Forklift Engines
Forklifts are classified as small-engine vehicles, the same class in which lawnmowers are classed. Forklift engines all follow the principles of internal combustion. Different forklift brand names and models would have varying engine layout and design. Forklifts are made more toward generating high torque than for speed. They generally are geared to low speeds. The engine runs the forklift's drive wheels. The engine is also required to raise and lower the forks through a series of chain pulleys. Nearly all forklift engines which are modern are fueled by propane as they will be used indoors, where diesel and gasoline engines would be inappropriate due to the exhaust they produce.
A four-cylinder engine-block is usually found in a forklift. A lot like the engine in small cars, the engines of the forklift have cylinders which contain pistons connecting to a camshaft. The head of each and every cylinder has a spark plug, an intake hatch and an exhaust hatch, each of them spring-loaded and one-way.
Engine Function
Once the driver starts up the forklift engine, propane passes through the opened throttle-plate in a fine spray and mixes together with air coming from the mass air intake before moving into the cylinder head intake hatches. Each and every one of the four pistons is staggered to rise in a precise sequence, which compresses the propane and air mixture as each piston rises to the top of the head. With very 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 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 as more fuel passes into the cylinder. Propane burns cleaner than gasoline and diesel and the exhaust is not as harmful.