Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles, the same category wherein lawnmowers are classed. The engines of the forklifts all follow the principles of internal combustion. Different lift truck models and brand names would have varying engine design and layout. Forklifts are designed more toward generating high torque rather than for speed. They normally are geared to low speeds. The engine runs the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also needed to lift and lower the forks via a series of chain pulleys. Most forklift engines which are modern are fueled by propane because they would be used for indoor applications, where diesel and gasoline engines would be unsuitable due to the exhaust they make.
Usually, the forklift is a four-cylinder engine-block. The engines of the forklift are like car engines because they contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of each cylinder consists of a spark plug, an intake hatch and an exhaust hatch, each of them one-way and spring-loaded.
Engine Function
Once the operator starts up the engine of the forklift, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes with air coming from the mass air intake before moving into the head intake hatches of the cylinder. Every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, compressing the air and propane mixture as every piston rises to the top of the head. With timing which is very precise, the battery and alternator of the engine produce an electrical current which passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites resulting in 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 compared to diesel and gasoline and the exhaust is not as harmful.