Abstract: A bearing assembly is for supporting a shaft in a housing, preferably a rotor shaft of a centrifugal compressor. The bearing assembly includes at least a first bearing pair including a first rolling bearing and a second rolling bearing arranged back to back, each one of the first and second rolling bearings including an inner ring attached to the shaft, an outer ring and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring. A radial gap is provided between the outer ring of the first rolling bearing and the housing and the outer ring of the second rolling bearing is in contact with the housing. Preferably, a fixing element restricts axial movement of the outer ring of the first rolling bearing with respect to the housing.

Abstract: A bearing assembly includes a first bearing unit and a second bearing unit for supporting a shaft, in particular a rotor shaft within a centrifugal compressor in which an axial load acts on the shaft in a first or a second axial direction, the second axial direction being opposite to the first axial direction. When the axial load acts in the first axial direction, the first bearing unit is configured to support both an axial load and a radial load and the second bearing unit is configured to support a radial load. Alternatively, when the axial load acts in the second axial direction, the first bearing unit is configured to support a radial load and the second bearing unit is configured to support both an axial load and a radial load.