Lift truck Engines
Forklifts are classed as vehicles with small engines. Forklift engines all follow the principles of internal combustion, though the numerous makes and models of forklift would have a different layout and design. Forklifts are made more toward generating high torque than for speed. They usually are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also needed to lift and lower the forks through a series of chain pulleys. The majority of forklift engines which are modern are fueled by propane because they would be used for indoor applications, where gasoline and diesel engines would be inappropriate due to the exhaust they make.
Usually, the forklift is a four-cylinder engine-block. Forklift engines are similar to automobile engines since they hold pistons connecting to a camshaft. Every cylinder head consists of a spark plug, an intake hatch and an exhaust hatch, each of them spring-loaded and one-way.
Engine Function
Once the driver starts up the forklift engine, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes together with air coming from the mass air intake before moving into the cylinder head intake hatches. Every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in a precise sequence, which compresses the propane and air mixture as every piston rises to the top of the head. With timing which is really precise, the alternator and battery of the engine produce an electrical current that passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites leading to an explosion which drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, causing a continuous turning of the camshaft. An air pressure imbalance in the cylinder causes the the exhaust hatch to draw out exhaust when more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner compared to diesel and gasoline and the exhaust is not as harmful.