Transfer Path Analysis of Brake Creep Noise

Creep groan is a low frequency noise generated by the stick-slip phenomenon that occurs when moderate brake pressure is applied between the surfaces of the brake disc and brake pad in a low-speed vehicle. It generally occurs when a vehicle is starting to move from a complete static condition or as it slowly comes to a stop when driving. Transfer path analysis (TPA) is a technique than not only provides a methodical approach to trace the flow of vibro-acoustic energy but also allows users to analyze structure-borne noise contributions. Thus, TPA is extensively used to scrutinize creep groan. The primary purpose of this paper is to empirically identify and evaluate the influences of the environmental conditions, chassis system, and brake material on creep groan using the TPA technique. Once the route that contributes the most vibro-acoustic energy from the source to the receiver is identified through TPA, a mass is added on that specific path to observe the changes in creep groan. This test is iterated several times with different masses to determine the optimized mass for that path.