Hyundai unveils noise-cancelling technology to combat driving and rolling noise
Hyundai has introduced the so-called Road Noise Active Noise Control technology. According to the company, this technology should enable an almost noise-free driving experience in future Hyundai models, because driving and rolling noises are also suppressed as much as possible.
Hyundai does not say exactly when the technology will be built in and which future models it will be in, but it is obvious that the RANC technology will be introduced in new electric models. The manufacturer says that cars powered by hydrogen and batteries hardly produce any driving noise, ‘making it increasingly important to suppress road noise and wind noise’. According to the automaker, noise-cancelling technology plays a role in making electric vehicles even more attractive.
The South Korean company says it has spent six years perfecting RANC technology and preparing it for mass production. Hyundai reports that the patent application for the location of the sensors and the signal selection method, which is the company’s core technology of RANC, has now been completed in South Korea and the United States.
The system would build on the ANC technology, but that technology has its limitations, according to Hyundai. For example, it only works with constant noise and the occurrence of sound can be predicted. This ANC technology is therefore mainly used to dampen engine noise. According to Hyundai, RANC makes an important contribution to a quieter cabin, because the system can analyze a variety of rolling and driving noises in real time to produce counter-noises. This would take 0.002s, while Hyundai says it takes 0.009s for an occupant to hear an unwanted noise from the road or engine.
The production of the ‘anti-noise’ is controlled by a microphone, among other things. The system is capable of separately controlling the noise reduction for the driver, front passenger and rear seat. Tests would show that the use of RANC reduces the noise level by 3dB. The automaker says the level is about half the noise level of a car without RANC. According to Hyundai, this makes it possible to no longer use certain sound-insulating materials, which benefits the weight of the vehicle.