Purdue News PhotosPurdue News Photos
08/01-- With the help of a mathematical model, engineers created these graphs, which are visual representations, much like a "fingerprint," of a tire's distinctive vibration pattern. The engineers measure various vibrational waves that travel along a tire's treadband, which is the outer segment of a tire that includes reinforcing belts and the tread pattern that meets the road's surface. Specific vibrations are assigned "wave numbers," and those numbers are then used to create graphs that illustrate which vibrations are coming from which portions of the tire – and which vibrations are likely to produce the most noise. The graph on the left shows specifically which parts of the tire are producing the most intense vibrations. Those data are then used to create the "fingerprint" on the right. Because highway noise is largely caused by tires, tire manufacturers are trying to design quieter tires. Findings from such research will likely enable industry to reduce highway noise in the future. (Image from Stuart Bolton, Purdue University School of Mechanical Engineering.)
Click on Photo to download a (320 K) JPEG photo. Color print, electronic transmission, and Web or ftp download available from Purdue News Service, (765) 494-2096. The story accompanying this photograph can be seen by clicking this link to Bolton.tires
(Image from Stuart Bolton, Purdue University School of Mechanical Engineering.)
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