Investigation of tyre size influence on structure-borne noise performance

Technological development has always accompanied the growth of the automotive world, within which manufacturing companies use their resources to comply the different needs of customers. Among the various performances that identify the quality of a vehicle, in recent years particular attention has been paid to driving comfort. The prestige of a car manufacturer is increasingly linked to the ability to guarantee driving experiences with a reduced level of stress and high comfort. Nowadays, by the development of more and more silent engines such as those of totally electric and cutting-edge hybrid vehicles, the interior noise due to the interaction between tyre and road has become the predominant source of discomfort for the passengers. Noise and vibrations inside the passenger compartments represent a challenge for the automotive industry, especially for tyre manufactures which are committed to invest resources in NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) analysis in order to improve relative product’s performance. This thesis work carried out in collaboration with Pirelli Tyre S.p.a. aims to evaluate how the structure-borne noise performance is influenced by the variation of tyre size. Through a full virtual investigation, the attention is focused on understanding how the variations relating to a size change influence the dynamic behavior of the tyre excited by road roughness.