Bisschop gas engine. 19th-century illustration of the gas engine design produced by French engineer Alexis de Bisschop in 1870. This is classified as an atmospheric engine. A gas engine is an internal combustion engine that runs on a gas fuel. Gas engines are usually used in heavy-duty industrial settings, such as factories. The first practical gas engines were developed in the 1860s. Artwork from 'Moteurs' (1911) by French civil engineer Max de Nansouty (1854-1913), part of the 'Les merveilles de la science' series of 1867-1891 by Louis Figuier.