Abstract:

The artificial blood pump has to meet the following advantages, small volume and mass and low power consumption. Radial permanent magnetic bearings (RPMBs) and axial electromagnetic bearings (AEMBs) were employed in the magnetic levitated artificial blood pump to suspend the rotor in five degree of freedoms (DOFs) and to meet the above requirements. According to the mechanical equilibrium condition of the blood pump rotor, two structure design methods were presented for the magnetic levitated system of the blood pump. One can be called the low power consumption design method and the other can be called the single axial EMB design method. The design principals of radial PMB and axial EMB in the two methods were given. Compared with the first method, the second method  simplifies the blood pump structure and the axial EMB’s controller, and greatly reduces the pump volume and mass, though it maybe require more power consumption. A prototype axialflow magnetic levitated blood pump was designed and manufactured according to the second method.  Experimental results showed that the rotor was successfully and stably suspended in five DOFs by radial PMBs and only one axial EMB. These results showed that the magnetic bearing system structure design method presented is feasible. This study will provide references to the structure design of the magnetic levitated artificial blood pump.

Key words: magnetic bearing, artificial blood pump, system design