Among many potential problems associated with automobiles, the problem regarded as most sensitive and important to the customers is the automobile’s quietness. In particular, because the trend toward the high-performance automobiles is increasing, the quietness should be considered reflecting the increasing demand of the customers for the comfort of automobile ride. Road noise is the low-frequency range in the region of 20Hz to 350Hz, generated when the tires are making contacts with the rough road surface while the automobile is running, in which the noises are resonating within the passenger compartment or with the automobile suspension. In this research, among the factors related to the road noise, the influencing factors associated with the suspension and the tire design were investigated. In particular, among the tire design factors, the structure and the rubber material were investigated as the influencing factors, and for the investigative purpose, experimental tires were manufactured and road noise evaluations were conducted thorough actual feeling tests. Then the test results and correlations were analyzed using the 6-Sigma statistical method. Results from this study shows that, among the tire design factors, the apex is the most influencing factor, in which the height of the apex is the key. The influential factors were found out to be apex height, belt angle, and tread hardness, in that order, and when the suspension is of a same kind, the tendency of the road noise was found to be similar.

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to eliminate the noise of the vehicle after measuring the friction noise obtained from the NCPX (Noble Close ProXimity) method. The pure friction noise between the tire and road pavement could be determined from filtering the compositeness of sound and the influence of the vehicle noise. METHODS: The noise magnitude could be determined by analyzing the sound pressure level (SPL) and sound power level (PWL) along with the noise frequency of a FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analysis as well as CPB (Constant Percentage Bandwidth) analysis. RESULTS: When the test for measuring the friction noise originated somewhere between tire and road pavement is performed with NCPX method, it must be fulfilled by attaching the surface microphone near the tire. In this condition, the surface microphone can measure the friction noise occurred at between tire and pavement, the chassis noise from the engine and power transfer units, the fluctuating aerodynamic noise, and the turbulence noise directly affected to the surface microphone. By using the NCPX method, the noise occurred at the vehicle must be eliminated for measuring the friction noise between tire and pavement from the traffic noise. CONCLUSIONS: The vehicle's testing engine noise depends on the vehicle and road types. The effect of vehicle's engine noise is less than the friction noise occurred at between tire and pavement at less than 1% effect.

Among many potential problems associated with passenger cars, the problem regarded as most sensitive and important to the customers is the passenger car’s quietness. In particular, because the trend toward the high-performance passenger cars is increasing, the quietness should be considered reflecting the increasing demand of the customers for the comfort of passenger car ride. Road noises are of low-frequency in the region of 20Hz to 350Hz, generated when the tires are making contacts with the rough road surface while the passenger car is running, in which the noises are resonating within the passenger compartment or with the passenger car suspension. In this research, among the factors related to the road noises, the influencing factors associated with the suspension and the tire design were investigated. In particular, among the tire design factors, the structure and the rubber material were investigated as the influencing factors, and for the investigative purpose, experimental tires were manufactured and road noise evaluations were conducted thorough actual feeling tests. Then the test results and correlations were analyzed using the 6-Sigma statistical method.

PURPOSES: There is a need to develop a method to incorporate tire-pavement noise in the pavement management system. Tire-pavement noise highly depends on the characteristics of pavement texture. Therefore, estimation of texture characteristics may give useful information to predict tire-pavement noise. This study aimed to find the relationship between tire-pavement noise and MPD(Mean Profile Depth) for concrete pavement. METHODS: MPD and tire-pavement noise were collected on the number of expressway sections including Central Inland Test Road in Korea. Statistical analysis was performed to find the correlationship between MPD and tire-pavement noise. In addition, multiple regression analysis to find the tire-pavement noise based on MPD and type of concrete pavement texture. RESULTS: Linear relationship between MPD and tire-pavement noise is observed for concrete pavement. Furthermore, a forensic equation to estimate tire-pavement noise based on MPD and texture types of concrete pavement is suggested. CONCLUSIONS: Tire-pavement noise on concrete pavement can be predicted based on the consideration of texture type and MPD estimation.

Tire manufactures have dealt with noise problem by varying the pitch of the tread. The various formulas for the variations are generally determined differently, however. Often these variations are based on a combination of trial and error, intuition, and economics. Some manufactures have models and analogs to test tread patterns and their variations. These efforts, however practical, do not determine the best variation beforehand or guarantee the best results. For this reason it was felt that a general mathematical approach for determining the best variation was needed. Moreover, the method should be completely general, easy to use, and sufficiently accurate. This paper discusses a mathematical method called Mechanical Frequency Modulation(MFM) which meets the above requirements. Thus, MFM pertains to computing an irregular time sequence of events so that the resulting excitation spectrum is shaped to a preferred form. The first part of this paper treats the theoretical basis for computing an optimum variation ; the second part discusses experimental results and simulation program which corroborate the theory.

고속도로 이용차량의 증가와 함께 차량의 대형화와 고속화로 인해 고속도로 교통 소음레벨이 높아지고 있으며 저소음 포장노면 및 방음시설 설치 요청도 급격하게 증가하고 있다. 따라서 고속도로 교통소음으로 인한 민원예방과 함께 효율적이고 경제적인 소음저감 대책을 수립하기 위해서는 정확한 소음 예측 기술 마련이 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 시험도로에 포설된 다양한 포장노면에 대해서 CPX(Close Proximity Test) 및 Pass-by 소음 계측 방법을 혼용한 소음 계측 데이터를 이용하였고 차종별 단독 주행 시험을 실시하여 차량 및 노면별 음향파워레벨 산정식이 마련된 데이터를 이용하였다. 아울러, 상기 산정식의 정확성을 검증하기 위하여 고속도로 12개 지점에 대한 총 38회의 소음 계측한 데이터를 이용하여 해당 지점에 대한 소음 예측 모델을 구성하여 측정값과 예측값을 비교 평가하였다. 최종적으로 3차원 GUI 기능을 지원하는 도로교통 소음 예측 프로그램 KRON(Korea Road Noise)을 개발하였다. 이와 더불어 각 포장형태별 및 차종별에 따른 소음특성을 분석하였다.

최근 들어 타이어/노면 소음을 저감하기 위한 다양한 포장공법들에 대한 연구가 진행되고 있다. 이러한 저소음 포장공법들을 개발하고자 하는 이유는 도로소음이 고속주행일 경우 도로노면과 타이어에서 발생하는 소음이 지배적이기 때문이다. 대부분의 저소음 포장공법의 핵심연구는 타이어/노면 소음이 노면의 미세조직 및 거시조직의 특성에 영향을 받는다는 점을 고려하여 표층 골재의 입도, 혹은 인위적인 노면조직에 대한 소음을 작게 발생하게 하는 것이다. 이러한 연구에서 어려운 점은 특정한 노면조직 혹은 포장공법에서의 타이어/노면 소음을 평가하기 위해 도로를 건설하고 차량을 주행시켜야 하기 때문에 비용과 시간의 제약을 받는다는 점이다. 따라서 이러한 난점을 극복하고, 다양한 노면조직에서의 소음을 저비용, 단시간에 평가하기 위하여 본 연구에서는 타이어/노면 소음재현장비를 개발하였고, 무타이닝 및 횡방향타이닝 포장에 대하여 타이어/노면 소음을 재현 및 측정을 통하여 개발한 장비의 신뢰성을 검증하였다.