A novel approach to design quiet tires, based on multi-objective minimization of generated noise.

• Modeling all predominant tire noise generation and amplification mechanisms. • A comprehensive parametric study to provide a guideline for quiet tire design. • Sensitivity analysis of tire noise to its parameters and operating conditions. • Illustrating interactions between factors to reveal unprecedented impacts. • Proposing a novel approach for optimization of tire parameters to reduce noise. Tire/road noise is a dominant source of passenger car noise, especially above 40 km/h. Given the complexity, variety, and contradiction between different mechanisms, it is a severe challenge to reduce this noise. This paper aims to pave the way to design low-noise tires and assist manufacturers based upon scientific insights. In this regard, unlike other research, all predominant mechanisms, including texture impact, tread impact, air pumping, pipe resonance, Helmholtz resonance, air cavity resonance, and horn effect, are modeled. After verification, a design of experiment method, small central composite design, is implemented for sensitivity analysis of different mechanisms. The analysis of variance results with a high adjusted determination of coefficients and low p-value are discussed to reveal noteworthy guidelines to lower noise generated by each mechanism. The outstanding feature of this parametric study is an illustration of vital interaction effects between factors that lead to different instructions for changing the parameters in each situation. Finally, a novel approach to lower tire noise is provided utilizing a multi-objective minimization method. Since the material properties only affect texture impact, they are optimized by reducing texture noise by the genetic algorithm method. On the other hand, other mechanisms are decreased together using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm to optimize tread pattern specifications. The outcomes of two smooth tires are verified. The 80% reduction in their normalized noise has resulted in about 2 dB(A) decrement in total noise. Moreover, the average normalized sound of a patterned tire has been 27% reduced by a 10% change in its factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]