A numerical simulation of particle trajectory in thin hard disk drive

This work numerically investigates the particle trajectory in a turbulent flow field and its trapped status in 2.5 inch thin hard disk drives (HDDs). The trajectory of particle is calculated and the particle trapped status is studied by statistical analysis of the behavior of massive particles. Two air filter designs are compared and evaluated. The effects of particle release position, particle size and density on the trapped status are examined. The results indicate that the filter should be arranged far from the read/write head, and the particle trapped status depends on the particle size and particle release position. The simulation results provide useful information and can be used as a guideline in the design of particle removal system inside thin HDDs.