Transition from pressurised envoronment to vaccum environment

armin11

Hi,
I wanted to know who has an idea about a mechanism to transit from pressurised environment to vaccum environemtn without losing air.I know airlock does this work but it has some air loss.does anybody have idea?
I thought about some kind of bulb to be produced at the transition place,is it possible?is there any kind of material to do this?

armin11

hi,
is there some kind of material that is not able to transit air molecules but is able to transit humans through it?something like soap bulb but stiffer that can recover itself if a perturbation occurs in it?

Mech_Engineer

There is no such thing available, what you're proposing would be something akin to a force field. You're going to have to use an airlock, there's basically no way around it.

Mech_Engineer

There's no way to do this wihout an airlock. You can pump down an airlock, I'm not sure its a given that you lose air through it...

armin11

But I think we can replace airlock,airlock loses some air each time it opens,though it is about 2 or 3 percent but it is considerable in a spacecraft...

Mech_Engineer

What you're proposing is impossible given current technology- you would need an air-tight seal around whatever passes through the "membrane" (an impossible feat with something like a space suit which is covered on the exterior with fabric) and it would also have to capable of maintaining a non-leaking vacuum seal (also no small task).

armin11

Impossible is impossible!
The material can be like ambrio around baby when it is born!

Mech_Engineer

Got any material suggestions that act as a porous membrane to a man in a space suit but not air molecules?

berkeman

Two threads merged.

arimin11 -- in the future, do not multiple post your question across multiple PF forums.

cmb

Actually, for some applications (particle beams) it is not only possible, but I believe it is now a commercial product.

See 'plasma window'.

Here is a link I've randomly pulled up:

http://www.techbriefs.com/content/view/1834/32/

http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200501/dpp.cfm

armin11

Thanks cmb, interesting topic!

Mech_Engineer

So you're suggesting the astronaut should pass through a plasma arc?

armin11

Not exactly pass through plasma arc,but there can be a basic research based on the facts about plasma window,I think it is better than nothing! You see a problem here or have another opinion?

Mech_Engineer

My opinion is the same- you need an air lock...

armin11

I'm not sure about the effects of plasma on the astronaut's health and his systems.
How about using force fields or force shields?Any opinions?

schliere

Where are you getting this notion that that sort of technology exists or even is anywhere near usable?

armin11

I don't say it is usable now,but someday it'll be usable and the technology will be developed.So any idea now what the technology will be?