System and apparatus for reducing thrust forces acting on a compressor rotor

A system and method of counterbalancing an aerodynamic thrust force generated by the impellers of a centrifugal compressor is disclosed. A rotor assembly includes a rotatable shaft disposed within a housing, and having a plurality of impellers axially-spaced from each other and coupled to the rotatable shaft for rotation therewith. Adjacent impellers along the rotatable shaft are each separated from each other with a stationary wall having one or more magnets coupled thereto. The magnets are disposed axially-adjacent a hub-side of each impeller such that the one or more magnets magnetically-attract each impeller toward the adjacent stationary wall, thereby reducing a net impeller thrust of the rotor assembly.