Sumitomo Rubber develops tire noise prediction technology

Kobe, Japan – Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has developed a new technique for predicting 'roadway' noise by combining data from the vibrations of tires and the vehicle.

Noise is produced by the interaction between the vibration, which is generated when a tire comes in contact with the road surface, and vehicle body structures, such as the suspension.

The new process involves combining the performance of the tire alone and that of the vehicle alone using 'transfer function synthesis' (TFS) methodology, explained the Japanese group 15 May.

The technique, SRI said, breaks down complicated data into parts, expresses the movement of each part as a transfer function, and combines them to predict the overall movement.

TFS has "made it possible for the first time to use a simulation to assess the axis vibration characteristics of a free-rolling tire (*B in the figure above) with the tire rolling,” SRI said.

These characteristics are generally difficult to assess experimentally, according to the SRI statement.

By comparing the axis vibration characteristics of a stationary tire versus a rolling tire, SRI noted differences in vibration characteristics due to a 'gyro effect' and other factors.

The 'gyro effect', SRI explained, is a phenomenon in which it becomes difficult to change the posture of an object while it is rotating.

The new technique makes it possible to predict road-noise performance in a simplified manner by coupling the vibration characteristics of the tire and the vehicle.

This is because "a transfer function is more commonly available than sensitive vehicle information," the group's release pointed out.

Additionally, the process can reduce the number of actual tests with prototype tires and is expected to shorten development while using fewer resources.

By applying the new method, both tire and vehicle manufacturers can reduce noise generated by their products, SRI concluded.