The hydraulic rotary valve is a hydraulic component that can be used to realize the reversal of the oil circuit of the hydraulic system.It has the characteristics of controllable commutation frequency,especially in high frequency hydraulic excitation systems.There are many research achievements on the performance of hydraulic rotary valves.The structure innovation,hydrodynamic force characteristics,high frequency commutation characteristics and gap flow characteristics of hydraulic rotary valve were summarized,the related factors affecting the performance of hydraulic rotary valves were summarized,and the problems and further research directions of hydraulic rotary valves were put forward.