IMI has completed a retrofit at the Wildcat Point energy generation facility in Maryland, resolving severe erosion in a high-pressure spray water valve exposed to demanding flow and pressure conditions.
The valve had been operating with flow rates of up to 88,000 lb/hr and a pressure drop of around 1,100 psi. Those conditions accelerated wear across critical internal components, including the trim, spindle, and seat ring, while performance data showed unstable flow behaviour and Cv values above the valve’s rated capacity.
At a gas-fired power generation facility, loss of control accuracy in a spray water valve can quickly turn into a reliability and maintenance problem. High-velocity flow through conventional trim can concentrate erosion at vulnerable surfaces, increasing the frequency of intervention and reducing confidence in stable operation.
IMI worked with the Wildcat Point engineering team to assess the valve’s actual duty profile rather than relying on nominal operating assumptions. Around 2,000 process data points were analysed to establish the true operating range, refine the sizing requirements, and define the geometry needed to keep the valve stable across real service conditions.
The retrofit used a 3D printed disc stack trim designed to manage the pressure drop in multiple stages. By distributing the pressure reduction through the trim, the design reduces velocity at critical surfaces and limits the mechanisms that had been driving erosion inside the valve.
The monolithic trim integrates the seat and trim into a single component, simplifying installation while improving durability. Because the upgraded trim was fitted inside the existing valve body, IMI avoided full valve replacement and the associated pipe cutting, welding, post-weld heat treatment, and hydrotesting that would normally add complexity to severe-service valve work.
Further optimisation of the trim geometry increased the valve’s rated Cv and allowed it to handle previously observed flow outliers more safely. The result was a broader and more stable control range, with inspection results showing reduced erosion and wear after implementation.
“Applications involving high pressure drops and unstable flow conditions can create significant erosion challenges for conventional valve designs,” said Roby Buyung, President for Process Automation at IMI. “At Wildcat Point, detailed analysis of the operating conditions allowed us to optimise the trim geometry and pressure staging within the valve, significantly improving flow stability while reducing wear and maintenance demands.”
The retrofit also demonstrates how additive manufacturing is being applied to installed process equipment, particularly where conventional machining limits the internal flow paths that can be achieved. In severe-service applications, the ability to redesign internal trim while retaining the valve body can reduce downtime, cost, and installation risk.
Further information is available through IMI’s Retrofit3D service.
