Tier M valve solutions: How to solve multi-phase flow challenges

The technologies range from reliable everyday control valves through to advanced severe-service solutions designed for extreme operating conditions. As applications become more demanding, the challenges typically involve higher pressure drops, tighter flow control, increased noise levels, or severe cavitation. These challenges are addressed by moving through the valve tiers and selecting increasingly sophisticated control technologies.

But what happens when the challenge is not the severity of the operating conditions, but the composition of the fluid itself? When gases carry liquid droplets, liquids contain solid particles, or pressure changes create flashing and cavitation, conventional single-phase valve solutions may no longer be enough. In these situations, customers often experience accelerated wear, clogging, reduced reliability, poor controllability, and costly unplanned downtime.

This is where IMI’s Tier M begins. Rather than representing another step up in the valve hierarchy, Tier M highlights purpose-built technologies specifically engineered to solve multi-phase flow problems.

Multi-phase flow occurs when fluid moving through a pipeline contains two or more phases rather than a single homogeneous medium.

Common examples include:

While these conditions are common across power generation, oil and gas, refining and fertiliser production, they create challenges that traditional valve technologies were never designed to handle. The result can be erosion, clogging, leakage, poor minimum-flow control, increased maintenance requirements and reduced plant availability. And for operators, these issues translate directly into higher operating costs, reduced efficiency and increased production risk.

To address these specialised applications, we have developed innovative technologies that target specific multiphase flow challenges.

Our Tier M is formed by three proven solutions:

Each technology has been engineered to address a specific customer problem, helping operators improve reliability, extend equipment life, and reduce maintenance costs.

Wet steam erosion occurs when high-velocity condensate droplets repeatedly strike valve internals, gradually removing material from critical trim components. This problem is particularly common during start-up, shutdown and low-load operating conditions. Left unchecked, erosion can lead to internal leakage, declining valve performance, increased maintenance requirements and reduced plant efficiency.

IMI EroSolve Wet Steam is a purpose-engineered trim upgrade designed specifically to combat wet steam erosion. Using erosion-resistant materials and enhanced sealing and trim components, the solution protects critical valve internals from the damaging effects of condensate and wet steam.

Because the technology can often be retrofitted into existing valves, operators can upgrade performance without replacing valve bodies or actuators. This provides a cost-effective route to extending valve life, reducing maintenance interventions and improving long-term reliability.

Many severe-service applications involve liquids carrying abrasive or suspended solid particles. These solids can accumulate within conventional trim designs, causing clogging, restricted flow and poor controllability. The consequences are often significant, including reduced production rates, increased maintenance costs and unplanned shutdowns.

IMI EroSolve Metamorphic Trim (MMT) is a patented, additive-manufactured trim developed specifically to address clogging and poor low-flow performance in applications containing entrained solids. Its advanced self-cleaning design incorporates expanding internal flow passages that reduce the likelihood of blockage while maintaining stable flow control.

The design also delivers precise velocity control, helping reduce vibration, noise, and the risk of cavitation-related damage. With rangeability greater than 200:1, IMI’s MMT technology provides exceptional low-flow control across a wide operating range. This enables operators to maintain performance even under the most demanding process conditions. Available either as a retrofit solution or a complete valve assembly, IMI Metamorphic Trim has been successfully applied across power generation, oil and gas, refining and fertiliser production, helping customers reduce downtime and improve operational reliability.

Urea production presents one of the most challenging environments for control valves. This is due to aggressive process media that can crystallise within conventional valve designs, leading to blockage, increased maintenance requirements and reduced reliability.

IMI’s BEU Urea+ is a dedicated control valve specifically engineered for urea service. Manufactured from high-alloy corrosion-resistant materials, the valve features an anti-crystallisation internal flow path designed to eliminate dead zones where deposits can form. The result is improved reliability, reduced maintenance intervention and more stable long-term operation.

Additional features, including live-loaded packing and IMI EEEasy-Seal™ technology, further enhance sealing performance and minimise fugitive emissions and leakage risks. Combined with advanced corrosion protection and specialised internal geometry, IMI BEU Urea+ helps operators achieve longer service life, increased plant availability and improved process safety.

With more than 350 valve solutions spanning the IMI portfolio, most applications can be addressed through the established valve tiers featured throughout this series. However, some challenges require a different approach.

IMI EroSolve Wet Steam, IMI EroSolve MMT and IMI BEU Urea+ demonstrate how specialist engineering can overcome the unique issues created by multi-phase flow. Whether the challenge is erosion, clogging, cavitation or crystallisation, our Tier M solutions are designed to target the root cause and deliver measurable improvements in reliability, performance and operational efficiency.

As with every valve in the #ChooseTheRightValve series, the objective remains the same: understanding the process challenge and matching it with the right-sized solution. Our approach is always to help customers maximise uptime, improve controllability, and reduce total lifecycle costs.

To discover more about IMI’s multi-phase flow technologies.