Improved models of wind noise perception are being developed to aid automobile manufacturers in designing cars with satisfactory interior noise levels. Building on a model developed for stationary wind noise, the goal of the current research is to model acceptance of non-stationary noise, such as would be expected in a car subjected to unsteady wind conditions on the road. Initial subjective tests in this area are limited to examining people's reaction to simpler gusting scenarios. A set of test sounds was generated using a program that simulates time-varying wind noises based on the time-varying speed and direction of the incident airflow. The airflow pattern on which the sounds were based contained a series of consecutive gusts preceded and followed by steady wind. The number, duration, and strength of the gusts was varied between sounds. Based on the results of the listening study, a preliminary "gusting metric'" was proposed that determines an acceptance penalty for the sound based on the behavior of the gusts. This metric may be appended to existing stationary-noise models to produce a composite acceptance model. The current limitations of the gusting metric are discussed, and prospective revisions and expansions are described.
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