Device and Method for Magnetically Axially Supporting a Rotor

The invention relates to a device (40) for magnetically axially supporting a rotor, which rotor comprises a thrust bearing plate (32) connected to the rotor, in a magnetic thrust bearing (54) having at least two independently controllable bearing branches (3, 4, 41) which each comprise at least one coil (5, 42), wherein magnetic flux isolation of the bearing branches (3, 4, 41) is provided, which flux isolation consists in that at least two of the bearing branches (3, 4) are arranged one after the other in the circumferential direction and have a single common pole (9) which has a circularly closed circumference, the center point of which is arranged on the axis of rotation (35) of the rotor, wherein the coils (5) surround pole segments (11) connected to the common pole (9) and wherein the common pole (9) is arranged either radially inside or radially outside of the pole segments (11), and/or in that the thrust bearing plate (32) is divided into at least two coaxial plate parts (46, 61) which are associated with different bearing branches (3, 4, 41) and which are separated by a non-magnetic material, for example in the form of a spacer ring (60), wherein the bearing branches (3, 4, or 41) associated with the plate parts (46, 61) are arranged coaxially partially in each other or overlapping.