Lift truck Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles, the same category in which lawnmowers are classed. Forklift engines all follow the principles of internal combustion. Different forklift models and brand names would have varying engine design and layout. Forklifts are designed more toward generating 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 lift and lower the forks through a series of chain pulleys. Nearly all forklift engines which are modern are powered by propane because they would be used indoors, where diesel and gasoline engines will be inappropriate because of the exhaust they produce.
A four-cylinder engine-block is normally found in a lift truck. Much similar to the engine in small automobiles, forklift engines have cylinders containing pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of each and every cylinder consists of a spark plug, an intake hatch and an exhaust hatch, each of them spring-loaded and one-way.
Engine Function
Once the driver starts up the engine of the forklift, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes together with air which comes from the mass air intake prior to moving into the head intake hatches of the cylinder. Each and every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, compressing the air and propane mixture as each piston rises to the top of the head. With timing that is really precise, the battery and alternator of the engine produce an electrical current which passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites leading to an explosion that drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, causing 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.