Ångkammare

Ångkammare (Swedish, literally "steam chamber") denotes an enclosed space or device in which steam is generated, contained or applied for a specific purpose. The term covers a range of applications from traditional bathing rooms and therapeutic steam baths to industrial and laboratory equipment that use steam for processing, sterilization or heat treatment.

Construction and operation vary by use. Public or domestic steam rooms are typically built from moisture-resistant materials, equipped with a steam generator, temperature and humidity controls, seating, drainage and ventilation. Industrial ångkammare may be larger, fabricated from metal or composite materials, and include steam boilers, condensate return systems and safety features such as pressure relief valves and monitoring instrumentation. In technical contexts the name is also used for planar vapor chambers—sealed heat-spreading devices that employ phase change of a working fluid for electronics cooling.

Common uses include bathing and hydrotherapy, sterilization of medical and laboratory instruments, textile finishing, wood and food processing, chemical reactions requiring saturated steam, and heat management in electronics. Safety and regulatory aspects depend on application: public facilities must meet hygiene and building codes, while pressurized vessels are subject to pressure-system and occupational safety regulations. Historically, steam chambers evolved alongside bathing traditions and industrial steam technology; modern designs emphasize energy efficiency, precise environmental control and user safety.