Guide (Airlock) Atmosphere to Atmosphere

Description

An Atmosphere to Atmosphere Airlock is a chamber that can evacuate its internal volume and refill it with either of two differing atmospheres it connects. It has two or more airtight portals which all do not open simultaneously. Thus, an Atmosphere to Atmosphere Airlock allows passage between two the two environments without the exchange of gases or pressures between the connected atmospheres.

An Atmosphere to Atmosphere Airlock can be controlled automatically by an Circuitboard (Advanced Airlock) installed inside the Console. When powered, all associated doors and vents are locked, preventing manual use. This can be a problem when power is lost. The Circuitboard (Advanced Airlock) will refer to the two environments that it connects as either "interior" or "exterior".

If the "interior" door is open, then when activated the Circuitboard (Advanced Airlock) will automatically close the interior-door and evacuate the interior-atmosphere from the airlock chamber out into/through the pipe-network attached to the interior-Active Vent. Once a total vacuum is achieved, the Circuitboard (Advanced Airlock) will replace the airlock's vacuum with the exterior-atmosphere from/through the pipe-network attached to the exterior-vent and then open the exterior-door. The reverse process is executed when the system is activated with the "exterior" door open.

Materials

Material requirements for an minimnum Atmosphere to Atmosphere Airlock are:

• 2 x portals: varients of either Kit (Airlock), Kit (Blast Door), Kit (Door), or Kit (Docking Port)
• 1 x Console
• 1 x Circuitboard (Advanced Airlock)
• 1 x Glass Sheet
• 1 x Data Disk
• 1 x Gas Sensor
• 2 x Active Vent
• 2 x Passive Vent (optional)
• 1 x Flashing Light (optional)
• 1 x Power Controller (optional)
• 4 x Pipes
•  ?? x Cable Coils

Construction

A minimum Atmosphere to Atmosphere Airlock can be constructed using the following instructions:

1. Place both doors one large grid apart with the power and data ports facing into the airlock chamber's interior.
2. Using the Labeller, rename each door as "Interior-Door" and "Exterior-Door" appropriately.
3. Enclose the six remaining sides of the airlock chamber with airtight frames, walls, or windows.
4. Place Console, Active Vents, Gas Sensor, optional Flashing Light, and optional Power Controller such that they all can be wired together on the same network including the doors' power and data ports.
5. Attach enough pipes to each Active Vent to hold the volume of the airlock chamber or pass it through to a Passive Vent placed in the "interior" or "exterior" environment.
6. Using the Labeller, rename each Active Vents as "Interior Vent" and "Exterior Vent" appropriately.
7. Ensure "interior" and "exterior" pipe-networks are not connected.
8. Ensure the airlock's wire-network is connected to an active power supply and all devices can receive power.
9. Insert Circuitboard (Advanced Airlock) into the console, then place the glass sheet onto the console.
10. Insert Data Disk into the side slot of Console and power on the Console.
11. On the Console, scroll through the list of devices. Click to select. Click again to deselect if incorrect
12. Find and click "Exterior-Door" followed by all caps and green "EXTERIOR". NOTE: SELECT THIS FIRST!
13. Ensure the Exterior-Door's lock-indicator has turned from green to red.
14. Find and click "Exterior-Vent" followed by all caps and green "EXTERIOR". NOTE: SELECT THIS SECOND!
15. Find and click "Interior-Door" followed by all caps and green "INTERIOR".
16. Ensure the Interior-Door's lock-indicator has turned from green to red.
17. Find and click "Interior-Vent" followed by all caps and green "INTERIOR".
18. Find and click "Gas Sensor" followed by all caps and green "SENSOR".
19. Find and click "Flashing Light" followed by all caps and green "LIGHT". (optional)
20. Toward the top left of the Console find and click "External ###Pa". Set to match the exterior-environment's typical pressure. (optional)
21. Toward the top right of the Console find and click "Internal ###Pa". Set to match the interior-environment's typical pressure. (optional)
22. Remove Data Disk from the side slot of Console.

If there is an error the console screen will say so and the power light will flash yellow.

Console Slaves

When additional airlock controls are desired, they can be attached using the following instructions:

1. Using the Labeller, rename the original console as "Master Console".
2. Place additional consoles such that they all can be wired to the same wire-network connected to the Master-Console.
3. Using the Labeller, rename each additional console as "Slave Console 1", "Slave Console 2" ...
4. Insert Circuitboard (Advanced Airlock) into each additional console, then place the glass sheets onto the additional consoles.
5. Insert Data Disk into the side slot of the powered on Master-Console.
6. On the Master-Console, scroll through the list of devices. Click to select. Click again to deselect if incorrect
7. Find and click "Slave Console #" followed by all caps and green "MAKE SLAVE" for each additional console.
8. Remove Data Disk from the side slot of Master-Console.
9. Power on each additional console.

Troubleshooting

An airlock may stall if there is not enough gas available from/through the pipe-network attached to the interior or exterior vent to reach the desired pressure set within the Circuitboard (Advanced Airlock). Such stalled pressurization phases can be skipped by clicking the yellow "Cancel Pressurization" button on a console. Note that a console can often be accessed through windows if needed. As a last resort, an airlock portal can be deconstructed.

An airlock depressurization phase will not complete until the large grid volume in which the Gas Sensor resides is depleted of atmosphere at which time the appropriate door will open. Thus in larger airlocks, ensure there is one Gas Sensor per large grid to prevent airlock doors from prematurely opening and the resulting mixture of interior and exterior atmospheres.

If the "External ###Pa" or "Internal ###Pa" are set to 0, the corresponding pressurization phase will be skipped, speeding up the cycle time, but can result in large wind currents when doors open.

See Also

• Guide (Airlock)
• Guide (Airlock) Atmosphere to Vacuum
• Guide (Airlock) Docking Ports

• Circuitboard (Advanced Airlock Control)
• Circuitboard (Airlock)
• Kit (Airlock)