Preliminary research by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has revealed that today's propane fuel systems meet the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) forthcoming emission rules.
The EPA regulations, which come into force in 2007, introduce strict controls over the emission of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, PERC executive director Brian Feehan said.
"In order to meet the standards, forklift engines must perform at an order of magnitude better than current systems," he said.
"These results are important because they demonstrate that inexpensive fuel systems available today can achieve these new standards by using newer high-tech controllers, ensuring that propane can remain a clean and cost-effective fuel for forklifts."
The research conclusions were drawn from the initial phase of a USD1.39-million research study funded by the propane industry to assess fuel system technologies and fuel quality issues for large spark-ignited, non-road engines.
Conducted at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, the tests analysed closed-loop carburetion, incorporating three different forklift catalysts.
Researchers were now conducting the critical durability testing on the systems, Feehan said.
ITA executive director Bill Montwieler said the ITA "appreciated" the PERC and Southwest Research Institute's research.
"The EPA emission regulations set challenging standards that engines must meet over their useful lives under actual-use conditions," he said.
"(These) results, although based on testing new engines using controlled fuel, nonetheless represent impressive advances that reflect a substantial commitment of resources from many stakeholders.
"The next critical challenge will be to develop systems that can meet EPA's durability requirements under the variable conditions of actual use."