Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles, the same class wherein lawnmowers are categorized. The engines of the forklifts all follow the principles of internal combustion. Different lift truck brand names and models will have varying engine design and layout. Forklifts are designed more toward generating high torque than for speed. They usually are geared to low speeds. The engine runs the drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also required to raise and lower the forks via a series of chain pulleys. Most modern forklift engines are powered by propane as they would be used indoors, where gasoline and diesel engines would be inappropriate due to the exhaust they create.
Usually, the forklift is a four-cylinder engine-block. Forklift engines are like car engines because they contain 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 operator 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 prior to moving into the head intake hatches of the cylinder. Every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, which compresses 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 generate an electrical current that passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites leading to an explosion that 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 exhaust to be drawn out through the exhaust hatch as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner than diesel and gasoline and the exhaust is not as harmful.