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 numerous makes and models of lift truck will have a different design and layout. Forklifts are designed more toward generating high torque rather than for speed. They generally are geared to low speeds. The engine runs the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also needed to lower and lift the forks via a series of chain pulleys. Nearly all modern forklift engines are powered by propane since they will be used for indoor applications, where diesel and gasoline engines will be inappropriate due to the exhaust they generate.
Usually, the lift truck is a four-cylinder engine-block. Forklift engines are like car engines because they hold pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of each cylinder has 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 together with air which 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 an exact sequence, which compresses the mixture of propane and air as every piston rises to the top of the head. With really precise timing, the engine's battery and alternator create an electrical current that passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites causing an explosion that drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, leading to a continuous turning of the camshaft. In the cylinder, an air pressure imbalance causes the exhaust to be drawn out through the exhaust hatch as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns a lot cleaner compared to gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.