Statistical estimation of low frequency tyre/road noise from numerical contact forces

This paper deals with the relation between tyre/road numerical contact data and close-proximity (CPX) rolling noise measurements. The noise was measured on several road surfaces together with the road texture in three dimensions on two-metre-long sections. A multi-asperity contact model was used to calculate successively the contact forces distribution and the contact pressure distribution between a tyre (slick or patterned) and the road during rolling. The correlation between third-octave contact force levels and noise levels was studied on a set of road surfaces with various textures. A high positive correlation was found at low frequency, which allows the estimation of noise levels by means of statistical relations for each third-octave band between 315 Hz and 1000 Hz for the slick tyre and between 315 Hz and 800 Hz for the patterned tyre. The results of the model are discussed in relation to the standard deviation of CPX measurements.