Lift truck Engines
Forklifts are classified as vehicles with small engines. The engines of the forklift all follow the principles of internal combustion, though the numerous makes and models of lift truck would have a different 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 drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also needed to raise and lower the forks through a series of chain pulleys. Most forklift engines which are modern are fueled by propane as they will be used indoors, where gasoline and diesel engines would be inappropriate due to the exhaust they create.
Usually, the forklift is a four-cylinder engine-block. The engines of the forklift are like automobile engines because they hold 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 one-way and spring-loaded.
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 with air coming from the mass air intake before moving into the cylinder's head intake hatches. Each one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, compressing the mixture of air and propane as every piston rises to the top of the head. With really precise timing, the alternator and battery of the engine create an electrical current which 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. 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 gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.