Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classed as vehicles with small engines. The engines of the forklift all follow the principles of internal combustion, while the numerous makes and models of lift truck will have a different design and layout. Forklifts are designed more toward producing high torque rather than for speed. They usually are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also needed to lift and lower the forks via a series of chain pulleys. Most forklift engines that are modern are powered by propane as they would be used for indoor applications, where diesel and gasoline engines would be inappropriate because of the exhaust they generate.
Normally, the forklift is a four-cylinder engine-block. Forklift engines are like car engines since they contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of each and every cylinder has a spark plug, an intake hatch and an exhaust hatch, each of them one-way and spring-loaded.
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 head intake hatches of the cylinder. Each and 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 that is really precise, the engine's alternator and battery create an electrical current which passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites causing an explosion that drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, resulting in a continuous turning of the camshaft. In the cylinder, an air pressure imbalance causes the the exhaust hatch to draw out exhaust when more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner compared to gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.