The Effects of Tread Patterns on Tire Pavement Interaction Noise

Tread pattern contributes to tire noise through two major mechanisms: (1) tread impact due to the interaction between the tread element and the pavement texture and (2) air pumping due to the air compression/expansion in the tread grooves. In this study, six tires with different tread patterns, including: one Standard Reference Test Tire, one slick tire, and four normal patterned tires, are tested on the same pavement using an on-board sound intensity (OBSI) method. Compared to the conventional OBSI system, an optical sensor was added to the system to monitor the vehicle speed and isolate the contribution of the tread pattern from the tire noise. The tests are conducted under different constant speeds (from 35 to 65 mph). Three different tire inflation pressures (26, 32 and 40 psi) are investigated to find out if/how the contact patch influences tire noise. For the tires tested, 3D profiles of their tread patterns have been digitized and converted to parameters characterizing tread impact and air pumping, such as tread profile spectrum and the rate of change of the air volume between the tread and the road surface in the contact patch. The effects of these tread pattern parameters on noise spectra are analyzed.