http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HemiHemi engineHemi (from "hemisphere") is a design of internal-combustion engines in which the cylinder head's combustion chamber is of hemispherical form. The term, "Hemi engine", is a trademark of Chrysler Corporation, though the concept is used by many manufacturers.
The chamber design puts the intake/exhaust valves in-line, rather than side-by-side, allowing for better flow of air through the head. The spark plug in the center of the chamber makes for better ignition of the fuel/air mixture. These aspects help make the hemi-type engine more efficient and powerful.
The hemispherical cylinder head increases the engine's efficiency through reduced thermal energy loss and increased airflow through the engine, but drawbacks such as increased production cost has meant that it has been a rare design.
Hemispherical cylinder heads have been used in some engines since they were first used by the Belgian car maker Pipe in 1905. Most applications have been in higher-priced luxury or sporting vehicles, because the hemi design is more expensive to build.
Perhaps the best-known proponent of the Hemi design has been the Chrysler Corporation, who have produced three generations of such engines: the first (the Chrysler FirePower engine) in the 1950s; the second (the 426 Hemi) from the mid 1960s through the mid 1970s; and finally in the early 2000s. Chrysler has used the word "Hemi" extensively in its advertising, to the extent that the word is indelibly associated with Chrysler in North America.
Porsche has also been a notable user of the Hemi design, generating up to 86 hp per liter displacement on production cars (1973 2.4 L 911S), and even more on racing engines (906 Carrera engine). Jaguar also used this head design as well in the 1960s Mk2 and XK6.
Other manufacturers used the hemispherical design before World War II, including Daimler and Riley.
Chrysler Hemi enginesChrysler's first experience with the Hemi design was during World War 2, in which it developed an experimental 2500 hp (1864 kW) V16 engine for the P-47 Thunderbolt. Experience with this engine led to Chrysler using the Hemi design for their first overhead valve V8 in 1951. This design, the Chrysler FirePower engine, was used until 1959.
In 1964, Chrysler introduced a new 426 in³ (7.0 L) Hemi, designed to win at NASCAR racing and sold to the public to meet homologation requirements and to enable the public to buy the winning engine. It was based on the Chrysler RB engine big-block. The engine was available through 1971, and the DaimlerChrysler corporation still sells crate engines and parts. It was available in most Mopar muscle cars and pony cars of the period, although its high price and limited street tractability kept sales fairly low.
Chrysler introduced a modern Hemi in 2002. This engine is not a true hemispherical head engine; it has a polyspherical combustion chamber, but retains the Hemi's traditional inline perpendicular valves. This engine replaced Chrysler's large LA family of engines, particularly the Magnum 5.9, in the early 2000s. It is available in two sizes; 5.7 and 6.1 liters. Some versions utilise a variable displacement technology called the Multi-Displacement System (MDS) to improve fuel economy.
Porsche Hemi enginesWhen Porsche introduced the 911, it had a 2.0 L flat-6 engine, with hemispherical heads. The basic design did not change much until 1996, when Porsche moved to water cooling.
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