Patent ID: 8466591

Claim:
A bearing system for a high speed rotary machine, said bearing system comprising a rotor shaft including one of a plurality of active magnetic and hydrostatic radial bearings and at least one of at least one active magnetic and hydrostatic axial bearing for supporting said rotor shaft, said at least one of at least one active and hydrostatic axial bearing being arranged at one end of said rotor shaft; and a permanent magnet axial bearing arranged at a same end as said at least one of at least one active magnetic and hydrostatic axial bearing, said permanent magnet axial bearing comprising at least one permanent magnet arranged on the rotary shaft and at least one permanent magnet connected to a control system for varying a distance or gap therebetween, thus providing a variable force in said permanent magnet axial bearing in order to counteract at least semi-static axial forces imposed on said rotor shaft.