Design and Analysis of a Dual Mover Linear Oscillating Actuator for a Totally Artificial Heart

The paper investigates a novel configuration of a linear oscillating actuator (LOA) with permanent magnet (PM) mover for a totally artificial heart (TAH). This electromagnetic device integrates a dual motion effect driving two independent movers connected to two chambers that emulate the left and the right ventricles, respectively. After an overview of formerly proposed configurations, the specific design targets of this TAH project are presented, evidencing its demanding constraints as for its sizes and performances. On this basis, a preliminarily devised LOA configuration is refined by 2D finite element analyses, according to the force profiles, the energy consumption being the same. The consistency with the expected targets is confirmed, identifying a suitable supply strategy to enhance the thrust performance. Afterward, a parametric analysis, taking into account the thrust profile evenness by suitable indices, leads to further performance improvements.