Modeling thermal characteristics of a fixed disk drive

The thermal characteristics of an IBM 5-1/4-in. fixed disk drive were experimentally determined to aid in the development of a general disk-drive model. In general, the thermal model was able to predict the transient temperature profiles. At 4000 r/min, the steady-state temperatures of the air and arms were predicted to within 0.4 degrees C, and the base temperature was predicted to within 2.4 degrees C. The air temperature was found to be uniform within experimental uncertainty outside of the disk stack, but was 1.4 degrees C higher between corotating disks. The temperature predictions are extremely sensitive to the external heat transfer coefficients and the heat sources input by the user. It was found that more fundamental information regarding viscous dissipation and air flow within a disk drive must be known to produce a reliable thermal model.<
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