Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles, the same class 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 layout and design. Forklifts are designed more toward generating high torque rather than for speed. They usually are geared to low speeds. The engine powers the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also needed to lower and raise the forks through a series of chain pulleys. The majority of forklift engines that are modern are powered by propane because they will be utilized for indoor applications, where diesel and gasoline engines would be unsuitable because of the exhaust they generate.
Normally, the forklift is a four-cylinder engine-block. Forklift engines are like car engines since they contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. Each and every cylinder head 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, once the driver starts up the engine of the forklift. This fine spray mixes together with air coming from the mass air intake before moving into the head intake hatches of the cylinder. Each one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in a precise sequence, which compresses the propane and air mixture as every piston rises to the top of the head. With really precise timing, the engine's battery and alternator generate an electrical current which passes through the spark plug. The fuel ignites leading to an explosion that drives the piston back down to the bottom of the cylinder, resulting in a continuous turning of the camshaft. In the cylinder, an air pressure imbalance causes the the exhaust hatch to draw out exhaust as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns a lot cleaner compared to gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.