(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2016/0120075 A1 Logan Et Al
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US 2016O1 20075A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2016/0120075 A1 Logan et al. (43) Pub. Date: Apr. 28, 2016 (54) ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE PROTECTED Publication Classification HARD DRIVE (51) Int. C. (71) Applicant: Twin Harbor Labs, LLC, Plano, TX H05K 9/00 (2006.01) (US) GIIB 33/14 (2006.01) (52) U.S. C. (72) Inventors: James D. Logan, Candia, NH (US); CPC .......... H05K 9/0007 (2013.01); GII B33/1493 Garrett Malagodi, Durham, NH (US); (2013.01) Richard A. Baker, JR., West Newbury, MA (US); David Lentini, North Berwick, ME (US) (57) ABSTRACT (73) Assignee: TWIN HARBORLABS, LLC, Plano, TX (US) A computer storage system protected from electromagnetic Appl. No.: 14/880,760 pulses is described. The storage system utilizes either a hard (21) drive or a solid state drive to hold the data. The device uses (22) Filed: Oct. 12, 2015 fiber optics to transfer data and is powered by either a Power over Fiber system or by a switched battery system. The device Related U.S. Application Data protects against radiation, magnetic pulses, and electronic (60) Provisional application No. 62/062.999, filed on Oct. pulses using an enclosure that incorporates a faraday cage, a 13, 2014. radiation shield, and/or a magnetic shield. N EMP Detonation SS S. S S.S S S. SSsanxss S. s s s Ne s Earth Patent Application Publication Apr. 28, 2016 Sheet 1 of 4 US 2016/01 2007S A1 5. S:S : S: S : S: S3S S 3 S : S : S S : S: S SS. S S S S S S S SS. S S S S S S S SS. Ss& Figure 1 Patent Application Publication Apr. 28, 2016 Sheet 2 of 4 US 2016/01 2007S A1 EMP Detonation Earth Figure 2 Patent Application Publication Apr. 28, 2016 Sheet 3 of 4 US 2016/01 2007S A1 303 Figure 3 Patent Application Publication Apr. 28, 2016 Sheet 4 of 4 US 2016/01 2007S A1 Figure 4 US 2016/01 2007S A1 Apr. 28, 2016 ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE PROTECTED 0009. The present invention eliminates the issues articu HARD DRIVE lated above as well as other issues with the currently known products. RELATED APPLICATIONS 0001. This patent application is a non-provisional appli SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION cation of, and claims the benefit of the filing dates of, U.S. 0010. One aspect of the present invention takes the form of Provisional Patent No. 62/062,999 filed on Oct. 13, 2014 a data storage device designed to protect against EMP events entitled Electromagnetic Pulse Protected Hard Drive. The through the incorporation of a fiber optics data cable threaded disclosures of this provisional patent application is incorpo through a small serpentine hole in an EMP enclosure. A rated herein by reference. second Small serpentine hole contains a light pipe for trans mitting power over fiber to the inside of the EMP enclosure. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The EMP enclosure incorporates one or more of a faraday cage, a lead radiation shield, and a steel magnetic shield. The 0002 1. Field of the Invention data storage device could be a solid state hard drive or a 0003. The present invention is directed to computer stor rotating media hard drive. age devices and is more specifically related to rotating or Solid 0011. Another aspect of this invention takes the form of a state drives that are hardened to withstand electromagnetic data storage device designed to protect against EMP events pulses. through the incorporation of a fiber optics data cable threaded 0004 2. Description of the Related Art through a serpentine hole in an EMP enclosure. Power is 0005 Since the Manhattan project in the 1940s, govern delivered to the data storage device through a dual battery ments and businesses have been worried about the effects of device that is Switched between a charging state connected to nuclear explosions on electronics. At first, the concern was the outside of the EMP enclosure and directly connected to limited to the damage cause by blast and radiation. Later, power the storage device. The EMP enclosure incorporates however, as microelectronics (e.g., transistor-based) tech one or more of a faraday cage, a lead radiation shield, and a nologies began to dominate military and civilian use over steel magnetic shield. The data storage device could be a solid vacuum tube-based electronics (vacuum tubes being more state hard drive or a rotating media hard drive. resistant to EMP effects), the concern expanded to include a phenomenon called “electromagnetic pulse' (EMP). Hun BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES dreds of millions of dollars were spent by the US Government on nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s to determine the (0012 FIG. 1 is a diagram of one embodiment of the EMP characteristics of electromagnetic pulses on various military Protected Hard Drive using switched batteries for power. aviation and weapons systems. Shielding was designed and (0013 FIG. 2 is a diagram of the EMP Protected Hard equipment modified to avoid damage from a nuclear event. Drive showing an EMP event. But this work addressed military requirements and not the (0014 FIG. 3 is a diagram of the layers of the EMP enclo needs of the private sector. Sure, showing the relationship between the faraday cage, the 0006 Generally, EMP protections are implemented at the lead shield and the steel enclosure. 'site' level, along with construction and design to protect a (0015 FIG. 4 is a diagram of the EMP Protected Hard site from nuclear blast and radiation. Data centers are Drive using Solid State Hard Drive technology and Power included among Such sites, and there are numerous data cen over Fiber. ter designs that are EMP protected. However, like most mili tary implementations, these data centers are designed togen DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION erate power from within, so that EMP damage through the 0016. This invention allows for an EMP Protected Hard power lines can be eliminated. This solution is quite expen Drive to be actively used without the fear of corrupted or lost sive, and not useful for personal computers. However, given data. Most electronic devices would not survive an EMP the concerns over nuclear proliferation and the possibility of event, or they would require proper inaccessible storage. The a terrorist nuclear attack, the interest in providing protection EMP Protected Hard Drive provides unique safety features for critical data for non-military uses has become acute. never before seen in a hard drive, while operating efficiently 0007 Most personal computer owners who attempt to and consistently. address EMP risks use uninterruptable power supply (“UPS) (0017. The EMP Protected Hard Drive protects a rotating systems such as the Schneider Electric APC BACK-UPS or solid state hard drive, or other similar electronic device, PRO line of uninterruptable power supplies. These UPS sys againstan Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) that could otherwise tems include surge protection to block EMP impact on the prove damaging. The invention consists of a faraday cage connected devices. However, this APC UPS and most other Surrounding the hard drive, a power source capable of with Surge protection devices protect against a relatively low num standing extreme power Surges, and a fiber optics cable for ber of joules (hundreds of joules) whereas a lightning strike or transporting data to and from a processor. The hard drive is other EMP event could produce 5 billion joules of energy or designed to endure the effects of an electromagnetic pulse more. With this amount of energy, the electricity could easily from boosted electrical charges traveling through the power jump through all wires within the UPS, causing energy to lines and electronic current radiating through the air; both of follow to the connected devices. which are the main effects of an EMP strike. Some examples 0008. The other option for the personal computer owner is ofan EMP strike are nuclear explosions, lightning strikes, and to disconnect the hard drive by operating the computer wire Voltage spikes. In such situations, vital data stored on the lessly and with a battery. The disadvantages of this solution is EMP Protected Hard Drive would be safe and uncorrupted. that eventually the battery needs to be recharged, opening the 0018. A faraday cage is a well-known enclosure designed system to EMP risk during the recharging. to shield its product from airborne electromagnetic pulses. US 2016/01 2007S A1 Apr. 28, 2016 The cage does not, however, allow a user to interact with or prove to be another danger to electronic devices. The bomb power these devices. This invention is designed with the could create magnetic radiation and nuclear radiation; both ability to actively use the hard drive while remaining pro potential threats to a hard drive. To protect against nuclear tected from an EMP strike. Strikes occur extremely quickly radiation, a lead layer 302 of suitable thickness could be and can vary greatly in magnitude. It is vital that The EMP added surrounding the cage 303. A thickness of 600 mils is Protected HardDrive is designed to survive the most severe of preferred. Other materials that could replace the lead include situations, a close range EMP explosive, but it can also protect concrete, tantalum, Steel, or tin. To protect against magnetic against other electronic Surge situations. radiation, a layer of steel 301, preferably hot rolled steel, of 0019 While the discussions here discuss the protection of suitable thickness would be added. Iron or other materials a hard drive, it is envisioned that one of ordinary skill in the art could replace the Steel to protect against the magnetic radia could incorporate other computer components in the EMP tion.