Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as vehicles with small engines. The engines of the forklift all follow the principles of internal combustion, while the many makes and models of lift truck will have a different design and layout. Forklifts are designed more toward producing high torque rather than for speed. They usually 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. The majority of forklift engines that are modern are powered by propane as they will be used indoors, where diesel and gasoline engines would be unsuitable due to the exhaust they produce.
A four-cylinder engine-block is typically found in a lift truck. Much similar to the engine in small cars, forklift engines have cylinders that contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of every cylinder consists of 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, when the operator starts up the forklift engine. This fine spray mixes together with air which comes from the mass air intake before moving into the head intake hatches of the cylinder. Each one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, that compresses the mixture of air and propane as each piston rises to the top of the head. With extremely precise timing, the alternator and battery of the engine produce an electrical current that passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites leading to 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 when more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns much cleaner compared to diesel and gasoline and the exhaust is not as harmful.