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Lightweight structures and designs have been widely used in a number of engineered structures due to ecological and environmental aspects. Nonetheless, lightweight structures typically experience a reduced noise and vibration reduction performance as a consequence of their increased stiffness-to-mass-ratio. To enhance it, novel low mass and compact countermeasures are often sought to address the challenges of achieving not only a good Noise, Vibrations and Harshness (NVH) reduction performance but also maintaining a lightweight design. Recently, locally resonant metamaterials have emerged and shown potential as a lightweight noise and vibration solution with a superior performance in tunable frequency ranges, known as stop bands i.e. frequency regions where free wave propagation is not allowed. These can be achieved by assembling resonant elements that are tuned to the targeted frequency range onto a host structure.

This paper demonstrates the application of a resonant metamaterial concept to tyres in order to reduce structure-borne tyre/road noise. Special attention is given to the frequency range around 220Hz, containing the first acoustic tyre resonances. These resonances are known to transmit high forces to the wheel-knuckle, leading to structural energy propagating into the vehicle’s body and, consequently, causing a tonal noise issue in the vehicle compartment. By adding recycled rubber resonant elements to the inner liner of the tyre, structural stop band behaviour is achieved in the frequency band of interest. Hence, structural vibrations in the tyre are reduced, resulting in a reduction of the excitation of the first acoustic tyre resonances and, consequently, a mitigation of the transmitted forces to the wheel-knuckle. First, the stop band behaviour is designed via unit cell modelling of a section of a tyre mock-up that only accounts for its structural behaviour.

Stringent regulations for CO2 emissions and noise pollution reduction demand lighter and improved Noise, Vibration Harshness (NVH) solutions in automotive industries. Designing light, compact and, at the same time, improved NVH solutions is often a challenge, as low noise and vibration levels often require heavy and bulky additions, especially to be effective in the low frequency regime. Recently, locally resonant metamaterials have emerged among the novel NVH solutions because of their performant NVH properties combined with lightweight and compact design. Due to the characteristic of stop band behavior, frequency ranges where free wave propagation is inhibited, metamaterials can beat the mass law, be it at least in some tunable frequency ranges. Previously the authors demonstrated how metamaterials can reduce the vibrations in a simplified shock tower upon shaker excitation. In this work, the authors apply the metamaterial concept on the real rear shock towers of a vehicle.

The combination of lightweight design and performant Noise, Vibrations Harshness (NVH) solutions has gained a lot of importance over the past decades. Lightweight design complies with the ever more stringent environmental requirements, however conflicts with NVH performance, as low noise and vibration levels often require heavy and bulky systems, especially at low frequencies. To face this challenge, locally resonant metamaterials come to the fore as low mass, compact volume NVH solutions, beating the mass law in some tunable frequency zones, referred to as stopbands. Metamaterials are artificial materials made from assemblies of unit cells of non-homogeneous material composition and/or topology. The local interaction between unit cells leads to superior performance in terms of noise and vibration reduction with respect to the conventional NVH treatments. Previously the authors showed how wave propagation along one-dimensional structures can be reduced by metamaterial additions.

The NVH performance of conventional panels and structures is mainly driven by their mass. Silence often requires heavy constructions, which conflicts with the emerging trend towards lightweight design. To face the challenging and often conflicting task of merging NVH and lightweight requirements, novel low mass and compact volume NVH solutions are required. Vibro-acoustic metamaterials with stopband behavior come to the fore as possible novel NVH solutions combining lightweight requirements with superior noise and vibration insulation, be it at least in some targeted and tunable frequency ranges, referred to as stopbands. Metamaterials are artificial materials or structures engineered from conventional materials to exhibit some targeted performance that clearly exceeds that of conventional materials. They consist typically of (often periodic) assemblies of unit cells of non-homogeneous material composition and/or topology.