The determination of the thermal conductivity of insulation materials depending on which parameters in the application as well as the production is very important. In this direction, the parameters affecting thermal conductivity should be determined to improve the efficiency of the insulation materials. It is also a fact that expanded polystyrene blocks have different thermal conductivities at the same density value depending on the production process. In this study, it was determined, experimentally and numerically, that the thermal conductivity of expanded polystyrene material at different densities is dependent on which parameters and changes in temperature. Expanded polystyrene materials consist of blocks of 30×30cm with density of 16, 21, and 25 kg/m³ and a thickness of 20 mm. Thermal conductivity measurements were performed in FOX 314 (Laser Comp., USA) operating in accordance with ISO 8301 and EN 12667 standards. The measurements were made for expanded polystyrene blocks at the average temperatures of 10°C, 20°C, 30°C, and 40°C. The numerical study has three stages as the acquisition of electron microscope images (SEM) of expanded polystyrene blocks, modeling of internal structure geometry with CAD program, and realization of solutions with a finite element-based ANSYS program. Findings from experimental and numerical studies and the parameters affecting thermal conductivity were determined. Finally, it is thought that numerical methods can be used to obtain a preliminary idea for EPS material in determining thermal conductivity by comparing the findings of experimental and numerical studies.

Pentanol or amyl alcohol, regarding its physical and chemical properties, is a type of alcohol that can be used as an alternative and sustainable fuel in diesel engine applications. In this study, three different fuel blends (Pt10, Pt20, and Pt30) prepared by adding various ratios (10%-30%) of 1-pentanol on a volume basis into pure diesel fuel with implementing the splash-blending method were used in a single-cylinder, four-stroke diesel-engine coupled with a generator. The effects of a next-generation alcohol addition to the diesel fuel on the engine performance and exhaust emission levels were examined meticulously. As a result of the experimental studies carried out in a constant engine speed of 3000 rpm at six different loads (0-2000 W) in a compression ignition engine, it was observed that the fuel consumption increased as the ratio of pentanol in fuel blends increased. Carbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbon (HC) emissions obtained by using 1-pentanol/diesel fuel blends were found to be higher than that of conventional diesel fuel. The highest values for CO and HC emissions were obtained by the Pt30 fuel at all engine load conditions. However, it was determined that as the pentanol ratio in fuel blends increased, nitrogen oxides (NOX), carbon dioxide (CO2) and smoke emissions, the most important disadvantage of pure diesel fuel, were reduced. Accordingly, it is concluded that 1-pentanol can be used as a fractional replacement for the diesel fuel.

In recent years, there have been many studies on the widespread use of liquid fuels derived from biomass. A common emphasis in such studies is on fewer exhaust gas emissions and the expansion of renewable fuel production. Biodiesel is considered to be an important type of biomass fuel that is already produced commercially. But the production of biodiesel is laborious and comprises combination of several chemical processes. This study examines the effects of using oil used in biodiesel production with oxygen-rich chemicals on combustion (in-cylinder pressure (Cp), heat release rate (HRR), rate of pressure rise (RoPR), and cumulative heat release (CHR)), exhaust emission values, energy and exergy analysis. In this study, the effects of butyl di glycol use were also investigated and compared with commercially used ethanol and n-butanol. A transesterification method produced from canola oil the biodiesel used in the experiments. The experimental fuels were mixed volumetrically. For this purpose, experiments were carried out with canola biodiesel produced at 20% (D80B20) in diesel fuel and the results of the experiments were recorded. Under the same conditions, experiments were carried out by adding ethanol (D60C20E20), n-butanol (D60C20B20), butyl di glycol (D60C20G20) at a rate of 20% by volume to the canola oil added to the diesel fuel. The lowest values in terms of thermal and exergy efficiency were obtained in D60C20G20 fuel at all engine loads. Also, the highest entropy generation was calculated at all engine loads for this fuel blend.