Work

Innovative Approaches to Acoustic Comfort in Vehicles: Experimental Assessment and Strategic Noise Reduction Solutions

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study presents a rigorous experimental investigation of in-cabin acoustic comfort across a heterogeneous set of road and special-purpose vehicles. Interior noise measurements were conducted on a total of 35 vehicles, comprising five vehicles from each of seven operational categories, grouped according to RNTR-2 regulations into three distinct vehicle classes: N1, N2, and N2G. The adopted research methodology ensures a unified, phenomenological, and experimental approach to the assessment of interior vehicle acoustics, enabling consistent data acquisition and comparative analysis across vehicle classes. Measurements were performed under both stationary and dynamic operating conditions using Class 1 precision instrumentation. The experimental results reveal systematic differences in acoustic performance between vehicle classes. While N1 and N2 vehicles generally comply with recommended comfort thresholds, N2G special-purpose vehicles exhibit significantly elevated interior noise levels, reaching up to 90 dBA during dynamic operation, together with increased variability at higher engine regimes. These findings highlight the influence of vehicle architecture, operational conditions, and mission-oriented design constraints on vibro-acoustic behavior. Passive noise control solutions based on advanced sound-absorbing and sound-insulating materials were further evaluated, demonstrating interior noise reductions of up to 10 dBA. The scientific contribution of this work lies in the establishment of a unified, reproducible methodology that enables direct cross-category comparison of in-cabin acoustic comfort while explicitly integrating special-purpose vehicles into a comfort-oriented analytical paradigm. By moving beyond regulatory compliance toward a multidimensional interpretation of acoustic comfort, the study provides a robust foundation for vehicle design optimization and supports the future development of dedicated comfort assessment standards.

Source: Applied Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/app16020580

Authors: Petruța Blaga, Bianca-Mihaela Cășeriu, Cristina Veres

Institution: Universitatea de Medicină, Farmacie, Științe și Tehnologie „George Emil Palade” din Târgu Mureș

Language: English

Topic: Vehicle Noise and Vibration Control

Subfield: Automotive Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896

Funder: Universitatea de Medicină, Farmacie, Științe și Tehnologie "George Emil Palade" din Târgu Mureș