Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as vehicles with small engines, the same category in which lawnmowers are classed. The engines of the forklifts all follow the principles of internal combustion. Various forklift models and brand names will 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 runs the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also needed to raise and lower the forks through a series of chain pulleys. The majority of modern forklift engines are fueled by propane since they will be used indoors, where diesel and gasoline engines would be inappropriate because of the exhaust they produce.
Normally, the forklift is a four-cylinder engine-block. The engines of the forklift are similar to automobile engines as they hold pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of each and every cylinder consists of an intake hatch, an exhaust hatch and a spark plug, each of them one-way and spring-loaded.
Engine Function
When the driver starts up the engine of the forklift, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes with air coming from the mass air intake before moving into the head intake hatches of the cylinder. Every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in an exact sequence, compressing the propane and air mixture as every piston rises to the top of the head. With very precise timing, the engine's alternator and battery generate an electrical current which passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites resulting in an explosion which drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, resulting in 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 much cleaner compared to gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.