Abstract: The performance of hydraulic turbines, as the core mechanical equipment for developing hydropower, determines the development and utilization rate of hydropower. Driven by the progress of modern science and technology, hydraulic turbine technology has made a great progress in China, it has experienced the developing stages of introduction, absorption, digestion and recreation, and now has reached an internationally advanced level after a rapid development over recent two decades. This paper focuses on the key research advances made in the field of turbine technology in the past two decades, based on a comprehensive synthesis of research achievements in this field in China and abroad. The progress is summarized in three parts: hydrodynamic foundation of hydraulic turbines, optimal design theory of hydraulic turbine flow components, and development of new hydraulic turbines. This paper also discuss the problems in some of the research fields and present a prospect for the development trends in hydraulic turbine technology.

Key words: hydraulic turbine, cavitation, transient process, vortex identification, optimization design, novel hydraulic turbine