From November 27 to 28, 2025, as one of the parallel sessions of the Annual Conference of the China Electrical Engineering Society, the 24th China Hydroelectric Equipment Academic Seminar was held in Chongqing. The seminar was jointly hosted by the Hydroelectric Equipment Professional Committee of the China Electrical Engineering Society, the Turbine Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Power Engineering, and the Hydraulic Machinery Professional Committee of the China Society for Hydropower Engineering, and co-organized by Chongqing Water Turbine Works Co., Ltd.

Sun Shihui, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Electrical Engineering Society; Li Tieyou, Chairman of the Hydroelectric Equipment Professional Committee of the China Electrical Engineering Society and General Manager of IWHR Water Science and Technology Co., Ltd.; Chen Yu, General Manager of Chongqing Machinery & Electric Holdings (Group) Co., Ltd.; Song Yan, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of Power Engineering; Xi Hao, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the China Society for Hydropower Engineering; Jiang Yunzhong, Vice President of the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR); and more than 180 experts, scholars, and engineering and technical personnel from universities, research institutions, design institutes, manufacturing enterprises, and operation and management units across the country gathered to discuss technological innovation and industry development in hydroelectric equipment. The opening ceremony was hosted by Zhou Ye, Secretary-General of the Hydroelectric Equipment Professional Committee of the China Electrical Engineering Society and Deputy General Manager of IWHR Water Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

The academic sessions were hosted by Professor Wang Fujun from China Agricultural University, Chairman of the Conference Academic Committee.

Professor Qian Zhongdong from Wuhan University delivered a report titled “Exploration on Local Abrasion Mechanism and Vortex Control for Abrasion Reduction in Hydraulic Machinery.” The report introduced the core problems and industry pain points of hydraulic machinery abrasion in China’s sediment-laden rivers, systematically elaborated the multi-field coupling mechanism of abrasion under sediment-laden flow and the intensifying effect of vortex motion on abrasion, and proposed a vortex control scheme for abrasion reduction. The results have both theoretical innovation value and engineering application prospects.

Wang Huanmao, Deputy General Manager of Harbin Institute of Large Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd., delivered a report titled “Frontier Technology Research and Intelligent Manufacturing Progress of a New Generation of Hydropower Units Adapting to the New Power System.” The report pointed out that under the demand of the new power system, China has mastered the ultra-wide load stable operation technology of water turbines, which has been successfully applied to nearly 30 large-scale units in various head sections. In the future, the company will promote the wide-load retrofitting of units, extend the wide-load stability technology to pumped storage and other types of hydropower units, and accelerate the research, development and application of variable-speed pumped storage and offshore pumped storage equipment, as well as key technologies for high-head impulse hydropower units.

Fan Jiayi, Deputy Director of the R&D Center of Dongfang Electric Machinery Co., Ltd., delivered a report titled “Ten Major Technological Innovations and Prospects of Pumped Storage Units.” Focusing on technological breakthroughs in pumped storage units, the report systematically proposed ten core innovation achievements, including full-condition hydraulic stability control technology, S-characteristic “two-degree three-zone” zoning optimization technology, low-loss spray lubrication technology for bearings, high-efficiency cooling technology for internal and external zones of rotor windings, special wiring technology for balanced branches of stator windings, high-reliability design technology for inlet spherical valves, design and manufacturing technology for split-blade runners and stay rings, robot collaborative manufacturing and digital assembly technology, smart unit and digital commissioning technology, and pumped storage standardization technology. These achievements provide strong support for the technological upgrading and high-quality development of pumped storage equipment.

Bai Xiaobang, Chief Engineer of Chongqing Water Turbine Works Co., Ltd., delivered a report titled “Innovative Exploration and Practice of Small and Medium-Sized Hydropower Equipment.” The report conducted a comprehensive and systematic analysis and summary of the development trends of small and medium-sized hydropower, the innovation and application practices of hydro-turbine units, the research and implementation of related common key technologies, and the adaptation direction of small and medium-sized hydropower units under the new power system. It provided a clear practical path and theoretical reference for the technological upgrading, industrial transformation, and efficient application of small and medium-sized hydropower equipment in the new power system.

Xu Hongquan, Senior Engineer of IWHR Water Science and Technology Co., Ltd., delivered a report titled “Experiments and Reflections on Vibration Dynamics.” Focusing on the core issues of vibration and hydraulic stability of hydraulic machinery, the report analyzed natural frequency and resonance characteristics, the bidirectional effect of expansion-contraction cavitation cavities on amplifying pressure pulsations, and self-excited vibration mechanisms from multiple dimensions, providing theoretical reference for vibration and noise reduction and stable operation of hydraulic machinery.

He Chenglian, Chief Engineer of the Science and Technology Research Institute of China Water Resources Beifang Investigation, Design and Research Co., Ltd., delivered a report titled “Research Progress on Key Technologies for Stable Operation and Regulation of Hydraulic Machinery.” Centering on key technologies such as measurement, regulation, and feedback of hydraulic machinery, the report proposed using asymmetric hydraulic design to compensate for asymmetric forces during unit operation; developed a hydraulic regulation system to control and compensate for harmful forces formed in the design, manufacturing, installation and operation of units; and promoted the upgrading of hydraulic machinery toward precise regulation to ensure the safe and stable operation of equipment.

This conference achieved fruitful academic results. The officially published “Proceedings of the 24th Hydroelectric Equipment Academic Seminar” included 131 papers covering key fields such as hydraulic design and optimization, installation and operation, condition-based maintenance and fault diagnosis, structural design and manufacturing, experimental research, hydropower station renovation, cavitation and wear protection, and electrical and auxiliary equipment. The conference selected 15 high-quality papers and held a release ceremony. A total of three parallel sessions were set up, where participants conducted in-depth discussions on key technologies and practical applications of hydroelectric equipment, with a strong atmosphere of on-site exchange.

The convening of this conference built an efficient platform for academic exchange and technological cooperation among experts, scholars, and industry colleagues in the national hydropower field, effectively promoted the sharing and transformation of cutting-edge technological achievements, and is of great significance for promoting technological innovation in China’s hydroelectric equipment, supporting the construction of a new power system, and empowering the high-quality development of the hydropower industry.

During the conference, the Hydroelectric Equipment Professional Committee of the China Electrical Engineering Society, the Turbine Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Power Engineering, and the Hydraulic Machinery Professional Committee of the China Society for Hydropower Engineering respectively held their 2025 annual working meetings.