Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as vehicles with small engines, the same category in which lawnmowers are classed. The engines of the forklifts all follow the principles of internal combustion. Different lift truck models and brand names will have varying engine layout and design. Forklifts are made more toward producing high torque than for speed. They normally 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. Most forklift engines that are modern are fueled by propane since they would be used indoors, where diesel and gasoline engines would be unsuitable due to the exhaust they make.
Usually, the lift truck is a four-cylinder engine-block. Forklift engines are like car engines because they hold pistons connecting to a camshaft. Every cylinder head has 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 driver starts up the engine of the forklift. This fine spray mixes with air which comes from the mass air intake before moving into the cylinder's head intake hatches. Each and every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, that compresses the mixture of air and propane as every piston rises to the top of the head. With extremely precise timing, the engine's alternator and battery 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, leading to a continuous turning of the camshaft. An air pressure imbalance in the cylinder causes the the exhaust hatch to draw out exhaust as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner than gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.