Patent ID: 8616833

Claim:
A method to counteract wear about a guide vane in a water turbine caused by turbine driving water containing particles, the guide vane being arranged in a guide vane housing of the water turbine, and a vane supporting shaft located respectively at either end of the vane to form an upper shaft and a lower shaft, respectively, the method comprising: providing a water supply of cleaned water or water having a lower particle content than that of turbine driving water, and delivering the water from said water supply to an annular slit surrounding the upper shaft and the lower shaft, respectively, at a transition region between the respective shaft and the vane, the water passage to said slit being provided via a water supply pipe in engagement with the lower shaft and an axial bore extending through the lower shaft and the vane, and at said transition region from said axial bore into a lateral, radial bore extending through the upper shaft and the lower shaft, respectively, at said transition region, the water thereby being delivered to the annular slit via said radial bore.