Lift truck Engines
Forklifts are classified as vehicles with small engines, the same class in which lawnmowers are classed. Forklift engines all follow the principles of internal combustion. Various lift truck brand names and models would have varying engine layout and design. Forklifts are made more toward generating high torque rather than for speed. They usually are geared to low speeds. The engine runs the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also required to lower and lift the forks via a series of chain pulleys. The majority of forklift engines that are modern are fueled by propane as they would be used for indoor applications, where gasoline and diesel engines would be unsuitable due to the exhaust they make.
A four-cylinder engine-block is typically found in a forklift. A lot like the engine in small automobiles, forklift engines have cylinders containing pistons connecting to a camshaft. Each and every cylinder head has an intake hatch, an exhaust hatch and a spark plug, each of them spring-loaded and one-way.
Engine Function
When the operator starts up the forklift engine, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes with air that comes from the mass air intake prior to moving into the cylinder head intake hatches. Each and every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in a precise sequence, compressing the propane and air mixture as every piston rises to the top of the head. With timing that is very precise, the battery and alternator of the engine produce an electrical current which passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites causing 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.