Influence of Wheel Resonance on Tire Acoustic Cavity Noise

The acoustic cavity inside the tire-wheel assembly is known to contribute to audible noise in the passenger compartment of some vehicles. Traditionally, the source of this noise issue has been viewed as only response from the acoustic resonance of the air cavity inside the tire-wheel assembly. This paper demonstrates that coupling between the cavity resonance and a structural resonance of the wheel can amplify the response and result in higher noise levels in the passenger compartment. Laboratory measurements show that vehicle interior noise generated when coupling occurs between the cavity resonance and a structural resonance of the wheel is significantly higher than when the coupling is eliminated. This phenomenon is demonstrated by comparing vehicle noise levels which result from two different wheel designs: one that has a structural resonance very near the acoustic resonance and one that does not. In addition, a finite element modeling technique capable of simulating spindle vibration resulting from the cavity resonance is introduced.