Study of Tire-Pavement Noise Generation Mechanism using a Two-Wheeler

The major objective of this study was to understand and quantify the interaction of tire-pavement noise when a two-wheeler traversed along different types of pavement sections. This involved designing a fixture to record the noise at source based on the On-Board Sound Intensity (OBSI)-like method, which was mounted on to a two-wheeler. Field noise measurements were recorded on asphalt and cement concrete pavements for varying speeds. The spectral analysis of tire-pavement noise collected by the setup displayed the influence of tread impact to be one of the major sources of noise generation. The first peak frequency in the spectral region, where the tire-pavement noise was dominant was found to be proportional to velocity of the vehicle and distance between the adjacent treads. In addition, harmonics proportional to the peak frequency were also observed in both types of pavement sections. The influence of pavement texture as a noise source appeared to exhibit a wide band spectrum while the influence of aerodynamic effects and pavement properties was less obvious, but needs further investigation. Nonetheless, this study is first-of-its-kind in the world in that a two-wheeler was used to evaluate tire-pavement noise characteristics whose results were comparable to the commonly used automotive (four-wheeler) OBSI setup. It is also envisioned that the two-wheeler setup developed in this study can be comfortably utilized in road locations that do not have enough space to accommodate larger vehicles as well.