mechanism and its reduction have already been conducted. In this work, a vibro-acoustic coupled analysis was conducted between a tire structure and air cavity. Using this analysis, we can more accurately simulate the tire noise performance in the region of the cavity resonance frequency. An analysis of the effects of variation of tire contour design factors was conducted, using design-of-experiments methods. Finally, a multi-objective optimization was performed using in-house codes to reduce the cavity noise level while minimizing the loss of other performances, such as diminished ride comfort and handling caused by the variations of contour. As a result of this optimization, an optimized contour shape was derived, which satisfied the multi-objective performances.