Compressed air foam system with vortex manifold

A fire suppression system comprising:

• a tank holding a liquid pressurized with a gas;
• a manifold including:
• an expansion chamber;
• a liquid inlet coupled to a first portion of the tank containing the liquid, the liquid inlet directing a liquid flow of the liquid into the expansion chamber;
• a foam outlet from the expansion chamber;
• a first gas inlet connected to a second portion of the tank, the second portion containing the gas, the first gas inlet directing a first gas flow of the gas into the expansion chamber;
• and
• a second gas inlet connected to the second portion of the tank, the second gas inlet directing a second gas flow of the gas into the expansion chamber, the second gas inlet being downstream from the first gas inlet along a direction of the liquid flow, wherein
• the first inlet directs the first gas flow and the second gas inlet directs the second gas flow into the expansion chamber to create a central liquid-gas vortex that circulates in the expansion chamber in a rotational direction that is one of clockwise or counterclockwise, and wherein
• the manifold is external to the tank;
• a tap through a shell of the tank and in fluid communication with the second portion of the tank;
• a plumbing system connecting the tap to the first gas inlet and the second gas inlet;
• and
• a gas source connected to the plumbing system and providing the gas to pressurize the tank and for the first and second gas flows, wherein
• the plumbing system is switchable between a first mode in which the gas source is in fluid communication with the manifold and supplies the gas flowing to the manifold during a first fire suppression process and a second mode in which the fluid communication of the gas source with the manifold is disconnect and only the tank supplies the gas flowing to the manifold during a second fire suppression process.