Synthesis of equivalent sources for tyre/road noise simulation and analysis of the vehicle influence on sound propagation

Road traffic noise affects the well-being of people living in urban areas. Amongst the noise sources, tyre/road interaction plays a major role. In this context, predictive acoustic models can be useful for the tyre industry to design quiter tyres. This paper deals with a methodology for simulating tyre/road noise through equivalent monopoles, synthesised using an inverse problem approach, starting from indoor tests performed in a semi-anechoic chamber. A drum with an ISO 10844 road replica is used to obtain realistic tread pattern and road roughness excitations. The experimental setup and a dedicated signal processing technique are described here. To perform the source synthesis, data is combined with acoustic finite element models based on a deformed treaded tyre geometry, in order to take the acoustic resonances at the tyre/road interface into account. The synthesised monopoles are then used to run a numerical simulation including a vehicle in order to consider its influence on sound propagation. The results are then validated by comparing them with indoor measurements.

Automated summary

This paper presents a method for simulating tyre/road noise using equivalent monopoles, including the synthesis of monopoles through an inverse problem approach and the use of an ISO 10844 road replica for laboratory testing. The method combines acoustic finite element models and numerical simulations of vehicles, and the results are validated by comparing them with measured data.