Abstract

A decisive factor for the development of tyres and road surfaces is the ability to conduct representative and reproducible measurements of selected characteristics related to the interaction of tyres and road surfaces. In terms of tyre/road noise measurements in Europe two methods described in ISO/FDIS 11819-2 and ECE Regulation No.117 are used. The latter is compulsory for assigning the tyre noise labels. The methodologies differ in both load and tyre inflation pressure, positioning of microphones (on-board versus stationary) and distance from the microphones to the test tyres. Within the Polish-Norwegian project LEO two research institutions - SINTEF, Norway and Technical University of Gdańsk, Poland conducted a series of road and laboratory tests to determine the effects of measuring methodology, inflation pressure and tyre load as well as road pavement on noise levels and sound spectra. The obtained results were also compared with the information stated on the tyres’ labels. Analysis of the results indicates that changing test parameters such as load and inflation pressure has an important impact on the noise emitted by tested tyres. It was also found that the tyre/road noise measured on typical European road surfaces correlates very poorly with the noise labels of tyres. This observation puts into question the correctness of the procedures described in Regulation No 117. It seems that the methodology for determining noise values, which are the basis for the labelling, should be substantially amended and should be based on one of the typical road pavements.

Authors (3)