Adjustable cage assembly for flow control devices

An adjustable cage assembly for a flow control device, the adjustable cage assembly comprising:

• an annular cage body having an interior surface and an exterior surface, first flow openings arranged to provide a first-body radial flow area through the first annular cage body, and first insert recesses arranged circumferentially around the annular cage body;
• and
• a plurality of removable inserts, each having insert flow openings arranged to provide a respective flow area for flow through the removable insert;
• wherein each of the plurality of removable inserts are sized to be selectively received in at least one of the first insert recesses, the first insert recesses defining dovetail profiles sized to engage a corresponding dovetail profile of one or more of the removable inserts, and to provide a corresponding radial flow area through the adjustable cage assembly that is defined by an overlap pattern between the first openings and the insert openings;
• and
• wherein the adjustable cage assembly has a first radial flow area corresponding to the overlap pattern provided by a first insert of the removable inserts and a second, different radial flow area corresponding to the overlap pattern provided by a second insert of the removable inserts.

A method of adjusting an effective flow area in a flow control device, the method comprising:

• selecting a first removable insert from a plurality of removable inserts, each of the plurality of removable inserts having insert flow openings arranged to provide a respective flow area for flow through the removable insert;
• inserting the first removable insert into a first insert recess or a second insert recess of a plurality of insert recesses arranged circumferentially around an annular cage body that defines a central axis, to form a first configuration of an adjustable cage assembly with a first overlap pattern between the insert flow openings of the first removable insert and flow openings of the annular cage body at the first or second insert recess, the first overlap pattern defining a first radial flow area for flow through the first configuration of the adjustable cage assembly;
• selecting a second removable insert from the plurality of removable inserts;
• and
• inserting the second removable insert into the other of the first or second insert recess of the plurality of insert recesses to form a second configuration of an adjustable cage assembly with a second overlap pattern between the insert flow openings of the second removable insert and the flow openings of the annular cage body at the first or second insert recess, the second overlap pattern defining a second radial flow area for flow through the second configuration of the adjustable assembly.