Motor Spin-Up Boosting via Auxiliary Battery Discharge
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High-capacity disc drives require longer time to spin up due to increased mass of multiple discs, which hampers faster data access, and existing power solutions are constrained by cost and power budgets, preventing motor sizing to equalize spin-up performance across low and high capacity drives.
Innovation Solution
A control circuitry system that compares available auxiliary power from a battery to a predefined threshold, boosting primary power to the motor for a predetermined interval to accelerate it to steady state speed more quickly, thereby reducing the time to ready (TTR).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the motor is sized to equalize spin-up performance across low and high capacity drives, then spin-up time is reduced, but cost and power budget constraints are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is charged during periods when the disc drive is not in use or when power demand is low, storing energy in advance. During spin-up operations, this pre-stored energy is discharged to supplement the primary power supply, enabling faster motor acceleration without requiring a larger primary power supply
Solution Approach 2:
The system operates in periodic cycles: charging the battery during low-demand periods and discharging during high-demand spin-up periods. This periodic charge-discharge pattern allows the system to meet peak power requirements without permanently increasing the primary power supply capacity
Solution Approach 3:
The battery acts as an intermediary energy storage device between the primary power supply and the motor. It buffers the power delivery, absorbing excess power when available and releasing it during spin-up operations, thereby decoupling the motor sizing from the primary power supply constraints
2Quantity of substance
If multiple discs are added to increase storage capacity, then data storage capacity is improved, but spin-up time increases due to increased mass
Solution Approach 1:
Energy is stored in the battery in advance during low-power periods, preparing it to deliver the additional torque needed during spin-up of high-capacity drives with multiple discs, thereby compensating for the increased rotational mass without sacrificing storage capacity
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 approach significantly reduces the time required to spin up the motor in high-capacity disc drives, enhancing data access speed without increasing the motor or power supply size, thus addressing the performance gap between low and high capacity drives.
Implementation Method 1
A battery and a recharging module are provided in the disc drive. The motor control circuitry operates to compare an amount of auxiliary power that is available from the battery to a predefined threshold, and if the threshold comparison is favorable then boost the primary power to the motor by discharging the battery
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and associated method that contemplate a data storage disc and a motor supporting the disc in rotation. Control circuitry operates to spin up the disc drive by accelerating the motor to a steady state speed by: beginning the spin up by energizing the motor with a primary power; comparing an amount of auxiliary power that is available from a battery to a predefined threshold; and before the motor is accelerated to the steady state speed and if the threshold comparison is favorable, then boosting the primary power by discharging the battery for a predetermined boost interval.