Lift truck Engines
Forklifts are classed as vehicles with small engines. The engines of the forklift all follow the principles of internal combustion, though the many models and makes of lift truck would have a different 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 drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also needed to lower and raise the forks via a series of chain pulleys. Nearly all forklift engines that are modern are powered by propane because they will be utilized indoors, where gasoline and diesel engines will be inappropriate due to the exhaust they generate.
A four-cylinder engine-block is normally found in a forklift. Much similar to the engine in small cars, the engines of the forklift have cylinders containing pistons connecting to a camshaft. Each and every cylinder head consists of 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 forklift engine, 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 and every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in a precise sequence, compressing the air and propane mixture as each piston rises to the top of the head. With very precise timing, the battery and alternator of the engine produce an electrical current that passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites leading to 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 exhaust to be drawn out through the exhaust hatch when more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner than diesel and gasoline and the exhaust is not as harmful.