Lift truck Engines
Forklifts are classified as vehicles with small engines, the same category in which lawnmowers are categorized. The engines of the forklifts all follow the principles of internal combustion. Different forklift brand names and models would have varying engine design and layout. Forklifts are made more toward producing high torque rather than for speed. They usually are geared to low speeds. The engine runs the drive wheels of the forklift. The engine is also required to lift and lower the forks via a series of chain pulleys. The majority of forklift engines which are modern are powered by propane since they would be utilized for indoor applications, where gasoline and diesel engines would be unsuitable due to the exhaust they create.
A four-cylinder engine-block is normally found in a forklift. A lot similar to the engine in small cars, forklift engines have cylinders containing pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of every cylinder has 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 which comes from the mass air intake before moving into the cylinder's head intake hatches. Every 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 very exact timing, the battery and alternator of the engine produce 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 as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner compared to gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.