application_number US 86501501 A description turning to the drawings wherein like characters designate identical or corresponding parts fig6 shows a preferred configuration of the magnetic thrust bearing 10 a thrust disk 111 is attached to the shaft 112 and is acted upon by a lower yoke ring 113 and an upper yoke ring 114 a single coil 115 provides the control flux 122 an upper permanent magnet ring 116 provides the upper bias flux 118 and the lower permanent ring 117 provides the lower bias flux 119 the magnets 116 and 117 as well as the yokes 113 and 114 could be made as only a segment and not a complete ring however this would cause eddy currents in the thrust disk 111 during rotation so it is not desirable for rotating shaft applications the control flux 122 and bias fluxes 118 and 119 have substantially non coincident paths but do share the same paths through the pole rings 120 and 121 and in the airgaps to the thrust disk 111 by superposition as shown in fig6 the control and upper bias flux 122 118 subtract and the control and lower bias flux 122 119 add the result is a net force downward on the thrust disk 111 reversing the current in the control coil 115 results in a net force upward because of the bias fluxes 118 and 119 the force generated is linear.