Western Digital Boosts Hard Drive Capacity With Helium

[Galaxy]

On Thursday, HGST announced a new helium-filled HDD platform, expected to hit the market in 2013, that boosts storage capacity while consuming less energy. In a statement, the company--which was formerly called Hitachi Global Storage Technologies until Western Digital acquired it in March--said the new design should "significantly [reduce] total cost of ownership."

The new storage products are built around sealed drive enclosures that have been filled with helium, which is one-seventh as dense as regular air. HGST claims the new technology exerts less force on the drive's spinning disks, thereby diminishing the mechanical power required by 23%.

The design also allows components to be arranged more closely to one another, meaning that Western Digital's new HDDs can fit seven platters--up from the current standard of five--into a typical 3.5-inch form factor. The resulting increase in storage capacity makes the energy savings even more dramatic; HGST claims that energy consumption is 45% improved on a watts-per-terabyte basis. The company also stated new products will "emit less acoustic noise" than current models.

http://www.informationweek.com/storage/s.../240007389

[Baldrick]

Why do i get flashes of the hindenberg when reading that?

[Galaxy]

(09-19-2012 05:42 AM)Baldrick Wrote:  Why do i get flashes of the hindenberg when reading that?

The hindenburg was filled with hydrogen.

Helium is a noble gas and cannot even burn.

The problem is that helium is not renewable and we have already a shortage on earth.

[GP100357]

(09-19-2012 05:55 AM)Galaxy Wrote:  

(09-19-2012 05:42 AM)Baldrick Wrote:  Why do i get flashes of the hindenberg when reading that?

The hindenburg was filled with hydrogen.

Helium is a noble gas and cannot even burn.

The problem is that helium is not renewable and we have already a shortage on earth.

This may be why: http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/...-shortage/