The 5 Types Of Combustion Chambers To Know

When purchasing a vehicle, most people fall into one of two camps: they
either want lots of power or great gas mileage. Although many factors
determine how fast a vehicle can accelerate while towing a trailer or how
many miles per gallon it gets, two of the most important questions,
respectively, are: how explosively and how efficiently does the engine burn
fuel? To answer these questions, you need to know what type of
combustion chamber the vehicle uses. So, what are the different types of
combustion chambers, and how do they relate to your vehicle's power and
gas mileage? We've done the research, and we have the answers for you!

Every modern car, truck, van, or SUV uses one of these five types of
combustion chambers:

1. Hemispherical
2. Pentroof
3. Wedge
4. Bathtub/Heart
5. Direct Injection (Diesel)
In the remainder of this article, we'll describe each type of combustion
chamber, tell you whether it is part of a gasoline- or a diesel-powered
engine, and discuss its relative power and efficiency. We'll also explain
where the combustion chamber is located, what it does, and which design
is the most efficient.

5 Types Of Combustion Chambers

There are two types of internal combustion engines used in automobiles:
the spark ignition (SI) engine found in gasoline-powered vehicles and the
compression ignition (CI) engine used in diesel vehicles. Each type of
engine, fuel, and air mix together in the combustion chamber and then
ignite. This ignition releases the chemical energy in the fuel/air mix,
transforming it into mechanical energy that drives the vehicle.

The major difference in the functioning and design of the combustion

chambers in the two types of engines is that an SI engine uses a spark
plug to ignite the air/fuel mix. In contrast, a CI engine compresses the air
in the combustion chamber until it is hot enough to ignite the fuel.

Gasoline-powered cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs have spark-ignition

engines. There are four types of combustion chambers in SI engines today,
each named for the shape of the chamber when the piston is at the top-
center position: hemispherical, pentroof, wedge, and bathtub/heart. All
diesel-powered vehicles feature compression ignition engines that use the
direct injection combustion chamber.

1. Hemispherical

A hemispherical combustion chamber features a domed cylinder head; so,

when the piston is at its highest point within the cylinder, the space
between the top of the piston and the cylinder head is shaped like half a
sphere.

The intake and exhaust valves are located on opposite sides of the dome,
with the spark plug between them at the top of the cylinder head. This
arrangement creates a highly efficient airflow with minimal heat loss.
Additionally, the placement of the valves allows for larger-than-usual
intake and exhaust valves, which increases the engine's maximum power
at high RPMs.

Despite its additional power, the hemispherical combustion chamber has

two major drawbacks. First, it burns fuel at unusually high temperatures,
releasing high levels of nitrogen oxide gases. So manufacturers of engines
with hemispherical combustion chambers must also put extra emission
controls in place. Second, the hemispherical cylinder head is heavy and
costly to manufacture, adding to both the vehicle's weight and cost.

The best-known automobile brand currently using the hemispherical

combustion chamber is Chrysler, whose "It's got a Hemi!" commercials
launched in 2004. Chrysler continues to tout the Hemi engines on its
Dodge Ram pickup truck and Dodge Charger muscle car for the power
they provide.
2. Pentroof

The pentroof combustion chamber is similar to the hemispherical, except

the pentroof design incorporates four smaller valves (two intake and two
exhaust) rather than the two large valves in the hemispherical design. The
intake and exhaust valves sit opposite each other in the cylinder head,
forming a V-shape.

The spark plug is located at the top-center of the cylinder head, thus
placing it precisely in the middle of the four valves. This allows for quicker
combustion and lower temperatures, reducing emissions. The pentroof
combustion chamber is also smaller than that of the hemispherical, and
with less surface area, heat loss is reduced even further, thus improving
gas mileage.

In the pentroof cylinder depicted above, the additional intake and exhaust
valves are located directly behind those shown, so they are not visible in
the diagram.
In the pentroof cylinder depicted above, the additional intake and exhaust
valves are located directly behind those shown, so they are not visible in
the diagram.
3. Wedge

The wedge-shaped combustion chamber has been used by automobile

manufacturers for decades and continues to be popular. The inside top of
the cylinder head is shaped like an inclined basin, and the intake and
exhaust valves sit at an angle so that when the piston is at its top-center
position, the space between the piston and the cylinder head looks like a
wedge.

This design forces the air/fuel mix downward with great force during the
compression stroke, causing a buildup of kinetic energy, which adds to the
power released when the air/fuel mixture ignites.

The wedge-shaped combustion chamber is not as efficient or as powerful

as a hemispherical or pentroof design. However, it is a solid, time-tested
solution that many vehicle manufacturers still use.
4. Bathtub/Heart

The old bathtub-shaped combustion chambers of the 1950s have been

replaced by the more efficient oval- or heart-shaped chambers, but the
basic principles are still the same. The inside top of the cylinder head is
shaped like an inverted bathtub, and the intake and exhaust valves sit
side-by-side at the top-center, with the spark plug off to the side.

The slope of the chamber walls is gentler than that of the wedge-shaped
combustion chamber, so less explosive energy is released upon ignition,
but the design makes the bathtub/heart-shaped chamber more efficient
than the wedge-shaped chamber. However, the side-by-side position of
the intake and exhaust valves results in substantial heat loss.

Chevrolet's LS-1 engines, found in the Malibu, Sonic, Aveo, and Cruze,
among others, utilize the bathtub/heart design for their combustion
chambers.
5. Direct Injection

Diesel engines in automobiles use direct injection combustion chambers.

They employ a four-stroke cycle:

 First stroke: the piston slides down in the cylinder, opening the intake
valve and allowing air into the combustion chamber.
 Second stroke: the piston slides up, compressing (and thus heating)
the air in the chamber.
 Third stroke: the piston slides partway down, and the intake valve
releases fuel into the chamber; it mixes with the heated air and
ignites.
 Fourth stroke: the piston slides down, opening the exhaust valve and
releasing the byproducts of ignition.

These engines tend to have better gas mileage but less pick-up and power
than gasoline-powered engines.
Where Is The Combustion Chamber Located?
In modern spark-ignition engines, the combustion chamber is located
within the cylinder head. The combustion chamber is not a discrete "piece"
of the engine; rather, it is the empty space between the inside top of the
cylinder head and the top of the piston. The image below may help you to
visualize it:
  The cylinder is in the middle part of the image, bounded by two thick
gray lines.
 The piston (a solid gray object) is inside the cylinder walls, currently

in a "down" position.
 The curved top of the cylinder is the cylinder head.

 Atop the cylinder heads are the intake (blue air/fuel) and exhaust

(brown pollutants) valves

 The spark plug is in the middle of the cylinder head

The space between the top of the piston and the inside top of the cylinder
head is the combustion chamber. This is where the air/fuel mix is ignited
by the spark plug and burns.

In diesel (compression ignition) engines, the placement of the combustion

chamber is essentially the same. The major difference is that there is no
spark plug. Instead, as the piston moves upward within the cylinder, it
compresses the air in the combustion chamber, thus heating it enough to
ignite the diesel fuel.

What Does A Combustion Chamber Do?

The combustion chamber is the space in the engine where fuel and air
mix, ignite and burn at a controlled rate and temperature. This process
releases the chemical energy in the fuel and transforms it into mechanical
energy that powers the vehicle. Each cylinder in the engine has its own
combustion chamber, piston, and intake and exhaust valves. In a gasoline-
powered vehicle, each cylinder also has its own spark plug.

What Is The Most Efficient Combustion Chamber Design?

Although the concept may seem simple, designing an efficient
combustion chamber is actually quite complex. In addition to the shape of
the combustion chamber itself, several other factors come into play:

 the shape of the top of the piston

 the shape of the cylinder itself

 placement of the intake and exhaust valves

 placement of spark plug (for gasoline engines)

 overall airflow through the engine

These factors vary from engine to engine, as does the precise shape and
size of the combustion chamber itself. So, although we can't pinpoint the
most efficient combination, we can identify which combustion chamber
tends to be the most efficient.

The pentroof combustion chamber is generally the most efficient design.

This is not surprising, as it was designed to incorporate the advantages of
a hemispherical chamber while improving efficiency.

 Like those in a hemispherical chamber, the pentroof combustion

chamber's intake and exhaust valves are located on opposite sides of
the cylinder head, optimizing airflow.
 While the hemispherical chamber can accommodate only one intake

and one exhaust valve, the pentroof design incorporates two of each
valve, increasing efficiency.
 The intake and exhaust valves of wedge and bathtub combustion

chambers are located next to each other, thus reducing airflow and
increasing heat bleed-off.
So, the pentroof combustion chamber has excellent airflow, maximum
intake and exhaust capacity, and minimal heat loss. This combination
makes it the most efficient of the five types of combustion chambers.
In Closing
Understanding combustion chambers can help you know what kind of
power and gas mileage to expect from your vehicle. It also helps you
understand more about how the fuel system works. And, being able to
explain the different combustion processes in gas- and diesel-powered
vehicles isn't just a way to impress your friends at parties -- it may also
help you avoid being taken for a ride by shady repair shops!