Philippe Lebon

Philippe Lebon d' Humbersin (* May 29, 1767 in Brachay; † 1 or according to other sources December 2, 1804 in Paris) was an engineer and the inventor of illuminating gas.

Life

After leaving school, Philippe Lebon was an engineer at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, where he also later taught as a professor of mechanics.

Lebon tragically died with only 37 years, without being able to experience the fruits of his creative self. He was found murdered on the day of self- coronation of Napoleon in the streets of Paris, where he had worked on the illumination of the festivities. The circumstances remained unclear.

Work

Invention, the gas lamp

In the cities it was relatively dark before 1800 in the night. In the house shone more than candles, torches and oil lamps. Already in the 18th century could be obtained from coal coal gas. The French engineer Philippe Lebon presented in 1786 before the properties of the gas, the distillation of wood and received on 21 September 1799 patent for a gas-fueled, what he calls " thermal bulb ", which was probably used for lighting as well as for space heating. As a first major application he installed in a Paris hotel a central wood stove for distillation of hydrogen was passed through a tube system in single room to burn it there by means of a controlled shut-off valve.

First experiments with public gaslights in Paris followed, and so revolutionized street lighting. In regard to the work of William Murdoch Lebon improved, students and staff of James Watt, the gas-powered lights. In London, the first streets were lit with gas lanterns from 1807 onwards.

Invention of the gas engine

In 1801, Philippe Lebon filed a patent for a gas engine. Its gas engine was already equipped with an electric spark ignition. Lebon died in 1804 before he was able to present his invention properly.