Lift truck Engines
Forklifts are classed 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 would have a different design and layout. Forklifts are designed more toward producing high torque than for speed. They generally are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also needed to lower and lift the forks through a series of chain pulleys. Nearly all modern forklift engines are powered by propane because they will be utilized indoors, where gasoline and diesel engines will be unsuitable due to the exhaust they create.
A four-cylinder engine-block is typically found in a lift truck. Much like the engine in small cars, the engines of the forklift have cylinders which contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. Each and every cylinder head 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 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. Each one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in a precise sequence, compressing the air and propane mixture as every piston rises to the top of the head. With extremely precise timing, the engine's battery and alternator generate an electrical current which passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites causing 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 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.