Légzárást

Légzárást, commonly translated as airlock, is a device designed to transfer people and materials between environments with different atmospheric pressures, such as between a pressurized spacecraft and the vacuum of space, or between different pressure zones within a facility. Its primary function is to prevent the uncontrolled escape of air from the higher-pressure environment or the uncontrolled entry of air into the lower-pressure environment.

An airlock typically consists of two sealed chambers separated by a door or valve. When moving from a higher-pressure area to a lower-pressure area, a person or object enters the first chamber. The inner door is sealed, and the air in the chamber is slowly released into the lower-pressure environment. Once the pressure equalizes, the outer door can be opened to enter the lower-pressure area. The process is reversed when moving from a lower-pressure to a higher-pressure environment, where air is introduced into the chamber to equalize the pressure before the inner door can be opened.

Airlocks are crucial for space missions, allowing astronauts to perform spacewalks without losing the cabin's atmosphere. They are also used in various industrial and scientific applications, such as cleanrooms, hyperbaric chambers, and laboratories dealing with hazardous materials, where maintaining specific atmospheric conditions is essential for safety and experimental integrity. The design and operation of an airlock are critical for ensuring the success and safety of operations in environments with significant pressure differentials.