Tread Pattern Noise Research Articles

Effect of Rubber Hardness and Tire Size on Tire-Pavement Interaction Noise

ABSTRACT Tire-pavement interaction noise (TPIN) is a dominant noise source for passenger cars and trucks above 25 mph (40 km/h) and above 43 mph (70 km/h), respectively. TPIN is generated due to excitations of the tread pattern and pavement texture. For the same tread pattern and pavement texture at the same speed, TPIN might also be influenced by the tire structure (e.g., the tread rubber hardness and tire size). In the present study, 42 tires with different rubber hardnesses and/or tire sizes were tested at five different speeds (45–65 mph, i.e., 72–105 km/h) on a nonporous asphalt pavement (a section of U.S. Route 460, both eastbound and westbound). An on-board sound intensity system was instrumented on the test vehicle to collect the tire noise data at both the leading edge and the trailing edge of the contact patch. An optical sensor recording the once-per-revolution signal was also installed to monitor the vehicle speed and, more importantly, to provide the data needed to perform the order-tracking analysis to break down the tire noise into two components. These two components are the tread pattern noise and the non–tread pattern noise. It is concluded that for the nonporous asphalt pavement tested, the non–tread pattern noise increases with rubber hardness by ∼0.23 dBA/Shore A. The tire carcass width (section width plus two times section height) influences the central frequencies of the non–tread pattern noise spectrum; the central frequencies decrease as the tire carcass width increases.

A hybrid numerical-experimental analysis for tire air-pumping noise with application to pattern optimization

As a vehicle travels at moderate/high speeds, tire noise becomes dominant over other sources of vehicle noise. It is a challenging task to determine the spectral characteristics of the tire noise source and even much more challenging to predict the tire pattern noise. This paper proposes a hybrid experimental-numerical method to identify the tire air-pumping noise spectrum and to predict the pattern noise. A special designed test and cut tire are used to obtain the near field tire noise spectrum while the boundary element method (BEM) is used to determine the transfer characteristics between noise source and selected field points. Then, the spectral characteristics of the air pumping source can be identified by combined use of the numerical transfer characteristics and the measured noise of the cut tire by solving the Helmholtz equation. In the end, the proposed approach has been developed into an in-house software and practical tire pattern noise has been investigated successfully. The established model is able to predict the noise at any field point and the good agreement between the predicted results and tests can be found, demonstrating the reasonability of the proposed approach. In addition, an optimization method of tire tread block shift and mold shift, i.e. moving one of the two half molds and/or tread ribs along the circumferential direction to change their relative phases, are proposed based on the developed software. A practical example demonstrates that the proposed approach and in-house code can be used to predict and optimize tire tread pattern noise.

Application of a pattern recognition technique to the prediction of tire noise

Tire treads are one of the main sources of car noise. To meet the EU׳s tire noise regulation ECE-R117, a new method using a pattern recognition technique is adopted in this paper to predict noise from tire tread patterns, thus facilitating the design of low-noise tires. When tires come into contact with the road surface, air pumping may occur in the grooves of tire tread patterns. Using the image of a tread pattern, a matrix is constructed by setting the patterns of tire grooves and tread blocks. The length and width of the contact patch are multiplied by weight functions. The resulting sound pressure as a function of time is subjected to a Fourier transform to simulate a 1/3-octave-band sound pressure level. A particle swarm algorithm is adopted to optimize the weighting parameters for the sound pressure in the frequency domain so that simulated values approach the measured noise level. Two sets of optimal weighting parameters associated with the length and width of the contact patch are obtained. Finally, the weight function is used to predict the tread pattern noise of tires in the same series. A comparison of the prediction and experimental results reveals that, in the 1/3-octave band of frequency (800–2000Hz), average errors in sound pressure are within 2.5dB. The feasibility of the proposed application of the pattern recognition technique in predicting noise from tire treads is verified.

A prediction method for tire tread pattern noise based on characteristics of single tire tread block noise

Tire tread pattern noise is the main source of tire noise. It contains several noise generation mechanisms such as `air pumping' mechanism, `air resonant radiation' and `pipe resonances'. In the past 40 decades, a lot of researches have being made and many achievements have being won. But there is still no good prediction model or method for tire tread pattern noise. The paper provides a new method for tire tread pattern noise prediction. Make a superposition of noise signal of single tire tread block acquired in drum laboratory in time-domain and space. And give a noise prediction of tire which is full of tread block. The result of prediction and measurement will be compared to validate the effectiveness of the method.

Construction and Behaviour Characteristics of Tyres

Development of automobile tyres over the past few years has led to certain improved performance characteristics and also to a wider choice of tyre behaviour patterns than has earlier been the case. To obtain optimum required performance characteristics for a particular vehicle design, attention must be paid both to individual tyre parameters and their interaction with particular features relating to the vehicle. Examples are given. The impact of new materials for making tyres and of constructional variations in the tyres is discussed in relation to improved tyre performance characteristics, including comfort, road adhesion, ease of control, high-speed running, tread pattern life, noise and tyre power consumption. Testing techniques which have assisted in assessment of some of these items are discussed, with illustrative results. The relative effects of mechanical and tyre variables are summarized. Reference is made to future trends in requirements of automobile tyre behaviour and possible consequent changes in tyre construction and form.