Impact of Sunroof Deflector on Interior Sound Quality

When a sunroof opens to let in fresh air while driving, there might be several noise issues associated with it. The most common and painful one is the wind throb issue, which is nevertheless largely resolved by implementing a sufficiently high wind deflector along the front edge of the sunroof. However, with the wind throb suppressed, other sound quality issues might emerge. The most notable one is the hissing noise issue, which becomes increasingly objectionable with the increase of vehicle speed. This work looks into the impact of sunroof deflector on interior sound quality with the consideration of wind throb, hissing noise and booming noise in terms of psychoacoustic attributes that could be felt subjectively. The goal is to achieve a better understanding of the sound quality associated with the sunroof deflector design, and inspire a balanced design, potentially targeting the most NVH demanding customers in the premium vehicle segment.