Analysis of single vehicle noise emissions in the frequency domain for two different motorizations

Environmental noise, primarily attributed to the road transportation system, poses a significant challenge in Europe, impacting the quality of life for millions. Therefore, a thorough characterization of noise emissions from road transportation sources is needed to stem this problem. This investigation aims to fill a gap in the literature regarding single-vehicle noise emissions in the frequency domain. The emphasis is on motorization (i.e., fuel type), with particular attention to Low-Frequency components, due to their potential impact on human health and ecosystems. Two probe vehicles, a diesel and a Liquefied Petroleum Gas-powered, were employed to collect data for noise emission curves in the frequency domain (from 63 to 8000 Hz) and compare them with those furnished in the CNOSSOS-EU, Harmonoise, and REMEL models. Moreover, data in terms of exhaust noise emissions (at the tailpipe) were also gathered and analyzed in the frequency domain. The analysis highlighted motorization's influence on noise emissions, revealing differences in frequency component contributions to the overall sound power level at different speeds. Low-frequency components were found to be predominant for both vehicles, especially at lower speeds, where the engine noise contribution dominates. This finds its endorsement in the frequency analysis on the noise emission curves provided in the examined models. The evaluation of the exhaust noise emissions revealed resonance phenomena at 63 Hz and showcased the dominance of low-frequency components in the exhaust spectrum (despite the penalization introduced by the A-weighting procedure), opening avenues for understanding and lowering noise emissions during vehicle idling and low-speed operations.