Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles, the same category in which lawnmowers are classed. Forklift engines all follow the principles of internal combustion. Different forklift models and brand names will have varying engine design and layout. Forklifts are designed more toward producing high torque than for speed. They normally are geared to low speeds. The engine runs the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also needed to raise and lower the forks via a series of chain pulleys. Most modern forklift engines are powered by propane since they would be utilized indoors, where diesel and gasoline engines would be inappropriate because of the exhaust they make.
Normally, the lift truck is a four-cylinder engine-block. The engines of the forklift are like automobile engines as they hold pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of every cylinder consists of an intake hatch, an exhaust hatch and a spark plug, each of them spring-loaded and one-way.
Engine Function
When the driver starts up the forklift engine, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes together with air which comes from the mass air intake before moving into the cylinder head intake hatches. Every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, compressing the air and propane mixture as each piston rises to the top of the head. With timing which is very precise, the battery and alternator of the engine produce an electrical current that passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites resulting in an explosion that drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, leading to a continuous turning of the camshaft. An air pressure imbalance in the cylinder causes the exhaust to be drawn out through the exhaust hatch as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner compared to gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.