View Single Post
  #17  
Old February 21st 19, 12:55 AM posted to comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage
Lynn McGuire[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 198
Default Which drive would you get?

On 2/20/2019 5:06 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
Lynn McGuire wrote:

On 2/20/2019 4:02 AM, VanguardLH wrote:
Computer Nerd Kev wrote:

Now what I don't understand is why there's no consideration given to
preventing the damage that can be caused by humidity in the first
place.

After having opened several failed HDDs, I've found a recess with a
plastic bubble containing what look to be very small carbon pellets; see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb0NW-Vx5vM. I've done no analysis on
what they are made, but I can't see any purpose for them other than to
absorb water when humidity is high and effuse water when humidity is
low. I suppose consumer-grade HDDs could be sealed provided they could
withstand a pressure change of 2 atmospheres which doesn't sound like
that much pressure.

With helium-filled HDDs, they must be sealed. However, helium is a
limited (non-renewable) natural resource (and the commercial helium
produced under high pressure is expensive), so that's a fad that will
disappear when helium prices begin to skyrocket due to reserve
shortages.


Do you have any figures on the cost of the helium in a sealed helium drive ?


http://www.weldingandgasestoday.org/...ium_prices.png

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...684044391.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2...an-do-about-it


I can get you any quantity of helium that you want. Any chemical
engineer can build you an air extraction plant. Or a natural gas
extraction plants for several fields in the central USA. You are
willing to pay $100/ft3, right ?

BTW, I asked what is the cost of the amount of helium that goes into a
hard drive. I would be surprised if the current cost is more than ten
cents and that the future projected cost was a buck.

Lynn