Reduction of Noise Generated from Lower Part of Shinkansen Cars by Sound Absorption

Abstract

In order to reduce Shinkansen wayside noise at higher speeds, it is necessary to reduce not only pantograph noise but also noise from the lower part of cars. With the aim of absorbing noise from the lower part of the car through a process of multiple sound reflections between the car body and a noise barrier, we developed sound-absorbing panels for the lower part of the car bodies through acoustic tests using a full-scale cut car model and running tests using FASTECH360S, a high-speed test train of JR-East. In order to assess which sound-absorption areas are more effective in reducing wayside noise coming from the lower part of the cars, we conducted running tests with the sound-absorbing and non-sound-absorbing panels in different layout configurations. As a result, we found that: 1) attaching sound-absorbing panels reduces wayside noise from FASTECH360S running at 320 km/h by approximately 0.9 dB at a point 25 meters from the track, 2) sound-absorbing panels installed to side skirts have the greatest noise reduction effect and 3) the sound-absorbing panels at the front and back ends of the bogie space and on the side beam contribute almost nothing to noise reduction.