Lift truck Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles, the same class in which lawnmowers are classed. The engines of the forklifts all follow the principles of internal combustion. Various forklift models and brand names would have varying engine layout and design. Forklifts are designed 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 raise and lower the forks via a series of chain pulleys. The majority of forklift engines that are modern are powered by propane as they will be utilized indoors, where diesel and gasoline engines would be inappropriate because of the exhaust they produce.
Typically, the lift truck is a four-cylinder engine-block. The engines of the forklift are like car engines because they hold pistons connecting to a camshaft. Every cylinder head consists of an intake hatch, an exhaust hatch and a spark plug, each of them spring-loaded and one-way.
Engine Function
Propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray, when the driver starts up the forklift engine. This fine spray mixes with air which comes 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, which compresses the mixture of propane and air as every piston rises to the top of the head. With timing which is very precise, the alternator and battery of the engine generate an electrical current that passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites causing 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 the exhaust hatch to draw out exhaust when more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner than diesel and gasoline and the exhaust is not as harmful.