Analysis of Tape Floating Behaviour in VCR using Averaged Thickness Method.

The floating phenomena of the tape on the rotating drum in VCRs were treated as an air-bearing problem using the averaged thickness theory coupled with a tape deformation problem of an anisotropic thin shell equation in FEM (Finite Element Method). We obtained the floating height distribution dependence on the groove structure of the drum by computational simulation. We compared the averaged thickness model and the exact node model. We showed that the square grooves are more effective than the triangular grooves. Good agreement between the calculated and the measured results on the tape floating behaviour has been obtained. We showed the effectiveness of the structure/fluid coupled analysis using the averaged thickness theory. The computational simulation is very useful for designing the new VCR systems and determining the effects of design parameters.