Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles. The engines of the forklift all follow the principles of internal combustion, while the many makes and models of lift truck would have a different layout and design. Forklifts are designed more toward producing high torque rather than for speed. They generally are geared to low speeds. The engine runs the drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also needed to lift and lower the forks via a series of chain pulleys. Nearly all forklift engines which are modern are powered by propane as they will be utilized indoors, where gasoline and diesel engines will be unsuitable due to the exhaust they generate.
A four-cylinder engine-block is usually found in a lift truck. A lot like the engine in small cars, the engines of the forklift have cylinders which contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. Each and 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
Propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray, when the operator starts up the engine of the forklift. This fine spray mixes together with air which comes from the mass air intake prior to moving into the cylinder's head intake hatches. Every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, that compresses the propane and air mixture as each piston rises to the top of the head. With extremely exact timing, the engine's battery and alternator generate an electrical current which 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 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.