În ciuda compartimentului deschis, mecanismul se blochează.

În ciuda means despite or in spite of.

It is a fixed expression, and it introduces something that should normally prevent the main result, but does not. In this sentence:

În ciuda compartimentului deschis, mecanismul se blochează.

the idea is: even though the compartment is open, the mechanism still gets blocked.

A very important grammar point: în ciuda is followed by the genitive in Romanian.

Examples:

• în ciuda ploii = despite the rain
• în ciuda problemelor = despite the problems
• în ciuda compartimentului deschis = despite the open compartment

Because în ciuda requires the genitive case.

The base definite form is:

• compartimentul = the compartment

But after în ciuda, it changes to the genitive/dative definite form:

• compartimentului = of the compartment / to the compartment

So:

• compartimentul deschis = the open compartment
• în ciuda compartimentului deschis = despite the open compartment

This is one of the very common things Romanian learners have to get used to: some prepositional expressions require a specific case, not just the basic dictionary form.

Romanian usually uses the definite form when talking about a specific, identifiable thing.

So:

• compartiment = compartment
• un compartiment = a compartment
• compartimentul = the compartment
• compartimentului = of the compartment / to the compartment

In your sentence, the meaning is most naturally despite the open compartment, not just despite an open compartment.

If you wanted an indefinite version, you could say:

• În ciuda unui compartiment deschis... = despite an open compartment...

But that would sound less specific.

Because deschis agrees with compartimentului, but in this masculine/neuter singular pattern, the adjective often looks the same as in the basic form when it comes after the noun.

So:

• compartiment deschis = open compartment
• compartimentul deschis = the open compartment
• compartimentului deschis = of the open compartment / despite the open compartment

Even though the noun is in the genitive, the adjective deschis does not visibly change here.

This is normal for many masculine/neuter singular adjectives placed after the noun.

A useful comparison:

• masculine/neuter singular: băiatului frumos, compartimentului deschis
• feminine singular often shows the case more clearly: ușii deschise

So the agreement is there, but it is not always obvious from the form.

Compartiment is a neuter noun.

In Romanian, neuter nouns behave:

• like masculine in the singular
• like feminine in the plural

So in the singular, compartiment uses masculine-type forms:

• un compartiment
• compartimentul
• compartimentului

That is why the forms here may look masculine to an English-speaking learner. This is completely normal for Romanian neuter nouns.

Se blochează comes from the verb a se bloca.

In this sentence it means something like:

• gets blocked
• gets stuck
• jams

The se is part of the verb form. It does not always mean a truly reflexive action like himself/herself/itself in English. Very often in Romanian, se is used in verbs that describe a change of state or something happening on its own.

So:

• mecanismul se blochează = the mechanism gets blocked / the mechanism jams

A native English speaker may want to translate it word-for-word as the mechanism blocks itself, but that is usually not the best English equivalent here. The natural sense is gets blocked or jams.

It is present tense, third person singular.

Breakdown:

• a se bloca = to get blocked / to jam
• se blochează = it gets blocked / it jams / it is getting blocked, depending on context

Because the subject is mecanismul = the mechanism, the verb is in third person singular.

Romanian present tense can express:

• a general fact
• a repeated action
• something happening now

So this sentence could mean:

• the mechanism jams
• the mechanism gets blocked
• the mechanism is getting blocked

The exact English translation depends on context.

The comma separates the introductory concessive phrase from the main clause.

Structure:

• În ciuda compartimentului deschis, = despite the open compartment
• mecanismul se blochează. = the mechanism gets blocked

This comma helps readability and makes the sentence feel more natural, especially because în ciuda... sets up a contrast.

Romanian punctuation can sometimes be flexible with short introductory phrases, but here the comma is very natural and standard.

Yes, but the structure would have to change.

În ciuda is followed by a noun phrase:

• În ciuda compartimentului deschis...

Deși is followed by a full clause:

• Deși compartimentul este deschis, mecanismul se blochează.

Both mean roughly the same thing:

• Despite the open compartment, the mechanism jams.
• Although the compartment is open, the mechanism jams.

So the difference is grammatical:

• în ciuda
  • noun phrase
• deși
  • clause

Yes. Romanian word order is fairly flexible.

You can say:

• În ciuda compartimentului deschis, mecanismul se blochează.

You could also say:

• Mecanismul se blochează în ciuda compartimentului deschis.

Both are grammatical. The version with În ciuda... first gives slightly more emphasis to the contrast right away, which is why it sounds very natural here.

So the original order is not the only possible one, but it is a very good, standard choice.