Chulho Pang: An award-winning career of customer-centric engineering

Every day IMI collaborates with customers to solve flow control challenges. Many of the colleagues who lead on these projects are Valve Doctors, representing the company’s most prominent and knowledgeable engineering experts.

It takes around seven years of study and serious commitment to become a Valve Doctor™, so even new graduates from the programme cannot be considered ‘junior.’ Even so, there are certain IMI colleagues whose expertise makes them truly ‘senior,’ with their work often used as an example for others to follow.

Chulho Pang is one of them. Based in South Korea, Chulho joined IMI in 1996 as a project engineer. Since then, he has become an indispensable part of the team by pioneering novel valve designs and cementing IMI’s presence in South Korea and further afield.

As one of the company’s most senior Valve Doctors, Chulho’s career is one of the best examples of IMI nurturing talent in the service of its customers. And he shows what can be done when deep engineering knowledge is given the freedom to reimagine long-held industry challenges.

Chulho’s impact extends well beyond IMI, having recently been cited by his own government for contributions to industry and the Korean economy. To mark this prestigious award, this blog takes a look at one of his most influential designs – EroSolve Flashing – and how it has transformed customer sites across the world.

Recognising the customer challenge

Customer-centric development is the main reason EroSolve Flashing has been so effective. This design began with a problem statement devised by Chulho, having spoken to customers across multiple sites: “Flashing causes severe damage, but it can never be completely eliminated, so what can be done to minimise its impact on valves and connecting equipment?

”Site managers and maintenance teams are familiar with the impact of flashing – especially those working in the power sector. It is a common phenomenon that occurs when the absolute pressure of a liquid falls below the vapour pressure of the substance being processed.

This chain of events causes the liquid to boil, often with destructive consequences. Boiling liquid trapped within constricted passages leads to choked flow, reducing a valve’s capacity and potentially propelling tiny droplets of liquid at extremely high velocities. When this occurs, a valve’s structure becomes severely compromised, leading to losses, unplanned downtime, and critical safety risks.

In short, flashing is not just an operational challenge but a scourge that can lead to significant losses in plant production, potentially taking a site offline for lengthy periods, costing millions annually, and increasing labour costs as engineers search for a lasting solution.

Reimagining flow control

Standard control valve designs are not made to withstand flashing. In the most severe cases, this will lead to erosion both inside the valve and downstream of the pipe.

Site managers have only two solutions: reconfigure plant operating conditions, which is disruptive and expensive, or upgrade the site’s valves with something capable of withstanding flashing.

Recognising this dilemma, Chulho developed a new design using IMI’s patented DRAG® technology. EroSolve Flashing’s multi-path, multi-turn spindle significantly reduces fluid velocity by moving the flashing point away from critical trim parts. Its special seat and plug minimise pressure drop, while hardened materials protect trim parts from erosion.

Importantly, Chulho’s design can be fitted as a standalone valve or as trim components, a major advantage for sites with existing assets suffering from flashing that cannot be fully replaced.

https://vimeo.com/1030695389/82d79eb04f

Breakthrough engineering in action

First introduced in 2020, EroSolve Flashing has already transformed operations in power facilities worldwide. One of the most significant transformations occurred at a combined cycle power plant in 2021. This 2 x 900W facility experienced severe heat erosion in its heat recovery steam generators, elevating risk for on-site staff.

Inspections led by Chulho revealed that four angle valves in the HP intermittent blowdown applications had suffered internal erosion after two years of operation, damaging downstream piping walls. IMI’s valve seat and plug upgrade, fitted in May 2021, prevented further damage, leading to a repeat order for the customer’s other three valves.

Beyond EroSolve Flashing, Chulho’s work in Korea has delivered strategic benefits. IMI product lines, such as EroSolve Metamorphic Trim (MMT), SP piston actuators, and MSDIII diaphragms, were originally designed under Chulho’s guidance. Today, those actuators are still manufactured in Korea, allowing IMI to meet competitive pricing targets, with savings passed on to customers.