Hybrid continuum-DSMC and particle-laden flow modeling in the Head-Disk Interface gap

Abstract

Airflow modeling in the vicinity of the Head-Disk Interface (HDI) gap in a modern Hard Disk Drive (HDD) enclosure using the DSMC method is discussed. A hybrid continuum-DSMC model based on the Schwarz Alternating method is employed to couple the rarefied flow in the HDI region which is modeled by the DSMC method to the continuum flow outside the slider modeled by Navier-Stokes equation. Modeling of particle-laden flow in the HDI gap is also described in this work. A two-phase model has been incorporated in a parallel three dimensional DSMC method to enable computation of particle trajectories in the HDI gap.