On July 2nd, the world's first impulse turbine with a maximum single capacity of 500 megawatts and a maximum wheel size of 6.23 meters was independently developed and shipped by Harbin Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. of Harbin Electric Power Group, marking a historic breakthrough in China's core equipment field for high head and large capacity impulse turbine units. The runner will be applied to Zala Hydropower Station in Xizang. The bucket wheel of the impulse turbine, as the core component of the unit, plays a crucial role in converting the kinetic energy of water flow into mechanical energy, and can be regarded as the "heart" of hydroelectric units. Harbin Electric Power Group relies on the impact hydraulic test bench of the National Key Laboratory of Hydroelectric Power Equipment, as well as its resource advantages in key aspects such as structural design, material preparation, welding technology, and precision machining. After six years of research and development and manufacturing, it has customized a high-performance water bucket wheel for the Zhala Hydropower Station's impact unit, consisting of 21 precision water buckets with an outer diameter of 6.23 meters, a total wheel height of 1.34 meters, and a weight of about 80 tons. Its core component, the wheel hub forging, is currently the world's largest martensitic stainless steel forging. These parameters mark a breakthrough in the hydraulic performance, efficient operating range, and pressure bearing capacity of the wheel in the industry. (New Society)