Thermodynamic optimization of the recuperative heat exchanger for Joule–Thomson cryocoolers using response surface methodology

•Response Surface Methodology was developed to analyze the heat exchanger.•The available work loss minimization was introduced as a new criterion.•The interacting effects of geometric parameters were considered in the study.•The optimum geometric parameters of the heat exchanger were acquired and verified.

In this paper, a numerical study is performed to investigate the effects of geometrical parameters on the thermodynamic performance of the helically coiled recuperative heat exchanger in a Joule–Thomson (J–T) cryocooler. A novel optimization model is developed based on the available work loss minimization for the recuperative heat exchanger. The experiments are conducted based on four factors: L, Dt, S, Ds, one level: Nd, and the results are analyzed according to the principle of Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The final predicted optimum combination of geometrical parameters for the heat exchanger is: L = 430.5 mm, Dt = 0.45 mm, S = 5.41, Ds = 4.3 mm. The optimization results are in good agreement with our model, and the deviations of predicted values are less than 1.32%. The model and results presented here for the optimization of the heat exchanger can provide helpful guidance and a new way for the optimization of J–T cryocooler.