Air | Lock

In engineering, an air lock is a chamber that allows people or objects to pass between areas of different air pressures without significantly changing the pressure of either environment.

Related resources for this article ... Courtesy of Elgood-Mayo Corp., Lancaster, Pa. Courtesy of Elgood-Mayo Corp., Lancaster, Pa. Britannica Kids air lock

: Vital for space vehicles, allowing astronauts to exit for spacewalks while keeping the cabin pressurized. In engineering, an air lock is a chamber

An air lock (or vapor lock) occurs when gas becomes trapped in a high point of a liquid-filled pipe system, partially or completely blocking the flow . Courtesy of Elgood-Mayo Corp

: Air can enter a system during maintenance, pump restarts, or through dissolution in the liquid itself. air lock - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help

: It can lead to sputtering faucets, no water flow in gravity-fed systems, or the failure of pumps that rely on liquid for lubrication.

: Historically used in underwater tunnels and bridge foundations (caissons) to transition workers from atmospheric pressure to high-pressure work zones.