ABOUT
The Story Behind This Project
World-class engineers are applying the bombardier beetle's astonishing spray mechanism to develop next-generation fire suppression technology. Led by Dr. Andy McIntosh and Dr. Mark Horstemeyer, this Liberty University collaboration shows how God's designs can inspire life-saving engineering.
What If a Tiny Beetle Could Revolutionize Fire Safety?
The bombardier beetle is one of the most extraordinary creatures on Earth. When threatened, it mixes two chemicals inside a specialized chamber and ejects a boiling-hot, pulsating spray with remarkable control. Engineers have studied this mechanism for decades and marveled at its sophistication. Now a team of creation-minded engineers is applying that God-given design to build better fire suppression systems.
The Research Team
This project is led by Dr. Andy McIntosh, Emeritus Professor of Thermodynamics at the University of Leeds and Adjunct Professor of Engineering at Liberty University. Dr. McIntosh is one of the world's foremost experts on the bombardier beetle's spray mechanism, having studied it for more than two decades. He holds a Doctor of Science (DSc) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Institute of Mathematics, and the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Working alongside Dr. McIntosh is Dr. Mark Horstemeyer, Distinguished Professor at Liberty University's School of Engineering. Dr. Horstemeyer is a Fellow of ASME, ASM, SAE, and AAAS, and a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Together, they will be supervising a Master of Engineering graduate student project for 2 years at Liberty University as this work moves from concept to tested prototype.
Once the funds have been raised, Liberty University will recruit a Mechanical Engineering graduate student into the program. Some initial prototype development has been accomplished in 2023-2024 by an undergraduate team at Liberty University, which will serve as the starting point for this advanced research.
How the Beetle's Design Inspires Better Sprinklers
Current fire sprinkler systems spray water broadly and continuously, often flooding large areas while still struggling to reach the fire source efficiently. The bombardier beetle offers a fundamentally different model:
- Pulsed spray delivery with rapid, precisely timed bursts rather than continuous flow
- Flash evaporation that turns liquid into a fire-suppressing mist more effectively
- Targeted delivery that reaches the fire source instead of soaking everything nearby
- Compact engineering inspired by the beetle's tiny but highly capable anatomy
The potential applications extend far beyond buildings. Such a system could be applied to vehicles where weight is crucial and yet fire safety is vital, such as naval vessels, submarines, and space vehicles, where a fire is usually catastrophic.
What Your Support Funds
- Graduate student research stipend at Liberty University
- Laboratory equipment and testing materials
- Prototype spray system development and testing
- High-speed imaging to study spray dynamics
- Publication of results in engineering and creation science journals
- Patent application costs if applicable
Budget note: This project now carries a total budget of $83,000. Creation Research Society has committed $5,000 and Truth in Science UK has committed $2,000, leaving $76,000 still to be raised through this campaign.
Why This Matters
This project sits at the intersection of creation science and practical engineering. It demonstrates that the designs we observe in nature are not the result of blind processes, but the product of an intelligent Creator whose engineering far surpasses our own. Those designs can also inspire technologies that save lives.
Learn more at bombardierbeetle.org.
Thank You to Our Supporters
1 supporter have backed this project.