Porsche develops thermal, noise-insulated glass for a quieter drive

Glass can make or break the acoustic comfort of a car and Porsche is much too aware of this. To cut out unnecessary outside noises that can create discomfort for the driver and passengers, the carmaker has created a sophisticated thermally and noise-insulated glass that will be available for all four-door Porsche models.

Head of Sound Quality, Car Bodies, at Porsche Jurgen Ochs explained that outside noise is most noticeable when a car enters a highway tunnel where the concrete walls reflect the sound towards the interior of the car as the speed increases. Due to this, the ones present in the car may have to speak more loudly or may have to increase the volume of the music. “The type of glass in the vehicle plays a key role in acoustic comfort. And its effect can be precisely measured – whether on an exposed stretch of road or in a tunnel," Ochs added.

Porsche explained that unlike conventional single-layer safety glasses used in the sides and rear of the car, these glasses have five layers. Three layers of film and then glass again. The middle layer of the three is polyvinyl butyral (PVB) films that have special acoustic properties and hence they can absorb much of the oscillation of the surrounding glass.

This helps to reduce outside noise by up to 7.3 per cent in a frequency range of 630 hertz to 6.3 kilohertz. “That doesn’t sound like much, but everyone who’s ever tested the difference in driving conditions is impressed," Ochs further said. It effectively covers the range that the human ear is most sensitive to, which is approximately 3.5 to 4.0 kilohertz. Police, fire engine, and ambulance sirens remain just as loud as always, as they fall within the frequencies between 360 and 630 hertz virtually all over the world, informed the company.

Porsche said that it will install the noise-insulated glass throughout, including in the tiny triangular panes and the rear window.