Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles, the same category in which lawnmowers are classed. The engines of the forklifts all follow the principles of internal combustion. Various forklift models and brand names will have varying engine design and layout. Forklifts are made more toward producing high torque than for speed. They generally are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also needed to lower and raise the forks via a series of chain pulleys. Most modern forklift engines are powered by propane as they would be used for indoor applications, where gasoline and diesel engines would be inappropriate because of the exhaust they produce.
A four-cylinder engine-block is normally found in a lift truck. A lot similar to the engine in small automobiles, forklift engines have cylinders that contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. Every cylinder head has an intake hatch, an exhaust hatch and a spark plug, each of them one-way and spring-loaded.
Engine Function
When the operator starts up the engine of the forklift, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes with air which comes from the mass air intake prior to moving into the cylinder head intake hatches. Each 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 that is very precise, the engine's battery and alternator produce an electrical current which passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites resulting in an explosion which drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, leading to a continuous turning of the camshaft. In the cylinder, an air pressure imbalance causes the the exhaust hatch to draw out exhaust as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns a lot cleaner compared to diesel and gasoline and the exhaust is not as harmful.