Patent ID: 7780403

Claim:
An adjustable vane system for use in a turbomachine having a shaft extending longitudinally of said turbomachine, a plurality of rows of turbine blades mounted transversely of said shaft, a bearing cone surrounding an outer portion of said shaft, and an exhaust flow passage comprising inner and outer walls, the adjustable vane system comprising: a plurality of movable vanes defining at least a portion of said outer wall of said exhaust flow passage, each said vane comprising a vane surface defined by a pair of longitudinal edges extending in an axial direction and a transverse edge extending between said longitudinal edges; a hinge structure pivotally supporting said vanes at a cylinder structure surrounding said turbine blades, and said hinge structure supporting said vanes for movement between at least a first position and a second position to change the cross-sectional area of the exhaust flow passage; an axially movable member supported adjacent to a radially outer surface of said cylinder structure for axial movement along said cylinder structure; a plurality of link members, each said link member connected to a respective vane at a first hinge connection at a first end of said link member, and each said link member connected to said axially movable member at a second hinge connection at a second end of said link member, wherein axial movement of said axially movable member actuates said vanes in pivotal movement; at least one actuator connected to said axially movable member for actuating said axially movable member in axial movement to effect pivotal movement of said vanes via pivotal movement at said first and second hinge connections of said link members; and wherein at least one longitudinal edge of each of said vanes is located in overlapping relation to the vane surface of an adjacent vane.