Ferrofluid Rotary-Shaft Seal Apparatus and Method

Ferrofluid-type seal apparatuses for use in sealing rotary shafts, with single- and multiple-stage, ferrofluid-liquid, O-ring seals about the shaft, are well known (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,584 which describes a multiple-stage, ferrofluid, rotary-shaft seal).

Single- and multiple-stage ferrofluid seals have been used as exclusion seals, to protect one environment on one side of the shaft from contaminants in an environment on the other side of the shaft. Ferrofluid-type exclusion seals are useful particularly with computer-disc-drive spindles, to prevent contaminants in an environment from reaching a memory-disc area.

One standard ferrofluid exclusion seal presently employed in the computer field comprises an annular, ring-like, permanent magnet adapted to surround the spindle shaft and sandwiched between two, identical, pole-piece elements which are placed at the outer diameter into a contacting, magnetic-flux relationship with the one and the other polar ends of the permanent magnet. The inner diameter of the pole-piece elements extends into a close, noncontacting relationship with the surface of the shaft or spindle, to form a small gap for example, 2 to 10 mils, between the inner diameter of the pole piece elements and the shaft surface. A ferrofluid is disposed and magnetically retained in the gaps on the insertion of the magnetically permeable shaft or spindle, to form one or more liquid O-ring stages, which serve to form a ferrofluid exclusion seal about the shaft.

A wide variety of magnetic materials may be used to provide the permanent magnet, but usually the material is a sintered or bonded ceramic material having a longitudinal thickness of about 80 to 150 mils. The pole-piece elements are composed of magnetically permeable material, such as magnetic stainless steel (for example, 400 series), and range in thickness from about 25 to 80 mils. The standard exclusion seal, depending on customer requirements, is provided as described or placed in a nonmagnetic housing, such as of aluminum or stainless steel (for example, 300 series), such as by bonding- or staking-assembly techniques.

The exclusion seal is formed by placing a precise, optimum amount of a ferrofluid in the annular gap regions between the inner diameter of the pole pieces and the spindle shaft. Typically, the ferrofluid comprises a low-vapor-pressure carrier liquid, such as a fluorocarbon, a polyphenylether, a hydrocarbon, a diester liquid and similar low-vapor-pressure liquids, to provide for a very low mass loss of the ferrofluid forming the O-ring seal, thereby providing an exclusion seal of long operating life. For example, the standard ferrofluid exclusion seal is expected generally to last for several years under moderate temperature conditions and with the currently used computer-disc-drive-spindle speeds of 3600 rpm and with shaft diameters up to about 1.8 inches. The ferrofluid used may vary in viscosity, and the saturation magnetization, which usually ranges from 20 to 500 cps, and 100 to 400 gauss respectively.

It is desirable to extend the useful operating life of ferrofluid exclusion seals, particularly under higher ambient-temperature conditions; for example, greater than 50.degree. C., at spindle speeds that exceed 3600 rpm, and for larger shaft diameters, or a combination of these conditions.

The invention relates to a ferrofluid-type, rotary-shaft seal having an extended life and to the method of manufacturing and using such seal apparatus. In particular, the invention concerns a ferrofluid exclusion seal particularly useful with and in sealing computer-disc-drive spindles for extended time periods.

In a standard ferrofluid exclusion seal, it has been found that there are two basic design considerations--one magnetic, which determines the seal pressure, and the other heat-generation, which determines the seal life span.

Generally, the total pressure capacity of the current ferrofluid exclusion seals ranges from about 30 to 60 inches of water divided approximately equally between the two pole pieces. The pressure requirement for the usual disc-drive application is only 5 inches of water; thus, the seals have a large safety margin when it comes to pressure. In fact, even one ferrofluid O-ring seal is more than adequate to yield the required pressure capacity; however, in the present, standard design, there are two pole pieces, so that the magnetic-flux circuit will be complete.

It is known that a temperature gradient across the ferrofluid O-ring seal is produced, as a result of the heat generated by the viscous shearing of the ferrofluid between the rotating spindle shaft and the inner diameter of the stationary pole pieces. Some of this heat is conducted away through the pole pieces and the spindle shaft. Thus, the operating ferrofluid temperature depends on the heat-sink capabilities of the seal materials and structure, which, in turn, determines the ferrofluid evaporation rate and, therefore, the life of the seal. The operating fluid temperature is higher, when ferrofluid fills both gap regions, than when only one stage is activated with ferrofluid, and the other stage has an air gap under it. This results because each gap region filled with ferrofluid serves as an independent source of heat, thus raising the temperature of the seal structure to a higher value than if just one stage had been activated with ferrofluid.

Hence, unlike the seal pressure which doubles for both stages activated, as opposed to just one, seal life increases by having only one gap region filled with ferrofluid, and not both or a plurality of gap regions. Thus, an ideal situation would be one in which only one pole piece is activated with ferrofluid. A second pole piece, which would operate with an air gap, is used only to complete the magnetic circuit. The present seal-installation techniques, however, prohibit achieving this goal, since the ferrofluid is injected into the magnet area, which results in ferrofluid migration into both gap regions, upon the spindle shaft insertion.

It has been discovered that the life of a ferrofluid rotary-seal apparatus may be extended through the proper selection of the seal housing material and housing geometry, so as to conduct heat away from the ferrofluid in one or more of the gaps of the seal. The rapid removal of heat from the ferrofluid permits a lower ferrofluid temperature during shaft operation, resulting in reduced ferrofluid loss and an extension of seal life. An extended housing may be used, which extension overlaps the top of one or more pole pieces, or where the housing extends in contact with and along one side, preferably the outside, of the pole pieces in a heat-conductive, heat-exchange and contacting relationship. An extended housing, wherein the extension is a sheet material and is formed by swaging or staking along the outside of one or more of the pole pieces, has been found to extend seal life, as a result of the improved thermal path for heat conduction. In one embodiment, the housing extension may be formed integrally as part of the housing or formed separately adjacent the pole pieces by cladding or adhesive techniques. The conductive extension element may extend alongside the pole pieces and toward and into a close relationship with the end of the pole piece forming the gap with the surface of the rotary shaft, to hold the sealing ferrofluid, so that a thermal path extends from the area of the gap alongside the pole piece to the top or body of the housing which serves as a heat sink. It has been found, particularly with extended housings on exclusion seals used with computer-disc-drive spindles with diester ferrofluid, that a temperature reduction of 5.degree. C. or more of the ferrofluid can be obtained, permitting an extension of seal life.

In another embodiment, the heat-conductive extension can be placed on both pole pieces, to extend seal life for single-stage and multiple-stage ferrofluid seals. The extension on one pole piece extends the seal life of the ferrofluid at that particular gap, while the ferrofluid at the other gap, running at a higher temperature, is evaporated preferentially, to provide, after such stage failure or evaporation, an air gap. If desired, the housing material may be so designed to serve as a heat sink, or to designate or otherwise conduct the accumulated heat away to a heat sink of lower temperature, depending on the degree of seal life extension desired and the housing material and geometry used.

The housing and extension should be composed of a nonmagnetic material which is highly thermal-conductive. Typical useful materials include metals, such as nonmagnetic stainless steel (series 300), copper, aluminum and other metals. The removal of heat is particularly helpful in extending seal life, where the ferrofluid has a high viscosity and, thus, provides more heat due to shearing forces.

The invention will be described for the purpose of illustration only in connection with a particularly preferred embodiment; however, it is recognized that those persons skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the described embodiment, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic, illustrative, cross-sectional view of a ferrofluid exclusion seal of the invention at the start of the operation; and

FIG. 2 is the exclusion seal of FIG. 1 after evaporation of the ferrofluid under one pole piece.

FIG. 1 shows an extended-life, ferrofluid-seal apparatus 10 which comprises a permanent-magnet ring 14 within a housing 12 formed of aluminum and having magnetically permeable pole pieces 16 and 18; for example, 30 to 45 mils in thickness, in contact with either side of the magnet 14, and adjacent opposite poles to form an annular cavity 22 therebetween. The magnet 14 and the pole pieces 16 and 18 are disposed about a rotatable shaft 26, such as a computer-disc-drive spindle. The inner diameter of each of the pole piece 16 and 18 extends into a close relationship with the surface of shaft 26, to form a gap 20 therebetween of defined width, typically 2 to 6 mils. Ferrofluid 24, such as a diester or other ferrofluid; for example, with viscoity 20 to 500 cps and a saturation magnetization of 100 to 450 gauss, is retained by the magnetic gradient in the gap 20, to form two O-ring seals 30, shown in parallel dotted lines, about the shaft 26 on rotation thereof. The closed-circuit magnetic-flux path formed is illustrated in dotted lines 32. The seal apparatus 10 has a housing extension 28; for example 10 to 40 mils in thickness and made of aluminum, illustrated as part of housing 12. The extension is placed in close contact with pole piece 16 and along the outside thereof. The free end of the extension 28 extends toward and into a close relationship with the one end of pole piece 16 which forms gap 20. The extension 28 of heat-conductive material reduces the temperature of the ferrofluid at the gap 20 under pole piece 16, during operation of the shaft 26.

FIG. 2 illustrates the condition wherein the ferrofluid 24 in gap 20 under pole piece 18 has evaporated; that is, the seal has failed at that gap, but the seal life is extended by the ferrofluid O-ring seal 30 under pole piece 16, due to its lower temperature and, therefore, evaporation rate.

The extended-life seal apparatus, as illustrated, is particularly useful in extending seal life up to 25% over standard seals, without the heat-removing extension with computer-disc-drive spindles and diester ferrofluids.