Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as vehicles with small engines, the same category wherein lawnmowers are categorized. Forklift engines all follow the principles of internal combustion. Different lift truck brand names and models will have varying engine layout and design. Forklifts are designed more toward generating high torque rather than for speed. They normally are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also needed to lower and lift the forks through a series of chain pulleys. The majority of forklift engines that are modern are fueled by propane because they would be used indoors, where diesel and gasoline engines would be unsuitable due to the exhaust they produce.
A four-cylinder engine-block is normally found in a forklift. Much similar to the engine in small automobiles, forklift engines have cylinders which contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of each and every cylinder has a spark plug, an intake hatch and an exhaust hatch, each of them spring-loaded and one-way.
Engine Function
Propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray, once the operator starts up the engine of the forklift. This fine spray mixes with air that comes from the mass air intake prior to moving into the cylinder's head intake hatches. Every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in a precise sequence, which compresses the mixture of propane and air as every piston rises to the top of the head. With timing that is really precise, the alternator and battery of the engine generate an electrical current which passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites causing 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 the exhaust hatch to draw out exhaust as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner compared to gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.