I am born and grown up in small village situated in the south west of Germany close to the French border. My education in acoustics I received at Manfred Heckl's Department of Applied Acoustics in Berlin, where I also worked as a PhD student with the modeling of tyre/road noise. During the following years I have never managed to escape from this research area although I tried hard. Consequently tyre/road noise generation is still one of the main issues in my own work. In 1992 I moved to Sweden to spend a post doctoral period at the Department of Applied Acoustics at Chalmers University of Technology.

Since 1998 I have a chair in Applied Acoustics at Chalmers University of Technology, as successor of Tor Kihlman.

My favourite research areas in acoustics are structure-borne sound, time domain formulations, modelling of acoustic problems and tyre/road noise generation (of course).

My personal interests cover a variety of activities which give me the opportunity to be active with my hands or legs (no examples given here).

R E S E A R C H  P R O J E C T S

Road and Tyre Interaction Noise (RATIN), EC project, Coordinator, ffinalised spring 2004.

Integrated Tyre and Road Interaction (ITARI), EC project, Coordinator, running 2004-2006.

Soundscape suppport to health. MISTRA project, running 2003-2006, see also www.soundscape.nu

The modelling of adhesive forces between tyre and road, Swedish Research Council, running 2002-2004.

The use of active constrained layers to improve the acoustic performance of light weight panels, Swedish Research Council, running 2005-2007.

P U B L I C A T I O N S

Accepted or published papers in scientific journals with peer-review system for the year 2004

• Illaire H. and Kropp W., "Quantification of damping mechanisms of active constrained layer treatments". Accepted for publication by the Journal of Sound and Vibration, march 2004.
• Ögren M. and Kropp W. Road Traffic Noise Propagation between Two Dimensional City Canyons using an Equivalent Sources Approach, Acta Acustica united with Acustica, Vol. 90 (2), p 293, 2004
• Andersson, P., Larsson, K., Wullens F., Kropp, W., "High frequency dynamic behaviour of smooth and patterned passenger car tyres", Acta Acustica united with Acustica, Vol. 90 (3), p 445, 2004
• Wullens, F., and Kropp. W., "A three dimensional contact model for tyre/road interaction in rolling conditions", Acta Acustica united with Acustica, Vol. 90 (4), p 702, 2004.
  

Published papers in scientific journals with peer-review system before the year 2004

• Bécot, F.X., Thorsson, P.J. Kropp, W. "An efficient application of equivalent sources to noise propagation over inhomogeneous ground", Acta Acustica united with Acustica, Vol. 88(6), 853, 2002.
• Larsson, K., Kropp, W.,"A high-frequency three-dimensional tyre model based on two coupled elastic layers ". Journal of Sound and Vibration, Vol. 253, No. 4, pp 889-908, June 13, 2002.
  
• Larsson, K., Barrelet S., Kropp W., "The modelling of the dynamic behaviour of tyre tread blocks". Applied Acoustics, vol 63 (2002), pp. 659-677.
  
• Blomqvist, J. and Kropp, W., "Detection of rattle sources in a gearbox using correlation technique". Acta Acustica united with Acustica, Vol 87(1), p 77, 2001.
• Kihlman, T. and Kropp W., "City traffic noise - A local or global problem?", Noise Control Engineering Journal, v 49, n 4, July/August , 2001, p 165-169
• W. Kropp, F.-X. Bécot, S Barrelet, "On the sound radiation from tyres". Acta Acustica united with Acustica, Vol 86(5), p 769, 2000.
• W. Kropp, J. Bérillon, "A theoretical model to consider the influence of absorbing surfaces inside the cavity of Balconies". Acta Acustica united with Acustica,Vol 86 (3), p485, 2000.
• W. Kropp, Eric Rebilliard, "On the air-borne sound insulation of double wall constructions". Acta Acustica united with Acustica, Vol 85(5), p 707, 1999
• W. Kropp, "A mathematical model of tyre noise generation, International Journal of Vehicle Design (IJVD)". Vol 6, Nr 1-4, 1999.
• W. Kropp, J. Bérillon, "A theoretical model to investigate the acoustic performance of building facades in the low and middle frequency range", Acta Acustica united with Acustica,, Vol 84(4), p 681, 1998
• Kropp, W., Svensson, P., "Time domain formulation of the method of equivalent sources," Acta Acustica, vol. 3, pp. 1-10 (1995).
• Kropp, W., Svensson, P., "Application of the time domain formulation of the method of equivalent sources to radiation and scattering problems," Acta acustica - Acustica 81, No 6, 1995, 528-542.
• Kropp, W., Pietrzyk, A., Kihlman, T., "On the meaning of the sound reduction index at low frequencies," Acta Acustica, vol. 2, pp. 379-392 (1994).
• Heckl, M. and Kropp, W.,"A two dimensional acoustic rolling model for describing the contribution of tyre vibrations to rolling noise," J. Tech. Acoust., vol. 1, pp. 32-44 (1994).
• Kropp W, Schallabstrahlung eines Zylinders vor einer Wand", Acustica 72 (1990), 28.
  
• W Kropp, Structure - borne Sound on a Smooth Tyre, Applied Acoustics 26 (1989), 181-192.
  

Conference papers/oral presentations since 1995

(bold: invited paper)

• Kropp W, Larsson K, Wullens F, Andersson P, Tyre/road noise, Modelling and Understanding, Key-note lecture, Spring meeting of the Institute of Acoustics, Southampton, Uk, 29/30 of March 2004, Plenary lecture
• Kropp W, Saemann U, Tyre vibrations - simulation and measurements, CFA/DAGA '04, 22-25 Mars 2004, Strasbourg (France).
  
• Illaire H, Kropp W, Mace B, A phenomenological model of active constrained layers, CFA/DAGA '04, 22-25 Mars 2004, Strasbourg (France).
• Kropp W, Sound generation and contact mechanics, Tutorial, Svenska mekanikdagar, 13-15 August2003, Göteborg
• Kropp W, The Generation of tyre/road noise mechanisms and models, Specialized Keynote lecture at the Tenth International Congress on Sound and Vibration, Stockholm, 2003
•  Wullens F, Kropp W, A three-dimensional rolling contact model for the description of the tyre/road interaction, Tenth International Congress on Sound and Vibration, Stockholm, 2003
• Kropp W, The modelling of the tyre/road noise generation, NAG dag 2003 (meeting of the Dutch acoustic society), Utrecht, Netherlands.
• Beckenbauer T, Kropp W, Hybrides Modell zur Berechnung von Reifen - Fahrbahngeräuschen, Haus der Technik, Essen, 2003
• Kropp W, Larsson K, A computational model for non-linear contact problems - exemplified at tyre/road interaction, Euronoise 2003, Naples, Italy 2003.
• Bécot F-X, Kropp W, Iterative Equivalent Sources model of the tyre emission over impedance surfaces, Euronoise 2003, Naples, Italy 2003.
• Wullens F, Kropp W, A three-dimensional rolling contact model for the description of the tyre/road interaction, 10th Internat. Congress on Sound and Vibration, Stockholm 2003.
• Sandberg U, Ejsmont JA, Kropp W, Larsson K, Low noise tires - A cooperation project in northern Europe, INTER NOISE 2003, Seogwip, Korea
• Kropp W, Die Anwendung von Hilfschallquellen für die Beschreibung von gekoppleten Räumen. DAGA 2003, Aachen 2003.
• Kropp W, Die Die Modellierung von Reifen/Fahrbahnlaerm. DAGA 2003, Aachen 2003.
• Kropp W, Modelling tyre/road noise generation. Tire 2003, Hamburg, 2003.
• Kropp W, Larsson K, Wullens F, Andersson P, Bécot F-X, The generation of tyre/road noise - mechanisms and models, 10th Internat. Congress on Sound and Vibration, Stockholm 2003.
• Ögren M, Kropp W, Ljudlandskapet kring bostadshusen - en komplex mix av buller fran, Transportforum 2003, Linköping
• Kropp W, On the reduction of tyre/road noise. EC-Conference, Sustainable surface transport, Valencia, 2002.
• Illaire H, Kropp W, Quantification of damping mechanisms of active constrained layer treatments, Active 2002, 15-17 July 2002, ISVR, Southampton, England
• Ögren M, Kropp W, The Equivalent sources method applied to a 2D city canyon. In Proceedings, Forum Acusticum, Sevilla, Spain, 2002.
• Ögren M, Kropp W, An Equivalent Sources Method Solution to the 2D City Canyon Problem, Proceedings, Tenth International Symposium on Long-Range Sound Propagation Grenoble, September 12-13, 2002
• Kihlman T, Ögren M, Kropp W, Prediction of urban noise in shielded courtyards. In A. Selamet, R. Singh & G. C. Maling (ed.) Inter-Noise 2002. Dearborn, USA International Institute of Noise Control Engineering (I-INCE), Paper N 483 (available on CD)
• Kropp W, Larsson K, Wullens F, Andersson P, Bécot F-X,The modelling of tyre/road noise - a quasi three-dimensional model. Internoise 2001, The Hague.
• Kihlman T, Kropp W, Öhrström E, & Berglund B, Soundscape support to health. A cross-disciplinary research program. In R. Boone (Ed.), Inter-Noise 2001. Maastricht, The Netherlands: Nederlands Akoestisch Genootschap, vol. 3, pp. 1237-1242.
• Andersson, P., Larsson, K., Kropp, W.,A method for experimental collection of global material data for tyres. Nordic Vibration Research (SVIB) 2001, Stockholm.
• Kropp W, Larsson K, Wullens F, Andersson P, Bécot F-X, Simulation of the tyre/road noise. Styrian Noise, Vibration & Harshness Congress, October 2001, Acoustic Competence Center Graz.
• Andersson P, Larsson K, Kropp W,Investigation of driving point and transfer mobilities of simple tread blocks on a tyre, Proceedings of the 17th International Congress on Acoustics, Rome, September 2-7, 2001.
• Illaire H, Poulain N, Kropp W, Identification and quantification of damping mechanisms of active constrained layer damping, . 17th ICA, 2-7 september 2001, Rome, Italy.
• Kropp W, Svensson P, Forssén J, Formulierung der Schallausbreitung über einer ebenen Fläche mit variierender akustischer Impedanz im Zeitbereich, DAGA Hamburg 2001.
• Larsson K, Kropp W, A high frequency range tyre model based on two coupled elastic layers. Proc. of Internoise 99, vol 1, pp 131-136, 6-8 December, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, 1999.
• Kropp W, Blomqvist J, Kihlman T, A library of visualisation and auralisation examples to support understanding. Forum Acusticum, Berlin 1999.
  
• Kropp W, Larsson K, Barrelet S, The influence of belt and tread band stiffness on the tyre noise generation mechanisms. Proc. of 16th International Congress on Acoustics, 20-26 June, Seattle, Washington, USA 1998.
• Jagenäs A, Kropp W, Optimisation of sound insulation - an experimental study, INTER NOISE 1998, Christchurch, New Zealand 1998.
  
• Kropp W, Rebillard E, On the sound insulation of double walls, INTER NOISE 1998, Christchurch, New Zealand 1998.
• Kropp W, Bérillon J,A model to study the acoustic performance of cavities such as balconies in the low and middle frequency range. Euro-Noise 98, Gröbenzell Germany.
• Kihlman T, Kropp W,Limits to the noise limits? 16th International Congress on Acoustics, Seattle, June 1998
• Kropp W, Larsson K, Barrelet S, The influence of belt and tread band stiffness on the tyre noise generation mechanisms, 16th International Congress on Acoustics, Seattle, June 1998
• Larsson K, Barrelet S, Kropp W, Modelling of tangential contact forces, 16th International Congress on Acoustics, Seattle, June 1998
• Kropp W, Blomqvist J, Kihlman T, The use of visualisation and auralisation for teaching in acoustics. Int. Symposium on Simulation, Visualization for Acoustic Research and Education, April 2-4 1997, Tokyo, Japan.
• Svensson P, Kropp W, Aspects of the time domain method of equivalent sources, Autumn meeting of the Acoustical Society of Japan, September 17-19 1997, Sapporo, Japan
• Kropp W, Blomqvist J, Kihlman T, The use of visualisation and auralisation for teaching in acoustics. Int. Symposium on Simulation, Visualization for Acoustic Research and Education, April 2-4 1997, Tokyo, Japan.
  
• Kropp W, Pietrzyk A, Kihlman T, Optimisation of sound insulation at low frequencies, InterNoise 96, Liverpool, July/August 1996.
• Kropp, W., Kihlman, T., "Improving understanding in acoustics – a pilot study". Forum Acusticum 96, Antwerpen, April 1996.
• Pietrzyk A, Kropp W, Numerical modelling of low frequency air-borne sound transmission through building partitions. 1st Int. Conf. On Computational Acoustics and its Environmental Applications, "COMAC 95", Southampton, April 1995.
• Kropp W, A two dimensional acoustic rolling model for investigating the source mechanisms of tyre noise. 15th International Congress on Acoustics, Trondheim, June 1995.
• Kropp W, Svensson P, Time domain formulation of the method of equivalent sources. 15th International Congress on Acoustics, Trondheim, June 1995.

 PHD Thesis

• W Kropp, Ein Modell zur Beschreibung des Rollgeräusches eines unprofilierten Gürtelreifens auf rauher Strassenoberfläche, (A model for the description of the rolling noise from a smooth tyre on a rough road). Thesis, Fortschritt-Berichte Reihe 11, Nr 166, VDI Verlag , Düsseldorf 1992.

Habilitationsschrift