Numerical Modeling and Performance Analysis of a Disk Drive Spindle Motor using Circuit-Field Coupled Systems

This paper presents the modeling, simulation and performance analysis of the disk drive spindle motor using numerical methods. Dynamic model of the motor is developed using time stepping FEM. Due to the direct coupling of the transient electromagnetic field, circuit and motion; the solutions can take into account the saturation effect, the eddy current effect, the rotor movement, the non-sinusoidal quantities and high order harmonics of the electromagnetic field which are very difficult to include in analytical approach and traditional FEM. An improved steady state model is proposed using time stepping FEM combined with magneto-static FEM to reduce the time spent in reaching steady state solution. A new approach to couple the time stepping FEM with closed loop feedback control is presented to analyze the motor with a controller as an actual motor-controller drive system