"The engineer is the key figure in the material progress of the world."
Sir Eric Ashby, British botanist and educator
In 1860 Belgian engineer Etienne Lenoir (1822-1900) created the first gas-fired internal combustion engine, which was designed to provide an alternative to the rather cumbersome steam engines that were being used at that time. Since steam engines required furnaces, boilers, and large supplies of bulky fossil fuel to be of any use, Lenoir's idea of a more compact, workable gas engine was incredibly popular.
Lenoir earned the patent for his idea in 1860 and created his first actual engine the same year. Initial demand for the invention was high and production started in France, England, and the United States.
The gas engine worked by drawing a mixture of gas and uncompressed air into the cylinder during the first part of the piston's stroke, then igniting it with a jumping spark in the remaining part. The vapors were then admitted at the opposite end of the cylinder. This resulted in two explosions—one on either side of the piston—for each revolution of the crank.
Alas, the success of the Lenoir engine was limited since practical flaws soon became apparent. The gas that it ran on was, at that time, an expensive option. In addition to that, huge quantities of cooling water and oil were needed to keep the engine from overheating and seizing up. Fewer than 500 Lenoir engines were built before production was stopped, as other inventors were soon making more useful engines.
