Air-Permeable Road Surface Element for Roller Test Bench Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing road surface elements for roller test stands fail to minimize tire noise effectively, as smooth surfaces lead to 'smacking' due to vacuum creation, while roughening surfaces increases noise levels, and existing solutions do not adequately address this conflict.

Innovation Solution

An air-permeable road surface element with a smooth outer surface and a permeable covering layer that allows airflow, reducing the vacuum effect and minimizing noise through a design that includes a filter material or metal structure with an open-pored structure, and the application of elastic or plastic granules for further noise reduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the surface of the road surface element is made smooth, then the rolling noise is reduced, but the tire causes 'smacking' due to vacuum creation when detaching from the surface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverolling noiseVSAvoidsmacking noise
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The road surface element incorporates an air-permeable covering layer with porous structure that allows air to pass through. This prevents vacuum formation between the tire and surface during detachment, eliminating the 'smacking' noise while maintaining a smooth outer surface for reduced rolling noise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The covering layer provides different properties at different levels: a smooth outer surface for noise reduction and an air-permeable internal structure to prevent vacuum effects. This local differentiation of surface quality resolves the contradiction between smoothness and vacuum prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-generated harmful factors

If the surface of the road surface element is roughened to avoid 'smacking', then the vacuum effect is reduced, but the rolling noise increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevacuum effectVSAvoidrolling noise
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of roughening the outer surface, the invention uses a porous covering layer that allows air permeability while maintaining a smooth outer surface. This resolves the contradiction by providing vacuum prevention through internal porosity rather than external roughness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The air-permeable covering layer acts as an intermediary between the tire and the underlying structure, allowing air to pass through and prevent vacuum formation without requiring the tire to contact a rough surface, thus avoiding increased rolling noise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-generated harmful factors

If an air-permeable covering layer is added to the road surface element, then the vacuum effect is reduced and 'smacking' is minimized, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesmacking noiseVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The covering layer is made from air-permeable materials such as filter fabrics, wire meshes, or sintered metals that inherently provide both structural integrity and air permeability. These materials achieve the vacuum prevention function without requiring complex multi-component structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The road surface element combines the air-permeable covering layer with the base shell to create a composite structure that integrates noise reduction and vacuum prevention functions in a single unified component, avoiding the need for separate systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The air-permeable design significantly reduces tire noise during rolling by minimizing the vacuum effect and providing a stable, acoustically optimized surface, achieving a noise reduction of at least 3 dB, while maintaining structural integrity and smooth contact with the tire.

Implementation Method 1

it is proposed to provide a smooth surface for the covering shell or the road surface and to make this surface additionally permeable to air

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir permeability: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

The covering layer can have an open-pored structure, which allows air to circulate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPorosity: Porosity

Data Source

PatentEP3330693B1Running lane element and lane element for a roller test bench
Publication Date: 2019.11.27 AIP GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3330693B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1c
  • EP3330693B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a road surface element B and a road surface for a vehicle roller test stand, which are optimized for acoustic measurements on the vehicle. The road surface B has a surface layer with an outer surface A, wherein the surface layer 1 is at least partially air-permeable, so that, in particular, an airflow through the outer surface A is permitted.