Coaxially pumped cooling station
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling techniques for heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media production are inefficient due to unreliable cooling rates and prolonged processing times, limiting the production rate and quality of recording disks.
Innovation Solution
A cooling station design with a reduced chamber volume, higher gas pressure, faster pumping, and increased temperature difference between cooling structures and the disk, utilizing coaxial turbomolecular pumps and cryogenic cooling to enhance heat transfer and reduce cooling times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional cooling techniques are used, then the cooling process is reliable, but the cooling rate is slow and processing time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling station is divided into two separate pumping systems operating on opposite sides of the chamber, each with its own throttle valve. This segmentation allows independent control of pumping rates and enables faster overall gas removal from the chamber, directly addressing the slow cooling rate issue while maintaining reliable operation through redundant systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic control through adjustable throttle valves on each pumping line, allowing the pumping rate to be optimized during different stages of the cooling process. This dynamic adjustment enables faster cooling rates when needed while maintaining system reliability, resolving the contradiction between speed and reliability
2Productivity
If chamber volume is reduced to increase cooling efficiency, then cooling rate improves, but the chamber may not accommodate the medium properly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions cooling plates on opposite sides of the chamber with the medium positioned between them, creating a three-dimensional cooling configuration. This dimensional arrangement maximizes the cooling surface area relative to the chamber volume, enabling efficient heat transfer while maintaining adequate chamber size for medium accommodation
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system applies localized cooling through plates positioned in direct contact with or close proximity to the medium surfaces. This concentrates the cooling effect where it is most needed, achieving high cooling efficiency without requiring a uniformly small chamber volume
3Temperature
If higher gas pressure and faster pumping are used, then heat transfer is enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two pumping systems into a coordinated operation, where both pumps work simultaneously to achieve faster gas removal and enhanced heat transfer. This merging of systems achieves the desired temperature control while distributing the complexity across two simpler, identical units rather than one complex system
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-pump system with independent throttle valves enables self-regulation of the cooling process. Each pump-throttle combination can independently manage its side of the chamber, allowing the system to automatically balance and optimize heat transfer without requiring complex centralized control
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design significantly increases the cooling efficiency, allowing for faster production rates and improved quality of carbon overcoats by reducing the time disks spend in the cooling station while maintaining or decreasing overall processing time.
Implementation Method 1
a first cooled structure having a first surface and an opposing second surface and a second cooled structure having a first surface and an opposing second surface. The first surface of the first cooled structure faces the first surface of the second cooled structure forming a gap, and the gap is configured to receive the medium
Implementation Method 2
The chamber also includes a gas inlet... configured to receive a medium... utilizing coaxial turbomolecular pumps and cryogenic cooling to enhance heat transfer
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprises a chamber and two pumps coupled to opposing sides of the chamber. The chamber is configured to receive a medium and includes a first cryogenically cooled structure having a first surface and an opposing second surface and a second cryogenically cooled structure having a first surface and an opposing second surface. The first surface of the first cryogenically cooled structure faces the first surface of the second cryogenically cooled structure forming a gap. The gap is configured to receive the medium. The chamber also includes a gas inlet.